prevent tupperware turning over in dishwasher

psychic_teabag

Hi,
we often wash plastic containers in the dishwasher. But they have the annoying habit of inverting, then collecting the water. Which presumably reduces the amount of water available for the rest of the wash, in addition to spilling dirty water when trying to extract them afterwards. (This morning, machine was showing a 'check water' error, which I hope was just that it was missing the water that had got trapped.)

Anyone have an elegant solution to such problems ? I'm picturing some sort of cargo net. Such things do seem to be available overseas, eg
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Boon-Span-Dishwasher-Silicone-Net-Batten-Down-The-Bowls-Stretchable-BPA-Free/253096646135

Perhaps one of those bags you can get for washing machines to hold delicate items would survive in a dishwasher. I might try opening one of those up and then looking for ways to attach it to the drawer.

Or maybe a metal drying rack or oven tray or something on top would hold everything down.

LadyDee

I often place a small square melamine tray upside down on top of the cups on the top shelf in order to wash it. Would that work?

ariba10

Our dishwasher is under the built in gas hobs.

I take the removable grids off them and put them over plastic items in the dishwasher. (Works for us)

paddy's_mum

Oven shelf, saucepan supports from the hob, cake cooling rack, slotted spoon and frying slice, spare tea plate, box grater...

kerri_gt

I usually wedge ours under whatever else is in the dishwasher too - so stack under the edge of bowls, mug handles etc.

LandyAndy

I'm surprised. I just put them upside down in the dish washer and they don't turn over regardless of size.

getmore4less

I find the best way is to overlap stuff a bit on an angle, trying to use the top rack if space, bottom rack is more prone to flipping.

Our new(Beko) dishwasher has a top cutlery rack so we can't over load the top rack with double layers(lids were good for that) like we used to,
we do get more room in the bottom as no basket.

Debran

Like others have said, I wedge them between other items or lay the handles of spatulas over them. Same goes for plastic and foil containers before they go in the recycling bin.

premkit

Elastic band, most new dishwashers come with a very long band keeping the instructions / plastic bits secured to the rack. Just get long elastic band.

psychic_teabag

Thanks all. I added some clean spatulas from the drawer last night (since there weren't enough dirty ones) and it seems to have worked. I was a little skeptical that they'd be heavy enough / stable enough to balance on top of the flat bases, but with a little bit of wedging they seemed to survive.

Tray seemed a good idea, but our melamine one has a label saying it's not dishwasher safe.

An elastic band might work for the smaller plastic pots along the side.

(Did you mean actual elastic, or a rubber band ? Would the latter degrade in the machine, and flake bits of rubber ? They tend to perish quite quickly under normal conditions.)