BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: theleveller
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 09:54 AM

"...she could consistently get more into a dishwasher than I and that once loaded by her the stuff, even when I could see quite clearly why it should not come out clean, did indeed come out clean..."

I believe the secret is in making the right sacrifices and libations to the household gods, but as I requested no religion on this thread, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it.

Peace, you put the dog bone in the dishwasher? now that is seriously weird! I have to ask - did you put the dog in as well?

Actually that poses another interesting question for people. What's the strangest thing you've ever put in your dishwasher?

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 08:54 AM

It really doesn't matter how well I pack the dishwasher or car for that matter as geoff will always redo it. Therefore seems little point in my bothering so I rarely do.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 03:52 AM

Maybe he put the dishwasher in....

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 03:22 AM

Sharp knives flat in the basket.. by far the safest route.

Richard - it must be a Virgo thing - to whit:~

Manitas packing an estate car for one to go camping at 4 day festival = car loaded to the roof, no rear window visibility, no room for passengers or extra equipment.

LTS packing the same estate car for two and a passenger to go camping separately at 6 day festival = car loaded to seat back height, room for passenger and child, good visibility, and 2 extra tents included.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: mouldy
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 03:07 AM

I got my first dishwasher many years ago, because after years of washing up for 5 people and stacking it to drain on a small single drainer, I went on strike at weekends. Ian took this in good part, and said this was only fair. It took 3 weeks, but a dishwasher was bought!
I still ended up being the main clearer-upper, except on high days and holidays, and because of this, despite being female, I am bloody good at stacking a dishwasher!
It is the only thing I am organised about - I make sure all the cutlery is separated by type into the separate compartments in the basket (makes putting away very easy). Sharp knives are blade down, and everything else is handle down so that food residue is washed off. Even now I mainly live alone I still use it, though not every day, as I can't always fill it.

Mind you, I hate emptying it. Ian used to be good at that!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Peace
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 10:19 PM

Soon as I use the sharp knife it gets cleaned and goes back in the sheath.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 10:17 PM

I should have declared my position on silverware handles and sharp knives when I posed those questions.

I put silverware in the dish drainer handles down. I'd rather a clean hand pick up the silver that way than have the points and eating parts on the bottom of the basket. I grasp the silver at the middle so I'm not picking it up by the eating surface.

All of my knives and anything else that is sharp sits on the counter beside the sink until it is washed and then immediately hand dried and put back in the knife block or drawer or case, wherever it normally lives. Never in the dishwater, never in the drainer.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: mg
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 09:56 PM

The goals are somewhat mixed. One is to get the dishes clean. One is to let people with severe compulsions have an outlet for them. One is ecological, getting the most bang for the buck in terms of water, detergent etc. Whoever loads the dishwasher should get to do it however he/she wants as long as the dishes come out clean and a reasonable amount of resources are used. It is not necessarily everyone's goal, especially when they have children, jobs, etc., to see how many dishes they can get in at one time. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Peace
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 09:21 PM

LOL

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 09:20 PM

Sexist comment alert!

Errr - which one of those machines would that be?

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Peace
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 08:59 PM

I tried one of those machines and it busted all the dishes . The only thing that didn't get busted was the rubber dog bone.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 08:50 PM

I developed my spatial awareness by running a mobile disco for several years. The ability to get the sound equipment in so that it fitted and was secure was important, so I learned. I have only ever come across two people as good or better: one a rather OCD dyslexic Virgo (I'm a Virgo too) and the other a rather odd and somewhat OCD bass guitarist who worked for a removals company for several years.

Now what I learned about dishwashers from my late wife Jacqui was that for some reason the logic of vehicle loading does not apply to dishwashers, so that she could consistently get more into a dishwasher than I and that once loaded by her the stuff, even when I could see quite clearly why it should not come out clean, did indeed come out clean despite things having been put over the tops of others, and the neat rows of sized plates that encourage squish and swirl not having been maintained.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Peace
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 07:15 PM

I would understand if the people I worked with were 8 years old.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: mg
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 07:11 PM

Why do you care if an 8 year old loads the dishwasher "wrong?" How about just saying everyone has their preferred way of loading a dishwasher, I do it one way, your mother, God bless her soul, does it another. You will have your way. Do it however you want, but I will be checking for a while to make sure they are clean when they come out and don't run it until they are 2/3 full or whatever...

mg

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Peace
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 05:35 PM

"I've cut myself more often by people putting sharp knives into soapy water than by any amount of slicing, dicing and castrating!"

Keriste, Liz, just for putting a knife in the dishwasher? OUCH.

BTW, I work in a place where some idiot puts sharp knives in the dishwasher BLADE UP. OK, the question is this: how stupid can a person be and still breathe?

