Not a silly question at all. I'm right handed, and I always wash in the left side of my 50-50 sink and put the dish mat on the left side. I think it's just habit. That's also the side with the disposal, which is not optimal, because sometimes I need to scrape something when I already have water in the sink. (OTOH, the disposal stopper does hold water very well. ) But probably it's better to put the disposal in the small bowl on whichever side you aren't used to washing on.

I find that I prefer the deposit zone (dishwasher for what needs to be dishwashed and dish rack for hand washed items) on the same side. Does not matter left or right. It seems to make the motion easier for me - pick a dirty pot, scrape --> dishwasher or scrub+rinse to the dish rack.

I also like to think of the dishwasher and the dishmat side as the clean side and the trash side as the dirty side that I wipe down several times each day. If I am scrubbing potatoes, they will always be washed and put in a colander on the clean side while the temporary bowl I have for collecting the peel is on the trash/ dirty side.

Lol.. I just reread this. I have issues :)

I'm right handed and I find that I hold the items in my left hand while manipulating the washing brush with my right hand.

So I find it most convenient to have the dish rack for clean dishes on the left as I put the item in the rack without changing hands. If I used a DW I would have it on the left as well.

I always thought righties should have stuff on their right -until I read something that suggested I pay attention to which hand held the item and which hand used a scrubbie.

You might want to do this, too. Your personal pattern may be different.

I think the comfort and efficiency comes from not having to reach across yourself to deposit the item where it's going and not having to change hands. I think it also means that I drop fewer items during the transfer frm hand to hand.

HTH

L.

I've got a 60/40 sink. The deep/60 side is on the left with the disposal, with the shallow/40 side on the right, and the DW to the right of that (and the dish/silverware drawers to the right of the DW and the pot/pan drawers across from the DW).

I tend to let things pile up in the left side and then fill up the largest pot/bowl in there with the hot water and suds for hand-washing. I scrub it on the left, but then rinse it on the right and dry it on the counter above the DW. Same thing for things destined for the DW. Scrape off on the left side then cross over to the DW.

It all seems to make sense to me going left-to-right. But then I don't let dishes dry in the sink, so there is no danger of dragging drippy rinsed dishes across the drying clean ones on the way to the DW.

Glad you posted this since I'm contemplating the same thing as I consider a remodel and if I want to swap the kitchen with the dining room.

Definitely an individual thing and dictated by what's possible in the layout too.

I like to prep next to the sink and I have more prep area to the left which works for me because I'm right handed.
Dishwasher is below that prep area, 60/40 sink with the deeper bowl on the left is to the right of the DW. The garbage disposal is in the deep left bowl so when I'm prepping I can sweep the discards in there and gring them up. Just husband and I at home and we often hand wash rather than fill the dishwasher. Just easier to wash (left) and air dry in the rack that fits in the smaller right bowl. I can wash them faster than it takes to fill and empty the DW and easier to not have to bend over and over. My silverware drawer and everday dish cabinet is to the right of that.

Swaping rooms gives me pause. Doing so might give me a more picture perfect kitchen, but my current one is very efficient by default.

Thanks for the suggestions.

It's hard to say what would be better for us since the current sink has a terrible faucet...it's reach is so short that you don't have much choice but to use the smaller side (on the right and has the disposal). The only good prep area we have is on the left of the sink so I find that I often move the dish mat so I can easily cut and discard scraps into the trash.

I was thinking of having the larger bowl on the right, smaller on the left (with the disposal). The flow would then be:
Scraps in garbage/ disposal on left--> rinse to put into DW or wash and put on dish mat on the right.

I think my DH would think I've lost my mind if he knew I was asking about this. Lol.