S/O on Dishwashing/rinsing thread - How do you load your silverware?

[Kathleen in VA]

My dh likes to stick the knives up - even the sharp ones - so that the water can reach them and get them really clean. I like to put the knives down so that I don't get cut by them while unloading. Is there a "proper" way to load silverware? Btw, I do put the spoons and forks up - just not the knives.

[Danestress]

I rinse everything well and put it in with the handle up - spoons, forks, knives. Otherwise I suspect that whoever empties the dishwasher touches the part of the spoon or fork that goes in my mouth.

[Amy loves Bud]

My dh likes to stick the knives up - even the sharp ones - so that the water can reach them and get them really clean. I like to put the knives down so that I don't get cut by them while unloading. Is there a "proper" way to load silverware? Btw, I do put the spoons and forks up - just not the knives.

 

The proper way is, well, MY way! :D

 

I put them all pointing down because

 

1. The water sprays from the bottom of the dishwasher so they are getting power sprayed from below instead of just rinsed from above,

2. If someone falls on it they won't be impaled, and

3. I don't like people grabbing the eating end of the clean utensils to put them away.

 

So it is written, so let it be done.

[Zelda]

Knives down but everything else up AND down because...that's how Martha says to do it and I'm not climbing into the ring with Martha.

[JudoMom]

Both.

 

I have no system.

 

I think it's another way I'm rebelling at 32 :tongue_smilie:.

[In The Great White North]

Point down for all of them.

 

The handles of my silverware are little square bars, which slide right through if someone puts them in handle down.

[neesek]

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/parental/dishwasher.asp

 

I read this story a few years ago, and ever since then, my sharp knives have gone in pointing down. Actually, we keep them behind the sink, and only put them in the dw right before we start it at bedtime. (My 2yo frequently helps herself to items in the dw and likes to load it.) All of the rest of the silverware still goes in pointing up.

[Alenee]

Ahhhh, but none of you have gotten the right answer! ;) You're NOT supposed to put your knives into the dishwasher! They go dull more quickly that way.

 

I still put my old set in the dw though and when I do, they go in point down. When I was 14yo I was drying dishes. We had them in a rack on the counter, you know, the old fashioned way. When I turned around to grab another knife (it was point up) I was impaled!:001_huh: And I kid you not, a year to the day later, I did it again in the same exact spot!:confused: I still have a scar.

 

So, knives will always go point down....that is, only the old set so my new set won't get dull. :lol:

[Stacia]

Neither.

 

Because... I have the coolest dishwasher. It has a cutlery tray as a narrow top (3rd) rack. The utensils lay sideways.

 

If we ever move, I will personally carry my dishwasher with me. :D

 

(If I'm loading dishes somewhere else where the dishwasher has cutlery baskets, I always put sharp knives pointy side down. Other utensils just go in however I feel like it that day -- usually a mix of up & down. LOL.)

[Sparkle]

All my sharp knives get washed by hand. Table knives go in blade down, forks and spoons up.

[Amy loves Bud]

Neither.

 

Because... I have the coolest dishwasher. It has a cutlery tray as a narrow top (3rd) rack. The utensils lay sideways.

 

If we ever move, I will personally carry my dishwasher with me. :D

 

(If I'm loading dishes somewhere else where the dishwasher has cutlery baskets, I always put sharp knives pointy side down. Other utensils just go in however I feel like it that day -- usually a mix of up & down. LOL.)

 

I have that and never use it! I have taller glasses and need the height for that. But it sure does solve the dilemma.

[Elisabeth in IL]

I put sharp knives down but butter knives and everything else up.

[KidsHappen]

So I don't cut myself with the knives. Also that way you can take them out by the handles to put them away without touching the part that goes in peoples mouths.

[Ellie]

Knives down, please!

 

But everything else is alternated, so to speak; sometimes if you put all the utensils down, they will "nest" and not get clean.

 

At least, that's what the owner's manual for my dishwasher says. Yes, I actually read it.:D

[Zelda]

Knives down, please!

 

But everything else is alternated, so to speak; sometimes if you put all the utensils down, they will "nest" and not get clean.

 

At least, that's what the owner's manual for my dishwasher says. Yes, I actually read it.:D

 

Yup. That's what Martha said. :001_smile:

[RoughCollie]

I put table knives down, everything else up. I don't wash cooking utensils and knives in the dw.

 

When the kids were small, I put all tableware handles up because I was afraid a child would get stabbed by something accidentally. Someone could fall onto the silverware rack in an open dishwasher, or could reach for a utensil and get stabbed. No one ever fell onto the open dishwasher door or rack, but when you have 4 little kids milling about, it is better to be safe than sorry, IMO.

