I tried this one easy dishwasher trick and made the annoying need for manual drying a thing of the past

Character peachy pink kitchen viewed through internal black Crittal doors. There is a marble island table with wooden backless bar stools in view. In the background, there is a splashback tiled stove area and built-in pink, and glass front brown cabinets.

Dishwashers are supposed to banish the effort of manually washing and drying everything, but if your items are coming out wet, this towel trick for your dishwasher door is going to be just the ticket.

When your dishwasher cycle has finished, open the door, hang a clean, dry towel over it, and close the door again. This will soak up the steam, instead of it cooling and pooling on your dishes and cups. Trust me, I've tried it and it really works.

Our cleaning professional says this trick works especially well if your dishwasher doesn’t have a built-in drying cycle, or if you just want to skip the heat to save energy and be more sustainable at home.

What is the kitchen towel over the dishwasher door trick?

I, for one, have always hated that ‘wet dog’ smell that can transfer onto your dishwasher-cleaned items when you have to wipe the moisture off with a towel. This can happen even with the very best dishwashers, as can annoying water spots.

Then I learned about the dishwasher door towel trick, where you place a clean, dry towel over your appliance’s door after the cycle has completed, and let it soak up any excess moisture, leaving you with bone dry crockery. It's now a cleaning tip I entirely swear by.

Professional cleaner and head of operations at Spekless, Karina Toner, explains, ‘The towel helps wick away trapped steam, which reduces the chances of water spots and speeds up the drying time without any extra wiping.

‘As for that dreaded wet dog smell, it usually comes from a combination of leftover moisture, warm air, dishes that aren’t quite as clean yet, or using a towel that’s already damp or musty. Basically, if something doesn’t fully dry and gets a little funky, that musty smell can set in fast.’

Karina recommends the following steps when using this towel trick for your dishwasher:

1. Use a clean, dry towel every time. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to grab the same towel over and over. If it’s already damp or has been hanging around too long, it can transfer that musty smell straight onto your clean dishes.
2. Wait until the cycle finishes, then open the door just a crack.
3. Drape a dry, absorbent dish towel over the top edge of the door, just enough that it catches the steam without getting caught in any hinges.
4. Some say you can let it sit for about five minutes or so. Personally, I let mine sit for about 10-20 minutes. When you come back, most of the moisture will be gone and the dishes will feel cabinet-dry.

Make hand-drying dishes fresh out of the dishwasher a thing of the past with this towel trick in the door. (Image credit: deVOL Kitchens)

I have been using this towel-over-the-dishwasher-door trick at home myself for years, as my problem was two-fold: I am disabled and limited in mobility so I cannot stand up for more than a minute or two to complete chores, making drying off dishes AND putting them away in one session a complete no-go.

I also have a very sensitive nose and hate that wet dog smell that can happen when using a towel to directly dry freshly cleaned dishes from a dishwasher.

Now, this hands-off towel trick for the dishwasher door is part of my adaptive pacing when cleaning, taking away some of the tasks I’d have to complete on my feet and cutting short the chore. It also helps eliminates any dishwasher smells, or odors on the crockery.

Pro cleaner Karina Toner has some other tips to better optimize and make the most of the dishwasher door towel trick. She advises to always:

• Rinse dishes thoroughly before loading. Any leftover food bits or soap residue can cling to dishes, especially when mixed with heat and moisture. It's something experts consider a dishwasher loading mistake best avoided.
• Dry dishes right away. Letting them sit wet in a rack or sink gives bacteria a head start, which can lead to bad kitchen smells. Dry them promptly and store them once fully dry.
• Let the dishes air out. Even after hand drying, don’t stack everything immediately. Give them a minute or two to fully air out and cool down before putting them away.
• Rotate your towels. If you’re reusing towels, let them fully air dry between uses and toss them in the wash regularly. Kitchen towels pick up more than we realize.

Dish-washing essentials

Multi-purpose

MR.SIGA

Mr.siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

I use these for cleaning all over my home, and they are especially good for the dishwasher towel trick, as they are super absorbent. They wash well and never smell musty as they dry so quickly. Skip fabric softener to avoid coating the fibers and reducing their absorption power.

Uses vertical space

Wayfair

Joseph Joseph Excel™ Steel 2-Tier Dish Rack

I recently switched out my single layer drying rack to this sturdy, tiered Joseph Joseph dish rack. It means I can load more into my dishwasher as there’s now increased vertical space to clean big items by hand and leave them to dry sink-side.

Year-long supply

Affresh

Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner

Keep smells and bacterial growth at bay with monthly maintenance cleans of your dishwasher. These tablets are great for clearing any mineral deposits too, which is handy if you live in a hard water area.

---

There's plenty more to learn about the humble appliance that makes kitchen clean-up easier, including how much it costs to run a dishwasher and what not to put in a dishwasher.