Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Important kitchen sink poll

138 replies

noblegiraffe · 03/05/2021 15:52

Really dredging the bottom of the barrel with lockdown conversation topics, I was discussing with a friend how we'd been looking round a house and the draining board was on the wrong side of the kitchen sink. It was on the left, which is stupid, because most people will want to use their right hand to take the wet crockery and put it on the draining board, particularly as it is slippery, and having the draining board on the right is the most efficient way to do this.

My friend insisted that their draining board was on the left, but not only that, all draining boards they had ever known were on the left and that this was fine.

So which side should the draining board be on by rights?

YABU: Left hand side
YANBU: Right hand side (obviously)

OP posts:
CecilyP · 03/05/2021 17:23

^Don't do a great deal of washing up as I have a dishwasher, but when I do wash up, being right handed, I wash the pan, or whatever, with a sponge in my right hand, rinse it under running water and put it onto the draining board with my left hand.
If the draining board was on the right I'd have to put the sponge down in order to put the pan on the draining board.^

This! I have also had a double drainer and used the right fit dirty and left for clean. I couldn’t be doing with no drainer though even with a dishwasher as I often wash a few things by hand and things aren’t always completely dry out of the dishwasher. And yet you often see this no drainer get up in quite posh kitchens; what were they thinking!

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 03/05/2021 17:26

no drainer get up in quite posh kitchens

What do they do with things that don’t go in the dishwasher like champagne flutes, crystal decanters and dog bowls?

OP posts:
bigbluebus · 03/05/2021 17:28

The one in the kitchen is on the left. The one in the utility room is on the right. Doesn't cause me a problem either way. I'm right handed and DH is left handed - neither of us have an issue with it.

Babycham71 · 03/05/2021 17:28

Right hander here. Always drainer on the RHS and never leave anything there. Bought properties and had a new sink fitted at least 3 times over the yrs and turned it , if on LHS. Even moved other inbuilt appliances to accommodate new and turned sinks!

Also, always put in dishwasher or wash up and put straight away! Always had homes with kitchen sink by a window overlooking garden. Love looking at garden views, not todays pots, pans and plates! Hate walking into a kitchen with shiz waiting to be washed or washed and " draining ". Shudders.

I am a clean house control freak , so could be relevant to my view!

Londontown12 · 03/05/2021 17:29

I have a double Belfast sink and decided to not have a draining board! We have a dishwasher and I hate things on draining boards it look a bit messy (my opinion )

SimonedeBeauvoirscat · 03/05/2021 17:30

Sink of soapy water on the left. Sink of clean water in the middle to rinse. Draining board on the right to drain. This is the way of the (washing up) lord, thanks be to Fairy Liquid.

ChubbyMsSunshine · 03/05/2021 17:34

But...I'm left-handed and prefer the draining board on the right. My right hand just holds the dishes whilst my left hand does the actual cleaning. Then right hand is closer to the draining board to put the clean dishes onto.

Even as a lefty it would annoy me being on the left!

I'm with you on this one OP!

QueenPaw · 03/05/2021 17:35

Left here, and also in my previous house

UCOinanOCG · 03/05/2021 17:38

I've had both and never had an issue with either

MMM2 · 03/05/2021 17:39

Double drainer here , problem solved.

UseOfWeapons · 03/05/2021 17:42

My left.
Has been in all of my UK houses bar one. It’s perfect, as I’m right handed, so there is a natural flow to washing up.
When I lived abroad, there was no drainer, but a cupboard over the sink with plate racks, where all the stuff goes to drain.
I can’t believe I’m posting about this!😀

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 03/05/2021 17:47

MMM2, when presented with the choice, which way do you naturally go for?

OP posts:
EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 03/05/2021 17:47

YABU to think its important.

lifecanbelovely · 03/05/2021 17:56

You absolutely cannot belittle this poll.
It's of paramount importance we get to the bottom of this.

Mine is on the right.
And so it should be

Roodicus21 · 03/05/2021 17:56

I have a Belfast sink so don't have one. I hate the mess of dishes drying. Mine go straight in the dishwasher.

lanthanum · 03/05/2021 17:56

You choose when you design the kitchen. In ours, the worktop area is on the left, and the draining board and the crockery cupboard are on the right. A left-hand one wouldn't make sense.

reluctantbrit · 03/05/2021 18:07

Depends on the size and shape of the kitchen.

I have a sink where I actually have small draining boards on both sides. My last kitchen had it on the right, my mum's and PIL kitchen has it on the left.

I don't think there is a rule about it.

cancancan · 03/05/2021 18:12

Ours on the right....

Reminds me of when we were selling out flat. Our kitchen was tiny and we had no draining board... when we were selling A lady came to view and was absolutely shocked (and slightly disgusted) we had no draining board..... I was a bit Hmm... of the things that were wrong with that flat, the draining board was the least of our worries!! 🤣

Acrasia · 03/05/2021 18:40

People who have no drainer/dry and put away immediately, does that mean you wash one item then dry it and put it away before washing up the second item? I dry and put away after finishing the washing up, which means I still make use of the draining board, which is on the left btw.

TokenGinger · 03/05/2021 18:45

I think left is correct. When washing, I hold the plate with my left hand and scrub with my right hand. To pass it over to my right hand to put on the drainer on the right side really annoys me. It feels like I'm fumbling. When we re-do the kitchen, it'll go on the left.

FWIW, my mum's, grandparent's and dad's house all have theirs on the left.

BewareTheBeardedDragon · 03/05/2021 19:09

Mine have always been on the right but in my dps house where I grew up it's on the left. I wash up no problem in both houses, but I'd say right is more common.

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 03/05/2021 20:55

Why do some people think left is more common and some right? I’ve never seen a left. Do they form clusters? Is it a north v south divide?

OP posts:
Babycham71 · 03/05/2021 21:02

My ex MIl lives in the Pool. She is a scouser. She has her drainer on the left. I am a southerner and my drainer always firmly rooted on the right.

Now you mention it, i wonder if this is a north \South divide or party political? Who knew!

RainbowMum11 · 03/05/2021 21:31

Mine is on the left and has been in 4 of my 5 houses - I am left handed though so it's good for me!!

JackieTheFart · 03/05/2021 21:39

Ours is on the left.

For a right handed person than means I don’t have to put down the sponge/brush to put the dish or whatever down. I do have to use my dominant hand to wash but I don’t to pick up or put down.

So YABU Grin