Gen X Woman Starts Major Debate About The Proper Way To Load Utensils Into A Dishwasher
Have you been loading your dishwasher incorrectly your whole life?
Monkey Business Images | Shutterstock One would expect loading a dishwasher to be a simple task. The appliance is meant to make washing dishes easier, after all. Yet it seems to be a cause for all kinds of debates. Do you need to rinse the dishes first, or can you put them straight into the dishwasher after eating? Should pots go on the top or bottom rack? Should utensils be placed with the handles up or down?
That last question caused quite a stir online after Gena Scott Williams, a Gen X content creator, made an Instagram post insisting that silverware handles up is the correct way. Many people strongly disagreed.
The Gen X woman started a major debate about the proper way to load utensils into a dishwasher.
"I just finished unloading and loading my dishwasher, and I have a question: What is it with you people who put your silverware in face up?" Williams asked, holding a fork up to the camera. "I'm just wondering, where's your logic?"
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Her argument against this method was that when you load the utensils with the handles down, "you have to touch the part that you eat off of." This was an issue in her household, because unloading the dishwasher was her children's responsibility. "There is no way I'm putting this fork face up for nasty, gross adolescents and teenagers to touch this part of the fork," she said.
Despite her passionate argument, commenters and experts say handles down is the correct way to load utensils.
It's unsurprising that Williams's video caused quite a debate online. A 2024 YouGov poll of 38,000 Americans found that just over one-third of people have had a disagreement about how the dishwasher should be loaded. Many, including Williams, are very passionate about their opinions on the matter.
Considerable commenters disagreed with the Gen X woman, arguing that the cutlery gets cleaner when placed with the handles down. "The logic is that it does not obstruct the spray from being down in the basket for a better clean," one user explained.
As far as her cleanliness concerns, many commenters noted that they wash their hands before unloading the dishwasher, making that a non-issue.
Ali Francis and Zoe Denenberg of Bon Appetit also agree that utensils go handles down. "If your dishwasher has a silverware basket, position the tines of forks and the bowls of spoons upright (for maximum cleaning capacity), but keep knife blades stabbing downward (for safety)," they advised. "Storing your forks and spoons handle-up will clean just that: the handle. Not exactly the desired outcome."
"For the water to properly clean every surface, don’t cram too many utensils into the basket at once," they added. "Spoons have a tendency to, well, spoon, so try to keep them in different compartments."
If you want a more definitive answer, check your machine.
If you're truly wondering how to properly load your dishwasher, the appliance itself may hold the answer. Try looking up your dishwasher's brand — many have a diagram or explanation on their websites.
Whirlpool, for example, has a comprehensive guide. "Place knives with the handles up and blades down to protect your fingers and hands when unloading," they advise. "Spoons and forks should be placed with the handles down to ensure proper cleaning."
It seems that on the whole, handles down is the correct way to load your dishwasher, despite Williams' impassioned video. Of course, how you load your dishwasher is no one else's concern, so you do you!
Alexis Faible is a writer with a Bachelor's in fashion design and a Master's in journalism covering fashion, relationships, and human-interest stories.