 

Now that they are big, I don't worry about that and if it happens, it will be either a freak accident or due to their own carelessness.

[Country Mouse]

I put all tableware handles up because I was afraid a child would get stabbed by something accidentally. Someone could fall onto the silverware rack in an open dishwasher, or could reach for a utensil and get stabbed.

 

:iagree:

 

As a previous poster's link to snopes detailed, a young girl in my state died from falling on a sharp knife in the dishwasher. A freak accident, of course, but I'm not taking any chances and besides, I always get cut if the knives face up.

[Lizzie in Ma]

So I put them in blades down. I hate when it doesn't get all the peanut butter off though. :)

[plain jane]

So I put them in blades down. I hate when it doesn't get all the peanut butter off though. :)

 

This is my problem too, so I put them blades up. I can't stand finding knives with crusted-on peanut butter. I take out the knives first thing after the dishwasher is run and I always make the littles wash their hands thoroughly prior to unloading my cutlery tray.- I do not want grubby little hands touching the part that holds me food.;)

[RoughCollie]

I wipe the peanut butter off the knives before I place them in the dishwasher. After years of the knives not coming clean, I finally thought of this solution yesterday.

[PrairieAir]

I load the silverware with the handle down. Any sharp knives are loaded point down. Sometimes I load the big knives lying down in the top rack. If you wanted to load them point up and make it safer, you could load them in the back silverware compartment only and unload them before anything else.

 

There are certain family members who think it's gross to load the silverware handle down because then you have to touch the part people put in their mouths with your hands. I tell them that I make a point of washing my hands before unloading clean dishes and that I prefer the part that goes into your mouth gets as clean as possible. These are the same people that do not pre-rinse dishes and pack everything so tightly it doesn't get enough water flow.

[gardening momma]

I put mine in both up & down. I try to evenly distribute them, so that knives, forks & spoons are mixed together (so spoons don't nest together & not get clean). Sharp knives go in point down.

[gardening momma]

I wipe the peanut butter off the knives before I place them in the dishwasher. After years of the knives not coming clean, I finally thought of this solution yesterday.

Any silverware with "stuff" on it, including dried-on food (from sitting on the counter waiting to be washed) gets soaked in a bowl of water in the sink before I put it in the dishwasher. Usually the items that don't come clean if I don't soak them first are spoons used for serving veggies like corn or green beans, or anything used for macaroni & cheese.

[Cindy in FL.]

I point sharp things down. Someone I know fell over the opened dishwasher and had a knife go through their leg! I get chills everytime I think of it while loading my dishwasher.

 

Cindy

[Kathleen in VA]

Wow! I never expected so many helpful replies. I have decided to put everything down for a while and see how clean my dishwasher can get them. I forwarded the snopes.com link to dh and explained that from now on knives go down.:) That was horrifying to read - sooooo sad. I, too, say better safe than sorry. Thanks everyone!!

[Jennifer in NH]

Ahhhh, but none of you have gotten the right answer! ;) You're NOT supposed to put your knives into the dishwasher! They go dull more quickly that way.

:iagree: Exactly! I never put my steak knives or french knives, carving knives, boning knives, butcher knife etc into the dishwasher! Ever!

I hate washing them by hand, but I don't need for those nice handles to get dull....I also do not wash pots and pans in the dishwasher...

as for flatware...i admit I put them handle down and I am the one to take them out of the clean dishwasher... i need to give up that control, and when I do they will be placed handle up so no one touches the eating portion of my forks and spoons....

That is my 2 cents, or more....

[mawirth]

I used to put the forks and spoons up and the knives down, but now I also put the forks down as I put one part way through my thumb fingernail when I was unloading the dishwasher in a hurry one day

Donna

[GailV]

Ahhhh, but none of you have gotten the right answer! ;) You're NOT supposed to put your knives into the dishwasher! They go dull more quickly that way.

 

 

 

Correct! The good knives (the really sharp ones) never go in the dishwasher.

 

The flatware goes in with knives and forks pointing down, spoons pointing up. That way I get a nice mix of ups and downs, and don't have to worry about fork tines pointing up.

 

The exception is flatware used on avocados and nut butters. I've yet to own a dishwasher that can cope with cleaning those 100% of the time, so I just do them by hand.

[mom2abcd]

The proper way is, well, MY way! :D

 

I put them all pointing down because

 

1. The water sprays from the bottom of the dishwasher so they are getting power sprayed from below instead of just rinsed from above,

2. If someone falls on it they won't be impaled, and

3. I don't like people grabbing the eating end of the clean utensils to put them away.

 

So it is written, so let it be done.

 

This is correct.

 

:)

 

I usually keep the sharp knives out and wash them by hand.