# Flatware: up or down in the dishwasher? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 14, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flatware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/493118 "2009-04-14T22:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2009, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flatware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/493118/21 "2009-04-15T12:47:17Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > Today I learned that flatware means cutlery! Me too! “Flatware? What is this ‘flatware’ of which they speak?” And it’s not even flat! Except maybe a knife. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flatware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/493118/22 "2009-04-15T15:21:41Z")
My dw has a basket that holds each piece separately such that spoons and fokrs go in handles side first, butter knives only fit blade end first. Steak knifes are washed by hand. I can’t see how the flatware gets cleaned if they are allowed to “spoon” each other during the wash cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flatware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/493118/23 "2009-04-15T18:16:49Z")
Another vote for down. I have a few spoons in my mismatched collection that have skinny handles which can fall through the basket, causing no end of trouble when trying to push the drawer back in. Then you’ve got to reach down into the dirty other spoons to try to pull the stupid spoon back up. Grumble grumble. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flatware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/493118/24 "2009-04-15T19:49:03Z")
All pointy bits go down. That’s just common sense safety. Spoons usually get flip-flopped, if I am paying attention, to avoid any spoon naughtiness creating spots. The hygeine issue is also good. Emptying the silverware is by handles only, not the part that goes in your mouth. (PS: When’s the last time you wiped out or cleaned your silverware tray / drawer?) ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flatware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/493118/25 "2009-04-15T20:20:35Z")
> [@Tortuga](#): > > Wouldn’t an injury like that be a complete gusher? Not in that part of your nose I wouldn’t think where it’s mostly cartiladge. Besides, the kid has splatters all over his shirt that might be blood. (Might just be normal kid mess though.) Here’s the follow-up: [http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=33w340h&s=5](http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=33w340h&s=5) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flatware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/493118/26 "2009-04-16T16:10:11Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Maybe I’m an oddball, but I do spoons and forks “up,” while the knives are all “down.” Same here. The cutlery basket on our washer actually has slots in it, which sort of force this - it’ll hold the handles of forks / spoons but not the business end of them, conversely with knives the blade will fit but not the handle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flatware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/493118.md?page=1)