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 05:18 PM

Nope... you just have a bad dishwasher aura.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: theleveller
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 08:08 AM

I've been trying to teach my 17-year old son an appreciation of zen and the art of dishwasher loading but have discovered that only bribery works. My 8-year old daughter is already a master (mistress?) of unloading but has to be discouraged from loading as she has inherited her mother's lack of spatial awareness.

Incidentally, on every dishwasher I have ever owned the top shelf has broken in some way after a couple of years, making the whole process annoying and, at times, dangerous. Anyone else had this problem?

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 07:43 AM

I have one explanation for the inability to put items in the waste-bin properly, which also applies to the inability to stack items neatly in the bottom kitchen cupboards.
They are too low down!
I don't bend as well as I used to and I now have to lie on the floor to get at some things in the bottom cupboards. When I'm there I usualy find things that I haven't seen for weeks because they were out of sight hidden under a shelf.
I can hide things from Anne on the top shelves though:)
(Usually chocolate to stop her from eating it all at once.)

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 11:32 AM

Manitas appears to have missed out on the breadbin gene. Every time I go into the kitchen after him, the bread bin is open. Am I the only one who can stack bread in it and get the door to close?

Mind you, he probably thinks he's the only one who can wash the car... he'd be right.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 10:19 AM

I managed to get the parallel parking gene, so I have no problem with that (usually -- with my recovering broken arm, I'm not even attempting it for awhile).

I find that men usually don't have the zip-loc bag gene -- and find it absolutely impossible to close one securely.

Now Tom does almost all of the cooking in our house. And loads a dishwasher well. But he finds it difficult to put packaging trash in the bag that is just to his right (not out of the way at all) at the counter and to know where to put the things in the dishwasher -- including things that are in the same place in the cupboard as they were when his ex-wife lived in this house 30 years ago.

I dunno...

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 09:30 AM

I believe that studies show that on average, males are better at 3-D spatial problems than females. My husband far excels me, for instance, in the speed and precision with which he can parallel park.

Why then, is he incapable of slipping the corner of the dishtowel into the slot of the handy dish-towel holder?

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 07:30 AM

Hiding sharp knives under a layer of soap suds is NOT gender specific, believe me.
Also jagged tin cans, broken glss...

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: frogprince
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 09:44 AM

The line you'll never see a man put in a lonely-hearts ad:
    "must be good at castrating"...

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 09:26 AM

Just what the hell is it with men putting sharp bladed knives and big pointy carvery forks into the foamy washing up water where an unsuspecting hand can't see it? I've cut myself more often by people putting sharp knives into soapy water than by any amount of slicing, dicing and castrating!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 08:30 AM

Well, I ain't too sure if this a gender thing but it ain't just the dishwasher but loading the car for a trip...

I think it's 3D puzzle thing...

I can do both real well but the P-Vine??? Ummmmmm, less so...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 08:07 AM

My wife collects pretty plates, so most of our crockery is not dish-washer proof, or microwave proof for that matter.
I do claim to be able to stack more on the sink-drainer, and I don't often have any sharp knives cunningly concealed under plates ready to inflict injury when you clear the washing-up away!
I get accused of pretending to be bad at cooking so that I don't get asked again. This is unfair; I really am bad at cooking.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: theleveller
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:30 AM

Using the dogwasher was fine with my last dog (except for the dirty looks when it was broccoli) but this one just throws up if she's given anything but dry dog food.

As for the sharp knives issue - if anyone puts my carefully honed and steeled kitchen knives in the dishwasher they are DEAD - do you hear me? DEAD!!!! (I've lost several wives that way.)

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 05:35 PM

My dogs are so alert and happy when they see me approach the back door with a plate. I hand feed them alternately, and when the majority of the offering is gone, I hold the plate down for the cleanup phase. (They don't get table food often, usually only meat scraps. That said, I think these two would eat dirt if I hand fed it to them.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Peace
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 05:26 PM

Just tell me that plate ain't clean!

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: frogprince
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 05:13 PM

"I eat, the dog cleans the plate and it stays there until the next time I eat."

Here, Nine Waters; c'mere, boy...

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Becca72
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:51 PM

Stilly...that was the great debate in my household for a looong time. If I'm doing the dishes (by hand of course) the silverware goes in the drainer handle UP...I don't want anyone grabbing the part that's going to go in my mouth with their scuzzy hands! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: mg
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:19 PM

One thing I recommend is never allow anyone to control you over the how to load the dishwasher question. It absolutely, and we have seen evidence here, taps into the most obsessive compulsive traits a person has. If you are helping them, or it is your turn, or you are an equal partner, do it how you want and tell them so, or your life will be spent in service to their compulsions. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Peace
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:13 PM

I tried the dishwasher route but the dog started getting hungry. So we're back to the old way. I eat, the dog cleans the plate and it stays there until the next time I eat. There sure are some fancy folks on this forum.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: open mike
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:53 PM

Oh, beautiful for Spacious guys...

