Is there a 'right' way to load the dishwasher? What the fight teaches us

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Bowls on the top or bottom? Fork handles up or down? And what about plates − small in front and large in back or the other way around? Just what is the correct way to load the dishwasher? It's a debate as old as time, or as old as modern kitchen appliances, anyway.

The great dishwasher debate may cause a daily tizzy, but the practice can actually translate to how we work outside of the home, as an empathic approach to different perspectives is necessary.

"Much of life is like loading the dishwasher in that one's convictions sometimes are not in agreement with how other people handle the task," Maryanne Fisher, a psychology professor at Saint Mary's University, told Paste BN. "People can approach the same task very different, and prioritize different things. For the most part, when people combine approaches, the result is often stronger and sometimes innovative."

Whether you're a front loader or back loader, here's what experts say about loading the dishwasher, and how the domestic fight carries into the workplace.

More about the dishwasher: Here's how to load a dishwasher properly, more about the appliance's history

Why is how you load the dishwasher so divisive?

"There's no universal 'right' way to load a dishwasher and different individuals prioritize different factors, such as maximum space utilization, ease of unloading or achieving the cleanest possible result," Whirlpool Associate Brand Manager April Taylor told Paste BN.

Brad Fulton, a public and environmental affairs associate professor at Indiana University, took the debate a bit deeper.

"People's strongly held preferences often stem from how their parents carried out household chores," he said. "When someone's preferred way is challenged, it can be experienced as an indictment on their family of origin."

What is the right way to load the dishwasher? Experts weigh in

Let's start with the basics, as provided by Whirlpool:

• Face dishes toward the center so the washer jets spray upward to wash and rinse
• Avoid overcrowding so the appliance can clean thoroughly
• Only load dishwasher-safe items (avoid nonstick cookware, knives, fine China, delicate glassware, wooden or silver dishware and cast iron pans)

What goes where? Here's what Whirlpool and Finish say:

• Top rack: Drinking glasses, mugs, stemmed drinkware, plastic items (like food containers), small bowls, small plates and large utensils
• Bottom rack: Large plates, large bowls, pots, pans and silverware

And now for the more divisive. How does it all get laid out?

• Load the dishwasher front to back, Finish advises.
• Drinkware should be placed along the sides, from front to back, of the top rack, according to Whirlpool.
• Large bowls, pots and pans and other bakeware should be placed in the back or along the sides of the bottom rack, Whirlpool says.
• The handles of spoons and forks should all be placed down to ensure proper cleaning, Taylor told Paste BN. The blades of knives should be placed down, to avoid injury.

Whirlpool and Finish both advise against rinsing dishes, specifically with dish detergent, before placing them in the dishwasher as the detergent may inhibit the cleaning cycle.

How can loading the dishwasher translate to the workplace?

Believe it or not, how one loads the dishwasher at home can translate to the workplace, and we're not talking about high-rise offices with breakroom dishwashers here. We're talking about the method behind the madness.

While he feels indifferent about the dishwasher, Fulton said how people feel about loading the dishwasher can help them better understand how to work with others, even those outside of the home.

"Workers who have strongly held beliefs about relatively trivial workplace practices could improve workplace dynamics by not insisting that others adopt their perspective," Fulton explained. "At the same time, co-workers could seek to understand why their colleagues feel so strongly about particular workplace practices."

This story has been updated to fix a typo.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at Paste BN. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.