Went to my sister's house in Phoenix and her dishwasher loading made me twitch

I visited my sister last weekend in Phoenix and watched her load the dishwasher after dinner. She put all the spoons facing up in the basket, which I just cannot get behind. Then she stacked plates facing the same direction with zero space between them. I tried to casually mention that angled plates clean better but she just shrugged. Is there a polite way to tell family their dishwasher habits are wrong or do I just keep my mouth shut? How do you handle this at other people's houses?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim9632mo ago

Honestly, I'd just let it slide with family. In my experience, unless dishes are coming out actually dirty, it's not worth the fight. Your sister's method might work fine for her water and detergent, you know? Your mileage may vary.

finleyw992mo ago

Wait @kim963, you'd seriously let someone stack wet dishes on top of each other like that? lmfao that's how you get mold growing between plates and bacteria partying in the little water droplets that get trapped. I've seen it happen with my own eyes, my roommate used to do this and we found green fuzz between two plates after like three days. Even if the detergent is doing its job, that trapped moisture is just asking for trouble. I get not wanting to fight with family but that's a hill I'd die on for real.

ben_nguyen1mo ago

@kim963 I hear you on not wanting to pick fights with family, but don't you think it depends on the dish type? Like, I'd be fine stacking wet bowls or mugs together since theyre usually smooth and dry out quick. But FLAT plates? That's a whole different story. My cousin stacked wet ceramic plates once and we found mold spots after a weekend. Even if the water is clear, that trapped air gets humid and gross fast. Plus, some detergents leave a film that makes plates feel slimy if they dont fully dry. It's not about being right, it's about not eating off fuzzy plates later.