Cutlery in the dishwasher

[MumofWombat]

I know it's a stupid thing to have a disagreement about but help me to clarify which of us - DH or myself, is the one being unreasonable!

When I load the dishwasher I put cutlery in 'prongs/blade down' in the rack, so that the handles poke up to make it easy to put away at the end.
DH puts them handles down as he reckons they get cleaner that way.

Seriously, we've had words more than once about this!
Who's right Mumsnet jury? Over to you...

Handles down here, but I don't put my (expensive) sharp knives through the dishwasher. They get washed by hand.

Genuine question - how does a dishwasher dull a knife? I'd have thought the fact that they weren't being rubbed would help preserve sharpness.
I put handles down except for sharp knives.

No op. You are right. Blades and prongs down. I hate it when dh does the dishwasher, our steak knives are like machetes, and I'm scared I'll stab myself somehow with the blades. I've come close when before with normal knives in the dishwasher.

I don't let dh do it now, as he doesn't unload it anyway lazy toad

I have a fancy posh dishwasher and the cutlery goes 'flat' in a tray at the top.

Is aware this could be a stealth boast

Seeing as the bloody stuff won't fit through the holes if you put handles up.... handles down... except for sharp knives which go handles down in the slightly bigger holes.

Dishwashers can dull big knives as the force of the water rattles the blade against other things, including the wire racking. But I balance that against the knife being sanitised and owning a high quality knife sharpener. My Sabatiers have survived the dishwasher for about 15 years..... still sharp, no damage done - to the knife or myself.

Handles down for everything except knives. Particularly important for spoons imo.

Handles down for everything apart from sharp knives which go in the flat tray on the top rack.

Definitely a stealth boast the very aged dishwasher at my dads house in France has a tray for cutlery at the top .

I put things in with the handles up, only because a succession of tiny children who have had the job of handing the clean stuff to me one by one (aagh) over the years means I don't get a heart attack every time they pick up a steak/paring/table knife and wave it about at me saying, "fangoo".

Three reasons why I don't put sharp knives in the dishwasher

1. The intense heat of the drying cycle can cause knife handles to warp, which will eventually loosen the rivets. Knives used for eating with are just one piece of metal, so can't be weakened.

2. The dishwasher get run every other day - there are only three of us, and I need to use a sharp knife more frequently so they get washed straight after every use.

3. Dishwashing a sharp knife does dull the blade because dishwasher detergent is very abrasive, also the banging around during the wash cycle takes the edge off the blade.

Handles up. Knives obviously because they are aharp but it's also easier because you can hold the handles.

Handles up for sharp knives after I heard a story of someone impaling themselves on a knife when emptying the dishwasher

handles down, except for knives. ...again because of that poor woman who fell and killed herself, such a horrific thought.

what gets my dishwasher goat is mixing the cutlery, there are six or maybe eight sections in the cutlery doodahh so that means ALL the spoons in one section, ditto forks, knives, teaspoons....ooooo there are eight sections,

and then the other four for other utensilly crap, like the tin opener, pastry brush, chop sticks and malarkey.

That makes it so much easier to put it all away, but will they listen?? Will they buggery.

All the instruction booklets of every dw I've owned (3) say handles down for more effective cleaning.

Cats: I used to have that row with my ex. That might make it easier to put them away but they are clean at that point. I don't like sorting through them when they are dirty to put them in the right bits. (That's not the reason he's now an ex :) )

Handles up for sharp knives also due to the person dying in Scotland.

handles down.
or the drips when drying stain the blades/prongs.

exception is kitchen knifes, for safety reasons I put them in handles up.

Handles up else spoons ...erm...spoon :o
And scissors (blade down) have to have the blades OPEN else they dont get clean. Listen dh!!

You're not meant to put all the spoons in one section together as if they spoon in the basket food can get trapped between.

Handles down.

My dp does it the other way and it drives me ever so slightly insane

Feeling smug as for once I am in a majority

No im not! I meamt handles DOWN in my first post

Handles down for normal cutlery. Handles up for anything sharp.

All poky things down. I'm frightened of the impaling and sometimes I'm not quick enough when 16 month old decides to "help".

Handle down. The eating part needs to be facing up to get cleaner.