Dishwasher Wars: 34% of Americans Are Divided Over Forks vs. Spoons – up or down?

How do you load the dishwasher? Does it really matter if the fork and spoons are put in facing up or down? As a “free range loader” I’ll readily admit I just throw things in there - which makes my wife and son Adam go crazy (this was actually brought up over the weekend). At least I'm not a "dishwasher demon" (ever heard that term? This is a person who has strong opinions about how the dishwasher should be loaded and isn't afraid to tell you)

So why are we talking about this? 

A vital new poll asked 38,000 Americans, "Have you ever disagreed with someone you share a dishwasher with about how it should be loaded or used?"  34% of people said YES . . . 59% of people said NO . . . and 7% aren't sure. (one of my favorite dishwasher scenes is from "Fresh Off The Boat" when they discover the "drying rack" is a dishwasher that their mom doesn't want to use)

Specifically, 39% of people say forks and spoons should be placed facing up . . . 20% say facing down . . . and about 30% say anything goes.  (Female Boomers in the Midwest have a strong preference for "facing up.")

7% of people say pots and pans should be placed on the top rack . . . 33% say the bottom rack . . . 12% say it doesn't matter (free ranger loader) . . . and 40% say they should be washed by hand NOT placed in the dishwasher. (why didn't I have a Man Medal for dishwashers when I went on Shark Tank? LOL)

Unfortunately, they didn't ask about my most common dishwasher debate:  Whether or not to pre-rinse or soak BEFORE putting stuff in the dishwasher. (what’s the point of having a dishwasher if the you have pre-rinse things? At that point just wash them, right?) 

BTW - If you're looking for some inspiration for a clean house/kitchen/dishwasher - check out this article from our site earlier this year.