Stop Opening Your Dishwasher to Wet Dishes: Discover the Hidden Settings That Cut Utility Bills in Half

Difficulty: Novice
Time: 5-10 minutes to locate and activate settings
Cost: $0 (using existing dishwasher features)

Why You'll Like This

Tired of cracking open the door and getting a face full of steam, plus plates that still drip? Annoyed as the power bill inches up every month? Your dishwasher already has answers built in, and most people simply never turn them on. According to Good Housekeeping, modern dishwashers include specialized functions that shift your routine from wasteful to efficient. Switch a couple settings, enjoy bone-dry dishes, and potentially save over $20 a year on energy costs.

This quick guide shows you where those features hide and how to use them. No more tea-towel triage.

What You'll Need

Materials

• Your dishwasher's owner's manual (or manufacturer's website)
• Current load of dishes

Tools

• None required, just your dishwasher's existing control panel

Safety First

• No safety concerns for this adjustment
• All changes are reversible
• No tools or disassembly required

Steps

1. Find Your Dishwasher's Enhanced Drying Options

Scan the control panel next time you load up. You will likely see what Good Housekeeping calls enhanced drying functions labeled “Dry+,” “Pro Dry,” “Extended Dry,” or a brand-specific twist.

These settings extend the final phase with extra heat or time to clear lingering moisture, as Good Housekeeping explains. Turn one on and dishes come out clean and dry, not almost there.

Why this works: Finish reports that modern machines use several drying methods, including air dry that cracks the door to vent steam, heated rinse that bumps water temp at the end, fan dry using room air, and classic heat dry.

2. Switch to the Money-Saving Air Dry Setting

This is the budget hero. Air dry is the most energy-efficient drying method, yet appliance experts note many machines default to energy-hungry heat dry and owners never notice.

How to activate air dry:

• Check your drying selection before each cycle
• Look for “Air Dry” or similar wording on the panel
• Deselect “Heat Dry” if it is automatically applied

The payoff: Air dry relies on evaporation, not an electric heating element. As Meera White from Whirlpool Corporation told The Spruce, “The normal cycle with an air dry option will almost always be the lowest energy usage.” It can take longer, sure, but you are not standing there watching it.

3. Combine Air Dry with Eco Mode for Maximum Savings

If your dishwasher has an eco mode, pair it with air dry and let them do the heavy lifting together. Tom's Guide explains that eco settings reduce washing and rinsing temperatures to save energy.

The compelling math: Running eco mode at 120°F uses about 0.73 kWh per cycle, which research from Tom's Guide indicates could save around 523 kWh annually compared to auto mode, potentially over $20 per year in energy savings.

The surprising reality: Only one in five people use the eco option, a CHOICE survey revealed. That leaves 80% of users paying more than they need to.

Time trade-off: Eco cycles run about four hours, standard programs around two and a half, Tom's Guide notes. Combine eco mode with air dry and, The Spruce confirms, you get maximum efficiency per load.

4. Activate Additional Efficiency Features

• Half-Load Settings: Target the top or bottom rack when the dishwasher is not full, Good Housekeeping UK reports. Use less water and energy. Great for smaller households or midweek mini-loads.
• Self-Clean Cycles: Some models include cycles that flush grease, food residue, and limescale from interior parts and spray arms, according to Good Housekeeping UK. Run these regularly to keep performance steady.
• Sanitize When Needed: The sanitize setting sends additional hot water up to 150°F during the final cycle, Finish explains. Save it for cutting boards, baby bottles, or illness.

5. Optimize for Best Results

• Check your owner's manual to match cycles with load types. Appliance experts recommend most everyday loads do not need heavy-duty or sanitize.
• Keep the rinse aid dispenser filled. Good Housekeeping suggests adding liquid rinse aid even if your detergent includes it, since it helps items dry more thoroughly with air dry.
• Before each cycle, see if heat dry is preselected and switch to air dry when you can.

Why This Works

Enhanced drying settings clear leftover moisture by extending the final phase. Air dry and eco mode cut energy use at the source. Heat dry burns electricity to hold high temperatures, while air dry leans on natural evaporation. Eco mode lowers washing and rinsing temperatures, and paired with air dry, delivers the most efficient clean you can get from the same machine.

Troubleshooting

• Problem: Dishes still wet with air dry
  Fix: Fill the rinse aid dispenser and, for stubborn loads, try an enhanced drying option.
• Problem: Eco mode takes too long
  Fix: Use standard cycles when you are in a rush, save eco for overnight or daytime runs.
• Problem: Can't find air dry
  Fix: Check the owner's manual, some brands label it differently or tuck it inside another option.

Variations & Upgrades

• Combination approach: Use enhanced drying for company dinners when you need dishes dry fast. Stick with the air dry and eco combo for daily loads.
• Seasonal adjustment: Summer heat speeds up air drying. In winter, tap enhanced drying occasionally.
• Load-specific strategy: Heavy pots and pans may benefit from enhanced drying. Regular dishware is usually perfect with air dry.

Your dishwasher can do more than you think. Use enhanced drying when you need perfectly dry dishes, then switch to air dry with eco mode for everyday loads. Those simple button choices, literally just different selections on the same control panel, turn a basic appliance into a thrifty kitchen workhorse that saves time, money, and energy every cycle.