DISHWASHER RULES II

DISHWASHER RULES II

In the last six months, I have posted many blogs on serious subjects.  I have expressed my opinions on the dangers of marathon running, 9-11, prejudice, women’s ability to spot perverts, Joe Paterno, sibling rivalry, Tourette’s, alcoholism, Capitalism, immigration, sociopaths, language skills, cursing, and questions for our President.  Of all these topics the post that has generated the most comments and opinions was “Dishwasher Rules.”  http://joeh-crankyoldman.blogspot.com/2011/12/dishwasher-rules.html

In seeking a list of rules related to the dishwasher I received the following responses.

Dawn just does not trust her husband.

  Dawn said...

Hahaha! I must admit, I rearrange the dishwasher after the hubby has put dishes in it!

My own son had suggestions (his detail has me a bit worried).

Matt said...

Wash your dishes at night. Energy costs are the lowest. Like 1 am. Set the timer. Pointy side down and knives in the back of the rack to protect children. China cost 100 x the price but you have to hand wash it so you never use it or you use it once a year, but it's required to purchase when you get married. 1/2 the rack must face each other so the water bounces off of the plates at max force. Only plastic on the top. The bottom is hotter. Don't run it if any one plans on showering or napping on the couch or watching tv. Rinse your dishes. My brand new machine, you need to rinse the dishes or wash them by hand after the machine washes them. Sponges, or wash rag? Where do the bowls go? How should we pack the coffee cups and regular glasses? I guess you hit a nerve.

He may be on his way to becoming a cranky old man….I am so proud!

There were scientific explanations for some dishwasher rules.

Eccentricess said...

Silverware shouldn't go in the dishwasher for two logical reasons.
The harsh chemicals will dull the shine.
If it touches any other metal some *insert technical description I don't know* thing happens and the silverware becomes discoloured. In uneven patches. Found that one out the hard way.
Tupperware made in to 2000's can go in the dishwasher, but not earlier stuff, as it was made with a slightly different plastic. Again, the harsh chemicals do not do nice things to the pretty Tupperware, so leaving it out is still better.
Scraping the plates means the water stays cleaner, therefore cleaner dishes! Especially with rice, that can leave a murky white coat over everything.

Hope these technical explainations help you feel better about the rules!

I thought I had a kindred spirit in Lou whose rules closely follow my instincts, but “keep the rinse aid and salt topped up”??? WTF?

Lou said...

Put everything in the dishwasher Cranky,..My Mum has had tupperware since forever and it always goes in the dishwasher (top or bottom), some of it is as old as I am, it's fine, it still works, ok so it looks a little tired, but its been used for the last 4o years what do you expect.. Knives and forks and spoons go in with the business end facing up..Make sure you keep the rinse aid and salt topped up - they make the most difference to the cleanliness of the washer and rinse the big stuff off food wise but leave the machine to do the rest...

Those are my rules in my house, my silver is not tarnished, my stainless steel is not rusty, my pots and pans come out clean, as do my glasses and my cutlery....so endeth the lesson......lmao

Lou :-)

El just wants to skip the need for a dishwasher completely!

El said...

One way to solve the dish dilemma: paper plates, and aluminum foil. Line your pans and cookware with it so they never get dirty in the first place. Throw out plates and foil afterwards--it doesn't save the planet, but it cuts cleaning time in half! All that's left then are the utensils and drinkware, which are easy enough to load. :)

PS Your wife that made you load the knives pointy side up might have had it in for you...one foul slip into the dishwasher and you would have been a goner!

Daisy might need to seek professional counseling about her obsessions!!! (Daisy loves the exclamation point)

Daisy, Roo and Two said...

Oh Joe! I am completely compulsive about the dishwasher and how it is stacked!!! It must be as personal as your choice in underwear! knives pointy end up, or they won't get cleaned, stack that thing so full it almost tips over on you! Tupperware bowls and cups can go in the top rack, BUT NOT the lids! Only scrape the dishes, but not wash or scrub. I think your wife is doing well to get you to stack the dishwasher at ALL! My husband won't touch ours because I *apparently* go mental if he doesn't do it properly...
I will be sure to let him know that he is not alone in the dishwasher bad books!

Sam-O was no help at all!

Sam-O said...

Rule 1. Only I can load the dishwasher. Then only I am to blame and nobody else needs to know the rules.

And to be really annoying, the scraping plates thing is dependant on the dishwasher, in general though if it is expensive, no rinsing is required and it will actually contain dry dishes when the cycle is finished. (I'm on dishwasher number 15, I am an expert).

Danneromero offered convincing reasoning for knives pointy side down, but I’m thinking she might want to join Daisy for professional help.

danneromero said...

Too funny. Knifes down. I once jabbed myself, splitting open the skin.. Bleeding everywhere. Knives down.

I’m leaning toward One Bad Pixie’s attitude, but Mrs. C will never buy it.

One Bad Pixie said...

Knives & silverware pointy sides down. Safety issue there.
Everything else- throw it in no pre-rinse required. If it doesn't come clean after round 2 or 3, then bust out the dish soap and scotch brite pad. Tupperware- in it goes. If it comes out messed up- toss it in the trash and deny its existance. Run it when full or if it starts to smell, whichever comes first. Stainless steel stained? WTF?

My oldest friend from high school Charlie was especially adamant about the safety issue.

Charlie responded on Facebook:

Pointy side down!

Anonymous (Mrs. C) had the last word.

Anonymous said...

mrs. cranky here. thank you all for your comments! took mr cranky by surprise to see how passionate or anal we can be about some things. and a special thanks to all who said all pointy flatware down!! : - )

But the best advice I received, and the answer to all my Dishwasher Rules questions comes from my College buddy Fast Freddy

Fast Freddy e-mailed me:

Regarding your recent "dishwasher rules", maybe stand down and stay clear is the answer.......works for me.

Thanks Fast Freddy, that is all the Dishwasher Rules I need, now if I could just clear it with Mrs. Cranky.