This may sound petty, but it can ba a source of contention between my wonderful husband and me sometimes. I consider myself fortunate that this is the worst of it lately. ;0)
Are you supposed to load the dishwasher with the silverware facing up or down?
For years, I always loaded the dishwasher with knives, forks, spoons, etc. loaded facing down into the basket. After reading an article in a magazine recently, I decided to conduct an experiment and started loading with the silverare facing up. Lo and behold, we've had fewer (if any) dirty pieces of silverware that need to be re-washed!
Now, the problem arises when my wonderful hubby pitches in and loads the dishwasher which is literally 1 time out of a 100. He loads the dishwasher with the cutlery facing down still because that was the way he was taught growing up working in his father's diner. I understand that for liability reasons, the owner of a business wouldn't care if dishes, etc. needed to be re-washed, his primary concern was not to have injuries and worker's comp claims. However, our 14- and 12-year-old daughters are the ones that alternate days to unload the dishwasher as part of their chores and they have no problem paying attention and not cutting themselves on the butter knives nor stabbing themselves with the forks. (We hand wash the good steak & chef's knives, so they're not an issue here.) The girls have also noticed a decrease in dirty silverware and appreciate not having to inspect every piece of silverware while putting it away and not having me gripe at them when I find a piece that needs to be rewashed in with the clean stuff.
Should I just be grateful that hubby does the dishes occassionally and let him do it his way and continue to do it my way since I do it 99% of the time? This is not worth arguing over every time, but I would at least like some input on my finding that the silverware gets cleaner when washed upright and not crammed into the basket. What has your experience been with this situation? Silverware up or down, ladies???
Thank you, everyone, for your valuable input! I have been letting him load the dishwasher however he likes to when he does do it since it is not very often and he feels like he is contributing to the household. ;0) He is a really great guy and I am fortunate that this is my biggest gripe lately.
Be grateful for the times he helps. My hubby does the same thing, I try not to correct him and to thank him for his help, so he will help again. Whats a few forks or spoons put in upsidedown as compared to the help???
I ALWAYS load the silverware facing down. This is for safety. I had a 5 year old in the kindercare program I worked in who tripped and landed on the silverware in the dishwasher, he ended up with a steak knife 2 inches in his side. I used to alternate so that half of the silverware was facing up and the other half was facing down, but after that I ALWAYS face it down.
I put everything down b/c I have small kids who love to rush in and grab silverware. That being said, all my dishes are perfectly clean no matter how I place them. Maybe you need a new dishwasher?
I would not be worrying about this... be glad he helps!
Your husband knows where the dishwasher is and how to use it?!?! Wow! Does he give lessons to other husbands?
(Yes, you're lucky)
Where I agree that silverware gets clean facing up at least he is helping. My husband likes to space everything out and run it with hardly anything in it. But its something more that he is doing round the house to help me. It's not worth making a big deal out of it.
I always say thank you when my husband remembers to put his stuff in the washer. And rearrange it to fit stuff in best after the fact. I'm just happy not to be constantly loading the dishwasher every time I walk past the sink. (What am I the maid?)
I'm glad for you that's the worst thing right now. :)A. H
My vote is silverware UP. It gets cleaner. When unloading, you can always grab it below the eating surface. Sharp knives, shouldn't go in the dishwasher anyway, it's bad for the handles (if they are wood) and the blades too. As for hubby...let it go. Not worth an argument or even a comment. My husband thinks we have a garbage disposal in our dishwasher....we don't, so I re-rinse a bit. I am just happy he helps!
My husband is the dishwasher czar at our house. His method is all the silverware facing up (except sharp knives) and he puts all the spoons together, all the forks together, all the knives together, etc.
This really annoyed me at first because I personally couldn't care less! Anyways, I found that it's much easier to unload the silverware afterward because you don't have to sort it out. I haven't found that the silverware is any cleaner because it faces up...I'm sure my husband would tell you otherwise!
