I missed that post too Dottie. But I have been doing this for several years now. I just can't get my husband to return utensils that way. He always puts them in, handle last.

Guess, that is to keep me on my toes, and turn the darn things around. :)

Moni

For some reason, known only to the drawer fairies, ALL my cooking and baking utensils wind up sideways in the drawer. I gave up and put them in that way now.

Of course, you have to weigh the convenience of that idea with the huge disadvantage that you (or others in your house) would end up picking up the utensil by holding onto the 'business' end of it. Not a good idea for safety and sanitary reasons. I prefer not to touch the ends of cooking/eating utensils that come into contact with food. It's a strict rule in this house.

azzalea, that's exactly why I put silverware in the dishwasher with the business end down and the handle up. But many people who visit my house put the silverware in with the handles down, which means you have to touch the messy end when putting it in, and then touch the business end when taking it out. They just don't get it!

Uxorial--I almost mentioned that in my post, too.

I see SO many people putting the silverware in with the handles down, just because it 'saves room'. As you probably appreciate, one of the main reasons I use a dishwasher is because the dishes/glasses/silverware are sanitized in it. Negates that if you pull the silverware out by the blade of the knife, the tines of the forks, and the bowl of the spoons. No point in having a dishwasher--IMO--if that's what you're going to do. But I hate to tell you--from what I see, you and I are in the minority, I fear.

DH and I have shared germs with each other in much more intimate ways... Somehow I don't think either of us will die from touching silverware or spatulas that the other has touched. LOL!

:-)

I'm the opposite I l;ike my knife and utensils with the handles so you can grab them and not stick your hand in a drawer and get cut or scraped.

We always do handle down in dishwasher leaving the business end exposed to wash better--sharp knives are an exception. But ours is mounted on the door and comes off and opens up exposing the handles.

I lay the utensils points up, handles down. That way I grab the handles, not the knife blade or corkscrew or whatever. I've gotten too many cuts and hand injuries-in 1992 I severed a tendon in my thumb reaching in the dishwasher. I needed surgery to re-connect the tendon.

There are no knives in the drawer, just regular and slotted spoons, spatulas, labels ect. I wash my hands before cooking and I'm the only one touching the kitchen things. I still think it is a terrific idea and "glad I thought of it!!" Ha! Dottie

F you are washing dishes anything by hand and find you have too much soap and suds,
sprinkle salt on the suds and they will
decrease.
Dolly

I store my long handled cooking utensils in a crock container on the kitchen counter with handles down.When I remove one for use I grab it below the "business" end,thus avoiding any "contamination".LOL Sorry,but I have to laugh at that one.At least they are my germs.Have you ever though about the germs that are being passed around by who knows how many people in a restaurant kitchen?
When I use the dishwasher,which isn't often I put silverware handle down. I have never really thought about the dishwasher sanitizing the dishes.I only use it when I have a crowd of people.DH and I wash our dishes as we use them and I clean up as I go when I cook.

I keep all my utensils in a big crock, and the knifes on a big magnetic strip on the wall next to the stove.
I just don't have a drawer big enough.
I do put all my knives go into the DW sharp side down after my DGD tripped in the kitchen when she was little, and in slow motion I saw her headed right at the points of my knifes in the DW. Thankfully she missed them, but that thought has always haunted me.
They don't get as clean that way though.

Trin

I always make sure my hands are clean before I empty the dishwasher...I'm actually a fanatic about clean hands .........and I wash the utensils, handles down for the same reason mentioned above...better cleaning...

I used to get irritated when pulling cooking utensils out of a drawer as they would get tangled or didn't fit, so now the only ones I put in the drawer are ones I rarely use but sometimes need. I keep the ones I use a lot on my stove in a big dark green flower pot with a matching drip tray (from the 50s) - it works perfect. I put them in handle down and grab the one I need by the "neck".

My utensil drawer has NO knifes in it. Knifes are in the knife block.

The knifes also NEVER go in the dishwasher. The hot water will dull the sharp edge.

No one is allowed to empty the dishwasher without washing their hands first! and no cooking without hand washing either. But the utensils with the handles in first are so much easier to pick through!

Moni
PS, my silverware goes in the dishwasher handle first.

My knives are in their own drawer, lying on their sides. I have a friend who had a friend who was killed when a burglar stabbed her with a knife from a block on the counter. The police recommended that all knives be stored out of sight to make such a crime of opportunity less liable to happen. She told me that and I put my knives away. They stay cleaner, too, no dusty handles. We have a pretty dusty house, with the wood stove.

My most used utensils are in a drawer next to the stove. The drawer pulls out far enough that I can tell which one is which without guessing.

Knives in a drawer to avoid crime? That's really reaching IMO. Most people can tell which drawer is likely to have a knife in most kitchens, and if someone has to run to a kitchen to grab a knife out of the block, well, that gives you time to run too. And I suppose they could grab one from the dish drainer too. I'm an active crime prevention advocate, but I don't think we need to go overboard.

I keep often used utensils on the counter in a coffee can with the handle down and grab by the handle. I get irritated watching restaurant workers put silverware on a table and grab the end of it when putting it down. Same for anyone setting a table. Is it a huge thing in the grand scheme of life? No. Is it disgusting nonetheless, to me yes. Same thing on glasses. Why do people have to grab it and stick their fingers INTO a glass when setting it down? I guess this should go under the pet peeves thread.

I don't have a dishwasher. It just hit me a few months ago that I should sort the silverware when I wash it. I used to, then got out of the habit. There's two slots in the drainer for cutlery. So I lean the spoons one way in one, then lean the knives the other way in the same slot, then forks can go in the other along with steak knives. Handles go up and I can grab the whole bunch and put them all away rather quickly this way.

Sharp knives go in the block but go sharp side UP so it's not rubbing on the wood all the time, thus dulling it.