Cutlery - Up or Down?

[pooh bear]

This is an ongoing argument in my house and I wanted to see how the rest of the world deals with this problem.

 

When washing the dishes (we hand-wash, no dish-washer) do you place the cutlery handles up or handles down on the drying rack?

[AK_Mom4]

We use a dish washer, but when we hand washed we did it the same. Handles up because I don't want to stab myself on a fork when I take them out of the drainer.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

This is an ongoing argument in my house and I wanted to see how the rest of the world deals with this problem.

 

When washing the dishes (we hand-wash, no dish-washer) do you place the cutlery handles up or handles down on the drying rack?

 

Knife handles go up, fork and spoon handles go down. Sometimes I end up stabbing myself on fork tines, but if I put the forks and spoons head down, I always have problems getting the cutlery out when it's time to put away. The rack pops off, the tines get hooked in each other or the squares in the holder, the wide spoons get caught and lift the whole thing away, etc.

[amyco]

Handles up here too because I think it's less likely someone will grab the tines or bowl of the spoon with their fingers that way. 

 

 

[Slartibartfast]

Handles up.

[Amira]

Knife handles go up, fork and spoon handles go down. Sometimes I end up stabbing myself on fork tines, but if I put the forks and spoons head down, I always have problems getting the cutlery out when it's time to put away. The rack pops off, the tines get hooked in each other or the squares in the holder, the wide spoons get caught and lift the whole thing away, etc.

This. I also think I can fit more in this way too. I have finally learned how to not stab myself with the forks.

[happi duck]

In happi duck land...

 

Sharp knives get washed, dried and put away.

 

Forks, spoons and butter knives are dried handle down. With our set up more things fit and the non-handle part dries quickest. The height of our drying rack allows for grabbing things midway, not by the tines etc.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Table knives (without sharp points), handles down to allow better water circulation when cleaning, and air circulation when drying.

 

Small, sharp knives (if dishwasher safe) go in the dishwasher, handles up/blades down.

 

Large, sharp cutlery (dishwasher safe Cutco) goes horizontally on the top rack, with cut edges facing up so water doesn't collect on sharp edge.  

 

If hand washed, sharp knives are lain flat on a towel, and soon dried by hand (I don't like water spots on my Cutco).  :o)

[Sasharowan]

Handwashed and handles up! I don't like getting poked by forks!!

[Ellie]

This is an ongoing argument in my house and I wanted to see how the rest of the world deals with this problem.

 

When washing the dishes (we hand-wash, no dish-washer) do you place the cutlery handles up or handles down on the drying rack?

 

Handwashing, handles up on knives, handles down on everything else.

 

In my dishwasher, I alternate so that things don't nest and so don't get clean, although knives are still handles up.

[wintermom]

For drying only, handles up. Otherwise the pointy bits poke you when you return them to the drawer.

 

Spoons can go either way, as there are no pointy parts. ;)

 

 

For washing in the dishwasher, I keep the spoons handles down to avoid them sticking together and not getting washed and rinsed.

[Guest inoubliable]

Down.
 

I've never gotten stabbed by emptying the dishwasher or dish drain.

[displace]

Interesting to see there are so many varieties of life!  I put ours handles down, as there's always some left over water in our drying rack and I'm hydrophobic I guess.  Sharp knives handles up to not get accidently stuck. 

[pooh bear]

I'm handle up. When I've done the dishes, I grab them all by the handle, dry them and put them away.

 

Dh is handle down. I wash the dishes more than he does and he always complains that I'm drying them wrong.

 

I was taught handle up, that way you are not touching the area that comes in contact with food with you hands.

[Arcadia]

I just hand wash and lay the forks, spoons and table knives on the drying rack. So neither up nor down.

[shukriyya]

Forks and knives :: handles up

Spoons :: handles down.

[Cinder]

Knife handles go up, fork and spoon handles go down.

 

This is what we do; dishwasher user here. My MIL and SIL both handwash their dishes and when they rinse the cutlery it all goes handle down into the drainer.

[candicane]

We have a dishwasher, but we'll soon be moving elsewhere that's without one. We have the handle up for sharp/steak knives, and handles down from spoons, forks, and regular table/butter knives. I'm not sure how I'll be doing it once we get settled in the rental without a dishwasher.

[VaKim]

Hand wash. Handles up so we don't get stabbed reaching for other stuff.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Handles down (except for knives) because I don't always know when the last time the cup/holder was washed and it's kind of gross to think what might be growing in there (think tothbrush holder).  Because of this and other germaphobic/OCD issues I have I can not live with out a dishwasher.

[swellmomma]

handles always down, both in the drying rack to dry and in the dishwasher.  That way all water runs downs the handles and does not risk recontaminating the part that actually touches your food.

[kitten18]

Handles up.

[umsami]

DH puts the pointy knife part up….I put it pointy part down.  I don't like getting stabbed.

[chocolatechip]

Handles up.

