Households still divided over 'right' way to load dishwasher

Households across the UK are regularly at loggerheads over how to properly load the dishwasher- with common disputes arising from overfilling it, not pre-cleaning food off dishes and the correct orientation of plates.

Two thirds of Brits who own a dishwasher and share their home with others have admitted to having a spat or full-blown row over the right way to stack this essential kitchen appliance.A survey of 2,000 adults revealed that most disagreements revolve around the proper placement of cutlery, what items belong on the top and bottom racks, and who should be responsible for loading and unloading the machine.

According to data from OnePoll.com, over half (51 per cent) of respondents follow a specific method when loading their dishwasher, while 30 per cent simply cram in items wherever they can fit. Interestingly, a whopping nine out of ten participants are convinced that their way of stacking the dishwasher is the correct one.

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This belief has led 46 per cent of people to re-stack the dishwasher after someone else, due to disagreement with the other person's technique. In some cases, individuals have resorted to washing dishes by hand after they were poorly stacked in the dishwasher by another person and came out still dirty.

On average, households run their dishwasher five times a week, but it's only fully loaded for four of these cycles. This inefficiency has caused friction in 18 per cent of homes, with 16 per cent citing it as a personal bugbear.

The study was commissioned by Ecover, who have teamed up with The Tetris Company to launch a new version of the classic game, aiming to inspire people to break away from wasteful dishwashing habits. A spokesperson for Ecover said: "As rebels of the cleaning aisle, we love doing things differently – and teaming up with Tetris is a fun, unexpected way to bring harmony to households and make eco-awareness click with all generations."

Maya Rogers, president and CEO of Tetris, said: " This version of the game allows us to take that same sense of challenge and fun and apply it to a real-life puzzle in homes across the UK. It's nostalgia with a modern purpose: play, stack, and save resources while keeping the peace at home."

Ecover also collaborated with father and son duo, Larry and George Lamb, to put their stacking skills to the test. Larry said: "I'll admit, when it comes to stacking, I'm more of an architect, while my son takes more of a raccoon approach – but that's the fun of it. At the end of the day, it's about using the machine the way it's meant to be used.

"This retro-inspired game isn't just nostalgic – who can forget the 90s arcade waves? It's also about bringing families together, sparking a bit of friendly competition, and showing how small actions, like stacking the dishwasher properly, can save water and energy."

TOP THINGS HOUSEHOLDS DISAGREE ON OVER THE DISHWASHER:

Overfilling the dishwasher

How to stack cutlery (e.g. pointing upwards or downwards)

Putting items in the dishwasher without cleaning food off them first

What items to put on the top shelf and bottom shelf

How to effectively use the dishwasher

Responsibilities (e.g. who should load and unload it)

What direction to face plates in

What direction to face bowls in

Not grouping all the same items in one place

Whether to rinse or not to rinse dishes

Putting a cycle through without the dishwasher being full

A favourite item which isn’t dishwasher safe being damaged

What setting to put the dishwasher on

Opening the dishwasher immediately after a cycle when items are still warm and wet

Dishwasher salt not being topped up regularly enough

Not putting the cycle through and then running out of plates/bowls etc.

Whether wine glasses should go in the dishwasher

Whether wooden items should go in the dishwasher

How often to put a cycle through

What time of the day to run the cycle through