Attn. all shoite loaders of dishwashers -- here is my rule pertainign to the loading of cutlery

[Tutter]

items should be loaded "heads up", i.e. handles pointing down

there are 2 exceptions

(i) sharp knives
(ii) teaspoons that have just been used for hot drinks -- special dispensation given to avoid finger-burnage

agree wholeheartedly.

DH is of the "heads down" camp. it is not a happy household.

ah, talking of dhs, and their inabilities in this arena, i should add Rule 2:

items should be loaded in all sections of the cutlery tray, not just in the front two sections (you lazy bugger)

like I care if they're up or down... if not clean they stay in - if not clean - I give em a scrub!
Rule!!

Hello Lapin! Ha! no... I'm usually here late at night when computer free of dd's bebo/myspace/facebook-ing

Ah see I would argue that you put them handle up so that when you get them out you don't touch the bit that you touch food with!

On what grounds are you disallowed a dishwasher?

Now THAT I wans't expecting ... must be something to do with MNing at this unearthly hour but chuckling gormlessly!!

but the instructions that came with my dishwasher said the handles should be up...so i do.
and also agree with RBH. that's true too.

um - mine has a tray - so I don't think your rules apply.

think the 'green' issue on that one might - y'know - be a bit dodgy!!

(imo dishwashers are green... mine only goes on once a day rather than running tap for every time there's two piddling cups and a tea spoon)

My dishwasher goes on every 2/3 days - and apart from DS3's bottles (on days 2/3 of the dishwasher being loaded to use) and the odd mug nothing else gets washed in the sink.

we have a dishwasher BUT it is in the utility room, which is 2 whole steps away from the sink, so I can't be bothered to use it. When i DO however, things get shoved in in the quickest way possible. i leave dirty things in there for days on end as i forget about them. Then when I open the door flies come out

boak

we are in singapore so flies seem to appear from everywhere

but even so, i am a slattern

Ewww and i hadn't considered the mould issue!!

FAQ - are you mice?? is it a mahoosive Dishwasher? - do you have loading secrets that you're willing to pass on (in a less codesque dictatorial manner than OP! )

The instructions that came with our dishwasher said handles up too, which we do, but I feel isn't right. Mind you, I do try very hard to spread things out in the compartments, so that I don't have, for instance, all spoons in one, as they then tend to nest together, and not get properly clean.

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double ewwww! flies now!

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And I consider myself to be a very good loader of the dishwasher - I reckon I can get in a third more stuff, in a much more sensible way, than DH [competitive].

I can manage the cutlery (obviously handles are down except for impaleable implements ) but it's all the other sodding stuff for which I must confess to being of the School of Useless Dishwasher Loaders. I can't work it out at all. I suspect Germans have somewhat different crockery. Is that xenophobic sounding? it is not meant to be. Merely a cultural observation.