What’s the Angle?
Water pools in the bottoms of cups and other dishes when the dishwasher rack is completely flat. But if you were to tilt the top rack, the water would stream off, leaving your dishes puddle-free. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to do just that.
Many modern dishwashers allow you to adjust the height of the top rack to fit taller items, such as wine glasses and water bottles. Conveniently, this feature doubles as an effective way to create a slope for drainage. While you can lower or raise the entire top rack to keep it flat, some models let you adjust just one side to form an angle.
On most dishwashers with this capability, there are adjustment levers on either side of the top rack. If you press those levers inward, it unlocks the rack and allows you to adjust its height.
Move the entire top rack into the highest position that still accommodates your tallest dishware. Then, press just one of the levers and lower that side to create the slope needed for water to drain.
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No Adjustment Levers? No Problem
If your dishwasher lacks this capability, you can prevent puddles by positioning your items on a slant. In most dishwasher models, the outer edges of the top rack feature a gentle slope specifically designed to hold glasses and mugs. For other items, use the tines to your advantage so they rest on an angle, rather than lying flat.
Another tip is to avoid unloading the dishes immediately after the wash cycle finishes. Instead, open up the door so steam can escape and condensation can start to evaporate. While this won’t necessarily help with large puddles of water, it gives smaller amounts more time to evaporate before you empty the dishwasher hours later.