 

Hands down.  :D

[Tap]

We go all willy nilly here.  To avoid spooning and forking....which inevitable leads to, well you know...baby pickle forks and ice-teaspoons. And who in casual society uses those silly ole things :0)

[catz]

If you have a Miele, you don't need to worry about this!  :)

[Susan in TN]

Handwashing, handles up on knives, handles down on everything else.

 

In my dishwasher, I alternate so that things don't nest and so don't get clean, although knives are still handles up.

As always, I defer to The Wisdom of Ellie. :)

[KungFuPanda]

Handles up on knives, down on everything else. That's just for safety. It takes up too much room to put EVERYTHING handles up.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I put handles up.  Dh puts handles down.  But whoever wants to do the work of washing dishes gets final say.  Unfortunately that is usually me.

[medawyn]

Dishwasher user here, but always handles up. Easier to unload. Unless DS 18 months is "helping"; then I'm just happy they get in the dishwasher.

 

Sharp knives get hand washed, dried, and put away immediately, because I have been known to forget they are on the counter and grab the towel out from under them, to the detriment of my feet.

[Jann in TX]

Gosh-- I'm just happy when the cutlery is IN the dishwasher...

[Ellie]

We go all willy nilly here.  To avoid spooning and forking....which inevitable leads to, well you know...baby pickle forks and ice-teaspoons. And who in casual society uses those silly ole things :0)

 

:laugh:

[fraidycat]

Knife handles go up, fork and spoon handles go down. Sometimes I end up stabbing myself on fork tines, but if I put the forks and spoons head down, I always have problems getting the cutlery out when it's time to put away. The rack pops off, the tines get hooked in each other or the squares in the holder, the wide spoons get caught and lift the whole thing away, etc.

This exactly.

[kewb]

Same arguement in my house. I say handles down and dh says handles up so you don't stab yourself on a fork and so no one touches the tops of the silverware.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Handles down on everything hand washed.

 

Handle down on pointy stuff in the dishwasher only because they'll get stuck. Everything else is handle up.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

handles always down, both in the drying rack to dry and in the dishwasher.  That way all water runs downs the handles and does not risk recontaminating the part that actually touches your food.

 

Well, I was feeling guilty for my response and not worrying more about germs until I read this!

[thartman95]

I've always put my utensils handles down.  Why would I want the end that goes in my mouth down where all the water drains?

[Carrie12345]

Dishwasher. Knife handles up. All other handles down. Our baskets have slots so utensils can’t get cozy and hide food bits. 

[Tanaqui]

Is it just me, or have we had a lot of driveby comments on old threads lately?

[*Jessica*]

1 minute ago, Tanaqui said:

Is it just me, or have we had a lot of driveby comments on old threads lately?

Now that the world is starting to be vaccinated against COVID it’s time for the Zombie (thread) Apocalypse!  

[fairfarmhand]

On 8/29/2014 at 9:50 PM, Tap said:

We go all willy nilly here.  To avoid spooning and forking....which inevitable leads to, well you know...baby pickle forks and ice-teaspoons. And who in casual society uses those silly ole things :0)

Same. 

Sharp kinves are handwashed as well. I  wash my hands before unloading the dishwasher, and lift the basket out of the dishwasher. I have never stabbed myself on fork tines. Maybe its because I'm able to see better the items that I'm grabbing since it's on the counter instead of down where I'm bending over to grab stuff? Since my hands are clean when I'm unloading, I don't worry if I grab the "Eating end" of a utensil. 

[bibiche]

25 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

Is it just me, or have we had a lot of driveby comments on old threads lately?

I do enjoy seeing all the old posters though. Then clicking to see when last they visited, and sometimes missing them. Time flies.

[ktgrok]

Knife handles up - so no one is stabbed.

If just drying, meh, no real order. Probably I do mostly handles down as I don't clean the dishrack enough to feel good about the mouth bit sitting in the bottom of the drying rack cups. 

In dishwasher, knife handles up, again for safety. Others are a mix, as a dishwasher I had said to do that in the manual to prevent nesting. I think they probably get cleaner handle down, and tend to do that. 

[Katy]

Our dishwasher has a 3rd drawer for knives and plastic lids.  The knives go sideways, sharp edges down.

The utensil baskets in the dishwasher are designed to go handles down, and they space the utensils out so you can clean more at one time that way. 

We have roll up metal dish drainers that fit over the sink.  They don't have a place for utensils, so those get dried by hand and put away immediately.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Seven year old zombie thread. . .

[KungFuPanda]

Handles down because the just fit better that way.  The exception is sharp knives. I've never injured myself by touching a fork tine, so forks, spoons, or butter knives being up isn't a problem.  Actually, I think I put my butter knife handles up because they are bigger than the blade end.  I guess my REAL answer is the end that takes up the least amount of space is down and sharp knives are down.  

[KungFuPanda]

13 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Seven year old zombie thread. . .

dammit

[Ditto]

nm......zombie thread.  I hate that these keep popping up!

Edited March 18, 2021 by Ditto

[AmandaVT]

3 hours ago, Ditto said:

nm......zombie thread.  I hate that these keep popping up!

I'm fascinated by how these pop up. Are they bots? Or are there actual people coming here, wondering about cutlery organization and nothing else.