What’s the Right Way to Load a Dishwasher? Find Out Why Monica Padman and an Appliance Expert Disagree

On this week's podcast episode of Minor Issues, Major Opinions, we discuss the many rules of dishwasher loading.

Leslie Corona is the Senior Home Editor at REAL SIMPLE magazine. She has been styling, organizing, writing, and reporting on all things in the home space for a decade. She was previously at Good Housekeeping, HGTV Magazine, and Parents. She has shared her expertise on the TODAY show, Cheddar, and local television news outlets.

Minor Issues, Major Opinions is a wildly relevant and funny podcast that dives into the low-stakes controversies about which everyone has an opinion. Hosted by Real Simple editors Leslie Corona, Muzam Agha, and Amy Maclin, Minor Issues, Major Opinions covers polarizing topics ranging from the mundane to the meaningful, like: do you need a top sheet? Is the 5-second rule real or a myth? Is it really okay to let a dog lick your face? Each week, we’ll chat with celebrities to hear their hot takes on the topics at hand and get the final word from experts across industries to settle the debate once and for all.

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On this week's episode, we discuss the many rules of dishwasher loading. REAL SIMPLE editors Leslie Corona, Muzam Agha, and Amy Maclin touch on family cleaning dynamics, bad TikTok hacks, and cooking salmon in the dishwasher. (Spoiler alert: It's a bad idea.) Then, Leslie and Monica Padman, co-host of the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, chat about Monica's current projects, plus her dishwasher preferences. Bethenny Frankel and Tabitha Brown offer their takes on the dreaded household chore as well. Finally, at the end of the episode, we hear from Brandon Schaefer, a product manager for GE Appliances, who shares the right dishwasher loading guidelines.

Monica is the co-host and producer of the mega popular podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd. After growing up in Duluth, GA and attending University of Georgia, she moved to California in 2011. She trained in improvisational comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade, and eventually met Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard through social circles. Monica initially babysat their children, but then gradually became a professional partner, working with Shepard to launch Armchair Expert in 2018. The show lead to Monica creating a few of her own podcast spinoffs, including Synced, which highlights millennial lady musings from her and co-host Liz Plank.

People have such strong feelings about the dishwasher. And I only have one opinion about the dishwasher. I actually don't really care how it's loaded. I also currently don't have one, and not having one will make you appreciate a dishwasher so much. It's outrageous. And so no, I don't care. Except I do think that knives and forks... Like, I think the utensils need to be facing down. I want the handle up.

For more than 12 years, Brandon KG Schaefer has had the privilege of innovating and launching dishwashers for GE Appliances. He currently leads the GE Appliances Stainless Steel Tub Dishwasher business and has a passion for relentlessly improving the ownership experience and fostering cross-functional teams to deliver dishwashers that simplify the lives of GE Appliances’ owners.

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.