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monicakm1

Do You Load Your Silverware/Cutlery Up or Down?

monicakm_gw
9 years ago

I have always loaded my silverware and cutlery in the up position so they could spread out and have a better chance of getting clean (instead of all crammed at the bottom). I've had a KA KUDE60 for over 5 years so all my silverware goes on the 3rd rack, but, my long knives and other things that could impale a person, are in a corner basket pointing UP.

About a month ago, my 75 year old mother with mobility problems was in the kitchen, DW door open. She had her back to the DW, backed up, not realizing how close she was to the DW and fell ON THE OPEN DW DOOR! She was hurt but because she puts all of her silverware and cutlery in the DOWN position, she wasn't stabbed and possibly killed. Something tells me she's glad she never took my advice and put her forks and knives in the up facing position!

Just a friendly PSA :) Mom's ok now. She has a broke back and the fall was pretty nasty/painful but no blood!

Comments (26)

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    I always loaded them up, but the dishwasher that came with the house I bought is awful, so I tried loading them down, and they get much cleaner.

    Glad your mom is okay.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    That's why I was so happy to get a new dishwasher with a 3rd rack - I load them down for safety, hubby loads them up because he thinks they get cleaner.

  • lazy_gardens
    9 years ago

    Pointy-stabby things get loaded stabby side DOWN.

  • PhoneLady
    9 years ago

    Agree - I always load pointy-stabby things with sharp end down.

    But I alternate the forks and spoons. Some up and some down. Otherwise they can "nest" together and don't always come out clean.

  • jerzeegirl
    9 years ago

    I do exactly the same as Phone Lady.

  • dcward89
    9 years ago

    Pointy stabby like forks face down but I hand wash my knives. Spoons and other non pointy stabby things are alternated randomly to avoid nesting. I impaled my hand on a steak knife that DH loaded facing up a few years ago...cut all the way to the bone and required 7 stitches to close up. No sharp knives in the dishwasher after that.

  • localeater
    9 years ago

    I load all facing down, so that when unloading I touch handles only. In food service you always only touch clean utensils by handle. Guess all those college years jobs left their mark.

  • debrak2008
    9 years ago

    I load them all down. How would you easily get them in and out if you reverse them? You would be touching the dirty and sharp parts going in and touching the clean and sharp parts coming out.

  • plllog
    9 years ago

    Debrak,

    If you have them pointing up, you grab a handful around the throat (the skinny part of the handle next to the works) and remove them from the basket.

    My flatware isn't flat! It doesn't spoon (nest). :) It has thick, acrylic handles. It doesn't fit into those third racks either, and certainly doesn't get clean pointing down. My old dishwasher's flatware basket opened up on one side to make it easy to take the items out by the handle. That was a brilliant design!

    Monicakm, thanks for the warning! I'll still be putting them works side up, but will be careful about having it open around unsteady elders. At least my flatware isn't pointy. Even the forks have rounded tines. And sharp knives never go in. It's a scary thing to think about. Falls can be awful.

  • taggie
    9 years ago

    I load up except for pointy things like sharp knives. Simply wash my hands before unloading.

    I also touch things like lettuce and red peppers and cherry tomatoes with my *bare hands* before they go in my family's mouth. I do wash my hands before prep as well, and no one's died yet. :-)

  • Deeby
    9 years ago

    Forks and knives points down as my Mom taught me. Here's another one: Always run the faucet on cold after you've used plain hot water so that the next person doesn't get burned. I'm glad your dear Mom is OK. Sheesh ! Scary !

  • hsw_sc
    9 years ago

    PhoneLady

    Agree - I always load pointy-stabby things with sharp end down.

    But I alternate the forks and spoons. Some up and some down. Otherwise they can "nest" together and don't always come out clean.

    Yep!

  • cookncarpenter
    9 years ago

    I've always loaded everything pointing down, so when you empty, you are grabbing the handle, not the eating or sharp end ...Just seems like an obvious no brainer to me

  • maxmillion_gw
    9 years ago

    I'm the same as ctycdm. So much easier to unload!

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    9 years ago

    The instructions that came with my DW (Kenmore by Bosch) agree with PhoneLady.

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    Sorry about your mom! Hope her back heals quickly.

    Pointy/eating sides down. I just make sure when I put them in to not put all spoons together so they don't nest. Everything always comes out clean.

    While I know I always wash my hands when unloading the dishwasher, I know the rest of the family can't be trusted to do that. So I'd rather not have them grabbing the part I eat with using their dirty hands.

  • marcolo
    9 years ago

    Up?! You'll poke your eye out.

    And stop running in the house.

  • Texas_Gem
    9 years ago

    I always load knives point up, at the very back. Forks and spoons are alternating as others have suggested and my DW manual suggested to prevent nesting.

    I had a brief period where I loaded knives point down, all I ended up with were duller knives and broken points.

    I will continue in my method of ALWAYS unloading knives and other sharp/breakable items first but I won't change my DW loading method or switch to hand washing.

  • debrak2008
    9 years ago

    Pllog, my baskets are so deep and could not reach the handle to pull them out. If it is possible, I don't think I'm coordinated enough to do it. : )

    marcolo, good to see you back. Please update us on your kitchen.

  • gsciencechick
    9 years ago

    Forks and spoons do not fit with the handles up. Knives go blade down.

  • cluelessincolorado
    9 years ago

    MARCOLO!!!

  • bossyvossy
    9 years ago

    Instructions on my Bosch DW said to load knives down, which I do. Don't worry too much about crowding forks and spoons (loaded up) b/c I rinse b4 dishwashing. I'm stubborn and old fashioned when it comes to DW. To me they're strictly a sanitation tool, not cleaning

    I truly want to gag at the thought of dried up egg residue on a fork after it's gone thru DW. It grosses me out more that it annoys me to prewash, lol

  • bossyvossy
    9 years ago

    duplicate post

    This post was edited by bossyvossy on Thu, Oct 2, 14 at 13:19

  • Debbi Branka
    9 years ago

    My dishwasher (Maytag) has the baskets with the covers that have cut out holes. Those holes are to place your flatware in, one utensil in each hole. This keeps them separated so they can be washed completely. Using these holes, it is impossible to put forks and spoons downwards. I do put the (butter) knives in downwards, but I never wash my sharp knives in the dishwasher.

  • zeebee
    9 years ago

    Down. No poked hands and easier to grab the handles to unload.

  • emma
    9 years ago

    Spoons, down and up, so they don't cup. Knives down and the rest up. They come out clean, some occasional peanut butter signs on the non sharp knives. Ahhh, love that PB.