# Silverware: up or down in the dishwasher? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2002, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706 "2002-11-20T05:52:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jenner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@Jenner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenner)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/1 "2002-11-20T05:52:51Z")
Do you put the prongs/ blades/ scoops of the silverware up or down in the dishwasher? Why? ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/2 "2002-11-20T06:09:33Z")
I put my silverware in pointy bits down. I don’t pay enough attention when taking stuff out to keep from poking myself otherwise. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/3 "2002-11-20T06:25:35Z")
Sharp knives (like steak knives) I point up because I’m afraid they will destroy the silverware holder if they are pointing down. I put these sharp knives in the very rear compartment of the silverware holder so I don’t accidentally poke myself. Everything else I point down because it is easer to get them in and out with the handles on top. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/4 "2002-11-20T06:47:45Z")
Up. And not sorted, because it doesn’t bunch up as much if you mix it up. I don’t poke myself, because I load the basket outside first, and then take it out to unload it, before dealing with the rest of the dishes. ## Tris “You could park a car in the shadow of his ass.” ~ Geena Davis, in **Thelma and Louise** ~ ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/5 "2002-11-20T07:51:36Z")
The correct answer is: spoons and forks handle end down, sharp knives pointy end down. I swear I even read somewhere that this is the correct way. It also makes sense. The forks and spoons take up too much room in the basket the other way, and the knives can poke you. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/6 "2002-11-20T07:54:33Z")
ditto, what chula said. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/7 "2002-11-20T08:00:35Z")
OK, I definitely need to stop procrastinating and start working, because I took the time to find cites. [This site (pdf)](http://www.askousa.com/customercare/manuals/Dishwashers/current/English--Use_and_Care-dw.pdf) agrees with me. [This one](http://www2.whirlpool.com/html/homelife/cookin/cookdw6.htm) says forks should also be loaded handle side up. How dangerous are fork tines? ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/8 "2002-11-20T08:30:29Z")
I can scratch myself on anything, but it’s not the reason I put cutlery in handle up. I put them that way because I figure as the water and soap drips down the handle it’ll wash and rinse more gunk away. ---
**Author:** ![Flashpaper\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Flashpaper\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flashpaper_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/9 "2002-11-20T12:06:05Z")
I always thought the point of loading things handle side up is so, when your putting the cleaned utensils away, your grubby fingers don’t touch the end that will eventually go into someone’s mouth at dinner. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/10 "2002-11-20T14:35:58Z")
I try to put them all handle down, but the biggest thing I try to remember is to mix them. Two like utensiles might, uh, _spoon_ together on the business end of them and not clean in between them. ---
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/11 "2002-11-20T14:57:44Z")
Everything down except half the spoons. That way they won’t nest. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/12 "2002-11-20T17:39:19Z")
Another thing: I don’t have matched silverware, but since my SO and I combined households it is two different sets. My set has very narrow handle ends, I put them in handle up because otherwise they handles would slip down through the holder’s holes. I don’t mix them, I make sure nothing is spooned and everything is spread apart. It is so much easier to put away if all the forks are in one spot. And I always look before I use silverware - just in case something isn’t clean. OK, I’ve answered this survey twice now, I don’t have a life, do I? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/13 "2002-11-20T17:50:47Z")
I have a problem with soap residue left on dishes (really) and so it’s important to me that dishes come out well rinsed. Handle down is the only way that can happen. I sometimes sort putting them in, on the principle that “I have to sort them sometime, may as well be now” but oftentimes I get lazy. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/14 "2002-11-20T17:55:35Z")
Handles up for all. I only have POS knives, so I don’t need to worry about a knife cutting the basket. If I had good knives, I wouldn’t put them in the dishwasher. I don’t sort, though - maybe that’s another obsessive-compulsive habit I could start. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/15 "2002-11-20T18:46:52Z")
We were told in a food handling safety course that we should put everything in the dishwasher with the handle side up because then you will only grab the handle when you are putting it away instead of the business end, and that helps prevent them from becoming contaminated by the handler. Keith ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/16 "2002-11-21T02:05:28Z")
Knives and forks handle side up, spoons, handle side down. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/17 "2002-11-21T04:22:45Z")
Pointy knives and forks handle side down (so they don’t slip through the basket)-everything else handle side up. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/18 "2002-11-21T18:59:47Z")
Handles up always-I usually watch TV while unloading. And I scrub the silverware clean with a handled scrubbrush, so there’s no need to worry if two spoons decide to fraternize. ---
**Author:** ![Vanyel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Vanyel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vanyel)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/19 "2002-11-21T20:03:45Z")
handles up ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706/20 "2002-11-21T20:23:43Z")
Forks, spoons, and non-knives: diry part up, handles down. Knifes and really pointy things: blades down, handles up. I figure the handles give the blades enough room to get clean, and the spoons and forks which are usually dirtier get clean better if they’re uptop to jiggle around while the washer runs. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverware-up-or-down-in-the-dishwasher/137706.md?page=2)