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Amos
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:18 PM

We had the dishwasher that came with the house taken out for new cabionet space we needed more. BBW and I are both dishwashers, moonlighting.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: CarolC
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:00 PM

If my husband is better at loading the dishwasher than me, he isn't letting on about it. Which probably means he's smarter than me overall. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 02:57 PM

Wesley, you sound like a very compulsive fellow!

I don't use the dishwasher to wash dishes, I use it to air dry dishes I washed in the sink. I dislike using dishwashers, but since there is one it the house I don't tie up the counter top with a dish drainer.

Even so, there are ways of filling it that allow everything adequate space for drying and ease in picking up later. Neither of my kids is very good at the 'science' of packing the dishwasher, but I think they get that from their father. He was always rather haphazard at stacking stuff. If there isn't much to wash, no big deal. But if you're cleaning up after a large meal, I want it all to drain in there, not all over the kitchen or stacked awkwardly so the door can't be put in an almost-closed position for a few hours.

Now let's take a really meaningful poll: silverware handles UP or DOWN in the basket? Sharp knives--YES or NO?

;-D

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Becca72
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 01:37 PM

My excuse for not knowing how to load a dishwasher is that I have never used one.
While it is true that my ex could strategically pack the disc drainer to capasity I am the superior parallel parker so I figure it evens out.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Wesley S
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 11:34 AM

Theleveller - you are correct on all of your observations. But in our household I've noticed that while my wife is very reluctant to load the dishwasher in the first place she feels that she HAS to rearrange anything that I've placed there. Like I don't know how after 56 years on this planet.

My other pet peeve - why is it that my wife always wants to open the dishwasher to take just ONE item out without unloading the entire dishwasher? Esp when there is something already clean that could be used to perform the job. If I get into a clean dishwasher I'm compelled to empty it right then and there. Otherwise you're bound to end up washing clean dishes a second time.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 11:13 AM

By the way, his parking is lousy.... it's either 'call for a taxi to the kerb' or he loses the wheel trims on the kerbstones. He spent 5 minutes declaring there was a kerbstone that stuck out to explain his bumping the car, until I took him to the pavement and showed him the sticky-out kerb 8ft away.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 11:07 AM

I'll agree that Manitas is better at loading the dishwasher to capacity, but that doesn't mean everything gets clean in one go.

I've emptied the dishwasher on several occasions where I've had to rewash stuff because it was still dirty, usually from tea leaves or coffee grounds that hadn't been rinsed away properly.

Now, I drink neither traditional tea or real coffee.... so it can't be my fault!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 08:43 AM

In most cases my wife is better than I am at packing things, loading the dishwasher, etc. On the other hand, I know more about gravestones than she does.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Grab
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 07:58 AM

Sounds right enough to me. Emma never does an efficient job of stacking the dishwasher. Strangely though she's very good at stacking stuff on the draining board (or she was until we got a dishwasher - now she doesn't have to).

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:52 AM

Not true Anne

I load and unload the dishwasher including putting it on.
I put my rubbish in the bin (including everyone elses - 3 women) and change the bags in the bin.

Got nowt to do with spatial awareness

Les (the male version)

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Anne Lister
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:41 AM

It's absolutely true that my husband is better at loading the dishwasher than me. I consider this to be a relatively fair exchange for the fact that I'm better at cooking than him, so I cook the meal and he clears it away.
However, he's also better than me (as is his dad, who lives with us) at putting empty milk bottles back in the fridge, empty packets back in the cupboard and empty bread wrappers back in the bread bin. Is it a male impulse to stack, store and load everything?

Anne

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: Leadfingers
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:29 AM

My Ex had an excellent Dishwasher - ME !!

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: gnu
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:18 AM

My ideal would be two dishwashers.

Think about it.

Exactly!

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: theleveller
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:16 AM

Ah, Neove, what you're seeing here is the basis of many of the great works of man – the construction of magnificent buildings, the campaigns for major battles, the strategy for next week's football match, the planning of the best route from Watford to East Grinstead. The British Empire was not built on the playing fields of Eton but on the breakfast tables of middle England … (hums several bars of 'Land of Hope and Glory').

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:55 AM

We have a stable structure so old that Jesus was born in it.

Subject: RE: BS: Spatial awareness and dishwashers
From: GUEST,Neovo
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:39 AM

This may be true but in my experience the male of the species is also very good at building stable structures of dirty dishes on the work surface and waiting until they have critical mass before they then stack them in the dishwasher. Possibly OK if lots of dishes have been used in one day but if the stable structure develops over three or four days .........