C.- The silverware is supposed to face up, but to tell you the truth, I just toss it in there and it does what it does...lol. If you don't like that your hubby does it the other way, go behind him and turn the silverware in the other direction. At least it saves you from having to do all the other stuff. Good luck
You sound like a really nice woman and a good mother. Lucky you that your girls help with the dishes. Personally, I put the silverware facing down to avoid cutting myself (I am a klutz). But as for your husband, PICK YOUR BATTLES!!!Does it matter? I can get 100 dishes in the dishwasher and my husband puts them in any which way and is lucky if he get 10 in. I don't care. It's not important in the scheme of things. Just grit your teeth and turn them whichever way you want them.
If you don't care if he helps you, then bug him about it. If you want him to continue to help you, then make a big deal about him helping.
Also, if you know that he will be loading/unloading it, then have the girls put the silverware face down, so that when he unloads it, he has to reclean a lot of stuff... let him find the problem. If he finds the problem, he will probably change on his own.
C. -
Consider yourself blessed if all you have to argue with your hubs about is the direction the silverware is pointing in the dw! Pick your battles, man.
One time my hubs caught me rewashing some dishes he'd washed by hand. When he asked me why, I told him that they weren't clean, then I proceeded to show him what I meant by pointing out what he had missed. He was embarassed, and needless to say he hasn't washed dishes since.
I say, if he wants to help out every blue moon by filling and running the dishwasher, be gracious and thankful and put everything away, but leave the silverware in there and turn them right side up before the next cycle. Also instruct your girls to just leave the silverware in the dw if your hubs washed them so they can be rewashed later. If he asks why, THEN tell him that they don't get as clean when they're washed his way, and maybe mention that article you read and the results of your own personal tests.
Hope this helps!
I load sharp knifes down and the rest up. They seem cleaner that way to me also.
C.,
If it makes you feel any better my husband and I have the same exact debate here! I feel (like you) that the silverware gets cleaner if pointing up (however I have 4 grapefruit spoons with skinny handles that must be loaded pointing down or they fall through the silverware rack).
My husband insists that the silverware should be pointed down and when he loads the dishwasher he insists on doing it his way. LOL When I load it, I do it my way. Since I do the majority of the loading it gets done "right" most of the time.
We harass each other about it (jokingly) and have fun with it, each insisting that the other person is clueless about silverware and dishwashers and which way gets them cleaner.
Its such a small thing, really nothing to make an issue out of, however I am going to show him your request when he comes into the house tonight. Just know that you are doing it the "proper" way. LOL
Well, the silverwear basket in my dishwasher has those little slots so that each individual piece of cutlery stays separated from the rest. There's only one way my flat wear will fit in...mostly facing up, except for the butter knives, which have thick handles, so they have to go in with the cutting part facing down. The forks and spoons all go in with the handles down and the eating part facing up. I was guessing that maybe it was designed this way because they know that this is the best way for the silverwear to come clean.
As for your husband, personally I'd just mention it once and then let him do it his way and be happy they make it into the dishwasher. Usually when my husband puts things in the dishwasher I end up rearranging them anyway (he doesn't know this) because he puts the plates facing the wrong way, or just puts things so they don't fit as well. I figure there are more important things to gripe about.
After reading about a child who died after being impaled by a piece of flatware after accidentally tripping and falling into the open dishwasher, I quit loading my flatware with the tines, blades, etc. facing up. Plus, it is much easier to unload the flatware when you can grab the handles and not put your hands on the "eating end" of the utensils, which is also a sanitation issue. Thanks my 2 cents worth.
1st I want to say to just be thankful that he helps once in a while and let it go!
After saying that I agree that the silverware gets cleaner when it is up but I put mine down because the silverware holder on our dishwasher has broken a bit on the bottom and if I put it face up they fall through and I can't pull out the bottom shelf!
The handles on my silverware are skinny and poke through the holes in the bottom of the baskets and get in the way of the rotating arm underneath, so we have to put ours with the handles up, and the tines/spoons down.
Some things just aren't worth the battle - atleast this one for us only has one option!
