If you own a dishwasher in Colorado, you’ve no doubt had the debate about how to load it properly. You may hold firm in your belief that when loading silverware, the handles need to be up, but other members in your family will argue that they need to be down.
Their arguments may involve different evidence, such as when the handles are up, the part that goes in people’s mouths will be closer to the jets and therefore get cleaner. They may also argue that when the dishwasher is unloaded, the part that people put in their mouth won’t be touched by potentially dirty hands.
On the other side of that argument are the people who claim that putting the handles down will actually get the silverware cleaner. They’ll claim it’s possible to unload the dishwasher without touching the part that goes in people’s mouths (and it probably is), so that way is the right way.
What’s the correct answer?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a correct answer. The only thing that most people will agree on is that knives and forks should be loaded with the handles down so that people don’t get poked or stabbed by the sharp ends. Everyone can agree they don’t want blood on the part of the utensil that will go in their mouths.
Keep in mind that overfilling the silverware basket will keep the utensils from getting completely clean, as will having them nestled right next to each other. This will prevent water from getting on every surface and cleaning off any food remnants.
Perhaps the best way to load the dishwasher is to put knife blades down for safety and then alternate having the other utensils up and down. This will prevent nesting so they can be exposed to water and soap from the machine. Conversely, you may also consider handwashing all the silverware so there’s no debate at all.
If the last suggestion isn’t an option, that’s understandable. Load the silverware the way you want. To find the best dishwasher for your home and family, visit Hi-Tech Appliance and perhaps ask them how they load their silverware.
