Is there a right way to stack dishwashers? Apparently there sure is – 9honey’s Rachael Gavin gets a definitive answer…
When I had a dishwasher expert review my stacking efforts for a story I was pretty sure I’d get good feedback.
My plates were all neatly placed from largest to smallest with nothing blocking spray arms or water from reaching everything.
There was one thing I knew I’d be called out for though – and that’s placing cutlery in the basket with blades and tips up, which is a controversial move and causes debates in every household with a dishwasher.
Still, I continued stacking cutlery that way with the belief that it cleans them better.
Until now that is, because in one split-second I realised just how beneficial placing cutlery downwards in the dishwasher is.
With all my clean butter knives in the dishwasher while making a sandwich I had to grab one directly from the unpacked dishwasher.
Reaching without thinking I took hold of the knife from the blade end leaving a greasy fingerprint right in the middle instantly rendering the knife dirty again.
Sure, I washed my hands before preparing lunch, but I just couldn’t bring myself to dip the smudged knife blade into a pristine tub of margarine.
So I went to get another knife and, without thinking, picked it up at the same spot again.
It was then that the simple benefit of placing cutlery blade and tip ends down became clear.
If only the knife was placed with the handle upwards I’d have a completely clean blade ready to use and wouldn’t need to wash them again.
Once I had that realisation it was time to test out packing the cutlery that way and seeing if they clean as well.
After a few false starts thanks to stacking them the other way now being a habit, I tried it out several times and can report that the cutlery came out just as clean.
Now I’m officially trying to put cutlery in the dishwasher with the blade/tip end down, though still forgetting every now and then so it’s more of a mixed packing situation.
I wish I didn’t have to admit I was wrong because the other way just feels right, but clearly handles up makes sense.
If you’re wondering whether there is actually a correct way, well, yes at least for knives there is, for forks and spoons it’s not as clear.
CHOICE dishwasher expert Ashley Iredale says it’s blade/tip ends down for safety, ease of unpacking and hygiene.
But the dishwasher manuals have mixed recommendations; LG only advises knives being placed blade down and forks and spoons up, Bosch asks for all tips down unless it’s long and pointy or a knife and then it goes on the knife shelf, while Fisher & Paykel only has guidelines for knives which it says should go blade down.
If your household can’t agree on this, you could always get a dishwasher with a tray so cutlery can be placed lying down… but then you might just start a new debate about handles left or right.
This article was reproduced with permission from 9Honey. To read the original article, click here.
