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Dishwasher dilemma: Are you loading it all wrong?

Should you pre-rinse first? Should cast iron and wood go in with the rest of the daily dishes? Should you load knives point-down in the rack?
/ Source: TODAY

Sure, it seems like a straightforward chore. Put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, add detergent and turn it on and walk away.

But in reality, it's a bit more complicated.

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Should you pre-rinse first? Should cast iron and wood go in with the rest of the daily dishes? Should you load knives point-down in the rack? Should you load knives in the machine at all?

A story from The Wall Street Journal tackles those very important dishwasher dilemmas with the help lifestyle expert Martha Stewart.

“The dump and turn-on is not my approach," Stewart revealed. "I’m much more orderly."

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Steward owns "17 dishwashers inside 21 kitchens across her properties," so she knows what she's talking about.

“The don’ts are more important than the do’s,” she said.

And she has a lot of don'ts, including: No wood, china, crystal, cast iron, pewter or any knives in the dishwasher.

As for the pre-rinse, Stewart didn't chime in, but WSJ reports that most dishwasher manufacturers and detergent makers say it's simply not needed.

Follow Ree Hines on Google+.

This article originally ran July 2015.