Now, if he could only hang up his clothes with the hangers facing away from the front, I could grab a handful of empty hangers all at once without having to figure out which way they are wrapped around the bar and fighting with the silly things all of the time!!
"Should I just be grateful that hubby does the dishes occassionally and let him do it his way and continue to do it my way since I do it 99% of the time?"
Yes, yes - and oh, by the way - yes.
I could not get my husband to wash clothes without putting white socks with black pants. Because I made such a big deal about it, it is now his excuse to not do any laundry. Take what you can get and give him a big thank you when he is done.
we do silverware facing up and all sharp knives facing down. even my husband almost cut himself not thinking and grabbed a knive.
I load the dishwasher with the silverware facing up. My husband just tosses it in, whichever way it lands is the way it sits. Like you, I am the primary loader, he does it once in a while. Because it is so infrequent that he loads it, I don't worry about it. I'm just grateful that he's helping. If I make a big deal of it, he may not want to help.
C.; yes let him do it, dont nag him, just simply put the dirty ones back in the wash, or maybe when he does it, put it through an extra wash, im sure hes just loading it, and not putting it away , so just run it through agian, its not worth the argument, maybe if it really bothers you , you can load it with him, and let him put his silverware in how ever he does, and you put yours in your way, then when you unload it maybe they both are just as clean in one load , in both ways, maybe its not the fact of how you put them in but maybe its just some just did not get rinsed as well, maybe he just loads it and never rinses it ahead of time, therefore things may not come off as well, or you need to upgrade your dish detergent, so i would let him do it, if it really bothers you , pick your fights, if its worth fighting for , go for it, ahah either way , just be happy, he is helping, D. s
I, personally, load my silverware with the handles down. Not only have I noticed that my silverware is cleaner, but it also saves on the wear and tear of the basket. Or at least my mother swears it does...but that makes sense to me! As for the hubby situation, I suppose you can mention it to him (good luck!) or, seeing he doesn't load it often, just let it go. I have this same issue with my husband. He never loads the washer the way I would..not even close....and yes, most of the dishes need to be rewashed. But, he is so thrilled with himself in doing something he thinks I will appreciate, that I just let it go...and unload and rewash when he's not looking! Now, how he hangs/doesn't hang the toilet paper...???? :)
C.,
I load the silverware facing up. However, I make sure the sharp knives or anything else that could be sharp are facing down. My sister ended up with stitches in her leg because she had the sharp knives facing up and when she somehow stepped over/by the basket in the dishwasher (basket was in the front)she slashed open her leg. OUCH!!
I also go so far as putting the spoons with spoons, forks with forks, etc to make it easier to put away when clean.
Good luck and don't push the hubby too far, you may not get him to help anymore.
Hi C.,
I work in a restaurant and the health inspector says that they HAVE to be face up. Just thought I'd throw that in there.
Chris
I always loaded face down so when my kids were unloading they wouldn't touch the eating surface of all the clean utensils. Now that they're older (as your girls are)they know to be careful and grab for the handles, so face up is fine. I loved having my kids helping when they were really young, but never liked the thought of grimy little fingers all over the clean silverware. Putting it face down just made it easier.
As for your husband, let him do it his way and be grateful. I've definitely learned not to sweat the little things. My husband cleans up the kitchen every night after dinner, so how he chooses to load the dishwasher is his call. I do think he's an obsessive rinser, though. Our dishes are practically clean when they go in and he uses lots of water in the process, but that's a different debate entirely!
Okay it is a testosterone thing. Seriously my husband and son don't get it, the dishes part. I believe it is whatever is a priority to them.
Yes, it is nice that your husband steps up 1% of the time to do the dishes. So two things: one don't sweat the small stuff. I have been there and really it isn't anything getting upset over; two let your girls switch off loading and unloading the dishwasher. The girls will do it right, because they are more focused.
I am not being biased with the females against the males it is what I have learned from my husband, son, and my daughter.
handles down first...except for knives...
Spoons forks go up knives go down.
