How does a dishwasher clean dishes?

A dishwasher cleans by heating water, mixing it with detergent, and forcing the soapy water through spinning spray arms. The jets knock food loose, detergent loosens grease, and the dirty water is pumped away. Fresh hot water then rinses the plates before drying begins.

The neat detail is that the arms turn because water shoots out sideways from tiny openings, pushing them around as they spray. Warm plates usually dry faster than plastic cups, because plastic does not store heat as well after the rinse.