We wash the food off with plain water before puting the plates in the dishwasher and we have a filter.There is a heater so there is no need to stack the plates on the draining board.
Arguably we could be considered lazy by doing the dishes by hand but the dishwasher is efficient and it gets the plates sparkling clean.
If it works for you Besoeker, its all good 
Do the dishes come out dry then, after they have been washed? I meanā¦could you just use the dishwasher as an extra cupboard, so to speak, and just use the dishes from it, then put them back?
And my friend too, Rhian.
Going back to wasting water, now we have to recycle so many plastic packaging which needs washing first because they wont accept food stuck to them, surely that is wasting hot water & electricity or gas, depending on how you heat your water, than any dish washer?
I agree Tiffā¦they wonāt remove the waste recycling if its āspoiledā by people not cleaning out the packets. Also, we have been asked to squash bulky items like milk containers, in order to make room - apparently not doing so, is inefficient. 
I remember there was a Brownie badge for washing up and they gave you instructions on how to do it.
My Granny cracked up at the idea that anyone needed instructions and also that I had to do it to get my badge, because I was a champion washing up dodger 
Nuts, isnāt it. Though I guess anyone who washes up by hand, not me, could use the washing up water to do that task as well.
I have also been in restaurants where Iāve had to check their cutlery, because of food left inside a fork dried inside, horrible,ā¦
V has a dishwasher; heās called Percy
Iām not sure what you mean. Yes, the dishes come out dry then we put them in kitchen cabinets or in the cutlery drawers. Then we use them for our food then stack them in the dishwasher.
A canine dishwasher!
If they are clean and dry, just use them from the dishwasher and put them back in there when they get used. No need for a cupboard. 
I suppose Iām just thinking I could be so lazy now 
There are too many to just stick in the cupboards before you do a full load.
It is a waste of hot water and unfortunately you canāt put it in the dishwasher. I use used kitchen towel or used tissues to wipe containers for recycling and then rinse in cold water.
Thatās it in a nut shell as thatās exactly what we do and if thereās nothing to swill out, I save the water in a 5L container I keep for such events. Waste not, want not 
Iāve done that before when Iāve run out of plates. 
And forgotten to empty the darn machine.
Slightly off topic, I watched my sister using a W/up sponge to wipe down the work top. I really hope she got a fresh one out! I use damp kitchen roll.
Eeeek, I wouldnāt do that - not after washing dirty dishes. Iām a fan of kitchen roll too
