Editing Dishwasher (section)

===Drying===
The heat inside the dishwasher dries the contents after the final hot rinse. North American dishwashers tend to use heat-assisted drying via an exposed element which tends to be less efficient than other methods. European machines and some high-end North American machines use passive methods for drying – a stainless steel interior helps this process and some models use heat exchange technology between the inner and outer skin of the machine to cool the walls of the interior and speed up drying. Some dishwashers employ desiccants such as [[zeolite]] which at the beginning of the wash are heated, dry out and creating steam which warms plates, and then are cooled during the dry cycle which absorbs moisture again, saving significant energy.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

Plastic and non-stick items form drops with smaller surface area<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/ask/curiosities/curiosities-why-does-plastic-dry-slower-than-glass/article_31d0e21a-34df-11e1-bdb3-001871e3ce6c.html | title=Curiosities: Why does plastic dry slower than glass?| date=January 2012}}</ref> and may not dry properly compared to china and glass. Some dishwashers incorporate a fan to improve drying. Older dishwashers with a visible heating element (at the bottom of the wash cabinet, below the bottom basket) may use the heating element to improve drying; however, this uses more energy.

Most importantly however, the final rinse adds a small amount of rinse-aid to the hot water, this is a mild detergent that improves drying significantly by reducing the inherent surface tension of the water so that water mostly drips off, greatly improving how well all items, including plastic items, dry.

Most dishwashers feature a drying sensor and as such, a dish-washing cycle is always considered complete when a drying indicator, usually in the form of an illuminated "end" light, or in more modern models on a digital display or audible sound, exhibits to the operator that the washing and drying cycle is now over.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

US governmental agencies often recommend air-drying dishes by either disabling or stopping the drying cycle to save energy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.es_at_home_tips_renters10 |title=Top 10 Tips for Renters: ENERGY STAR |publisher=Energystar.gov |access-date=2012-06-20}}</ref>