DH was emptying the dishwasher this morning and I noticed that he was unloading the top first and then the bottom. I was folding clothes and trying to pick up because the cleaning people are coming today. Yay! My house needs a good cleaning so I am excited about that.
Me: "You empty the dishwasher from the top down?"
DH: "Yup."
Me: "Interesting. I always unload from the bottom up."
DH: "You should blog about it."
He probably didn't mean it but it's a perfectly fine topic for a blog post, don't you think? I always unload from the bottom up because all the plates are on the bottom and cups are on the top. I get the heavy plates out of the way first and feel like I'm making serious progress. It is then followed by the top (usually cups and/or small bowls and Tupperware) and the last thing I empty is the utensil holder (placed in the bottom rack).
How about you? Do you find that you unload or load a dishwasher one way and your significant other a different way? And yes, go ahead and tell me if this is a totally lame blog post. DH would thank you for it.
Hey, It's Okay
2 days ago
11 comments:
I agree with your theory about getting the "heavy" stuff first. Then you're just doing the bitsy stuff after.
My DH avoids unloading the dishwasher, if possible. He'd just take stuff out as he needs it and would happily live like this if I didn't screech at him like a harpy to unload it AND reload it.
Lately, though, I have to put away the silverware first b/c LO wants to take it all out and lay it on the floor.
I unload the bottom first, for a couple reasons. First off, b/c Holden likes to unload it for me and sharp knives need to be expelled from the dishwasher immediately. Second, because we usually have a sink full of dirties that need loaded, and I can load the bottom with dirties before unloading the cleans out of the top. Efficient? probably not but I feel like it is.
I do the top down - hate bending over.
Bottom first, because sometimes the stuff on top (like tupperware) has a little bit of water left on it. Also sometimes little plastic Ikea cups get upturned and fill with water .I don't want that water getting on the bottom stuff.
I always do the top first because... that's how my mother did it. If I do glasses, then dishes and silverware, I'm in one spot. Then the bigger stuff can be put away after the washer is closed. I'm perpetuating the cycle too, teaching the Oldest and the Middle Child to do it the same way. As far as Hubby unloading it, he does it the same way, but then leaves half of the clean stuff on the counter for the Kitchen Fairy to put away. Just like with the handwashed plastic containers. Ugh!
Random - chaos - here. No method to the madness. So I guess I was made to the the mother of boys?
I'm a tops down woman. I wonder if that means something about my working style?
hmm....I'm trying to think. I think I do a mixture of all the things mentioned due to still wet plastic, etc- but I do have a really old dishwasher and sometimes if I do the bottom first, and it's heavy on top, the whole machine will come tipping out...I got another one for you- Utensils, do you put them knives and forks pointing up or down?
I do the top first because I dread doing the bottom! Ha! Most of the time I wait for my husband to do it anyway since I'm the cook of the house it's only fair.
Good question, Helen. DH and I both very consistently put utensils with the pointy parts down. He also won't let me put any real (aka sharp) knives in the dishwasher...they must be washed by hand. Ditto for any pots and pans or big bowls. It's a "waste of space" but sometimes I sneak them in if there is room and it needs to be run anyway.
I unload by region of storage. So plates and other dishes for the cabinet about the dishwasher go first, followed by the adjacent cabinets. I save pots and pans for last because they go furthest away. Efficient? Not so sure!
Perfectly reasonable topic for a blog post (and you obviously generated lots of comments!). :)
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