The dishwasher/silverware debate can be summed up with two phrases: Handles up or handles down.
Plenty of people fall on both sides. The only thing they really agree on is that knives should be handles up. It is just safer that way. But some insist that that knives should really be hand-washed to maintain sharpness.
But the other pieces?
Dishwasher manufacturers think handles should be up. One of the main reasons is that when you remove the pieces, you will touch the handles and not the eating surfaces.
According to Reader's Digest, mixing up the cutlery also helps. That way spoons won't nest together in the basket and the machine can clean everything more evenly.
