What It Means To 'Nest' Utensils In The Dishwasher, And Why You Should Never Do It

Have you ever noticed that your dishwasher seems to be missing a few spots on your silverware? While these dirty forks and spoons can be easily remedied with a bit of ketchup, there is actually an easy fix that can prevent silverware coming from the dishwasher uncleaned. The issue may be because one of the most common mistakes when loading the dishwasher is nesting utensils together.

The act of nesting utensils occurs when silverware fits together in a way that can block the dishwasher from cleaning the entire utensil. Certain items that sport similar shapes, like a set of spoons or ladles, can sit back-to-front, blocking the water from hitting the entire surface of the utensils. However, avoiding this can be as easy as incorporating one simple step in your routine as you load the dishwasher.

While some dishwashers include slots specifically for forks, knives, and spoons, others may only have a large, general basket in the dishwasher for smaller items. For those lucky enough to have certain slots for each item, nesting will be less likely to occur because each utensil will be a safe distance away from the others for a nice, thorough clean. However, for those with a simple basket for every piece of silverware, it may be a little more difficult to keep those spoons from spooning.

The easiest way to keep silverware from nesting is to avoid stacking similar utensils together. Their similar shapes can cause them to stick together and obstruct their surfaces from the dishwasher water. By diversifying each basket slot, the utensils will not cling together and will come out squeaky clean. If you're still having issues with dirty utensils, make sure your dishwasher filter is clean.