Dishwasher Question:Washing the silverware?

Question

When putting the silverware in the wrack..What will get the forks cleaner?

Handles up or handles down with tines sticking up. We need an outsider to decide this silly debate. Thanks

Answer 1

the tines up the blades down the spoons up the teaspoons down

Answer 2

try a LITTLE bit of vinegar  or if they or REAL silver or silver plaller  don't take my adice.   Lemon juice????

see if you can can log into the  the site of  the "hefty lady that used to be on the morning news w/ all the news tips, she had a book.  

Answer 3

I asked a dishwasher repair guy this once. He said that handles down is probably better unless the handles are narrow enough to poke out of the basket and stop the lower spray arm from rotating, but that neither is the best choice. He maintained that cutlery gets cleanest when horizontal (!), which is why new dishwashers have a third rack only for cutlery. I've attached an image showing what the Miele rack looks like: my new KitchenAid's cutlery rack is shallower (can't hold bowls) but works equally well.

His reasoning for choosing handles-down was that handles-up cutlery has a greater chance of nesting, which means water can't get between the individual pieces. If you're careful and make sure your spoons and forks don't nest, you probably won't have this problem.

From personal experience I can confirm that cutlery placed horizontally in a top rack does get cleaner.

Answer 4

Not at all scientific but my sister and I were discussing this very topic months ago and we came across this very well written blog entry on the subject!  And we decided that his evidence was good enough for us!

Conclusion: does not matter up or down they get clean!

Answer 5

I would say tines up, for better water flow.

Answer 6

I wash the silverware before it goes in the dishwasher and I put them all together like spoons with spoons, forks with forks and then I put them facing up so I can see what I need if I haven't put the dishes away yet after they've been through the cycle and that also makes it easy for when you do put them away.  I put all knives sharp end down because I've stabbed myself before.  As for what will get them cleaner, I don't think it really matters which way they go in.

Answer 7

I'm all about handles down.  I have no idea why, maybe because they're isolated handles down and this way I feel like the water flushes across.

Answer 8

I usually wash the forks in the dishwasher with the tines turned up, but

I always wash the knives with the blades down because I have been

cut when I used to turn the knife blades up.

Answer 9

I find it is better if all cutlery including knives, forks and spoons are dropped in with the handles down at the base and their functions at the top. Silver ware in particular gets a finer spread of overall cleaning liquids and heat dispersal if the fork spikes are upwards, thus allowing stains to drop sensibly to the bottom of the dishwasher. My silver ware comes out looking sparkling each time - when spoons have been put in however the other way around with the handles sticking up, they're not always shiny and have a brown appearance.