By Alice Hughes

Copyright walesonline

The age-old debate on the correct way to stack a dishwasher continues to cause rifts in households, with issues such as overfilling, pre-cleaning of dishes and plate orientation being common points of contention. According to a poll involving 2,000 adults, two-thirds of those living with others have had disagreements or even full-blown rows over the proper way to load this essential kitchen appliance. The survey revealed that most disputes revolve around the correct placement of cutlery, the distribution of items between top and bottom shelves, and who should be responsible for loading and unloading. And the debate seems to be far from resolved. Data from OnePoll.com showed that 51 per cent of people follow a specific method when loading their dishwasher, while 30 per cent simply place items wherever they can fit. Interestingly, nine out of ten respondents are convinced that their way of stacking the dishwasher is the right one. This belief has led 46 per cent of them to re-stack the dishwasher after someone else, due to disagreement with the other person’s method. In some cases, inefficient stacking has resulted in dishes being washed by hand after coming out dirty from the dishwasher. On average, a dishwasher runs five cycles per week but is only fully loaded for four of these cycles. This inefficiency has caused friction in 18 per cent of households, with 16 per cent citing it as a pet peeve. This research was commissioned by Ecover in collaboration with The Tetris Company. They have launched a new version of the iconic game to encourage people to break away from wasteful dishwashing habits. A spokesperson for Ecover said: “As rebels of the cleaning aisle, we love doing things differently – and teaming up with Tetris is a fun, unexpected way to bring harmony to households and make eco-awareness click with all generations.” In addition, Ecover has enlisted father-son duo Larry and George Lamb to test their stacking skills. Larry said: “I’ll admit, when it comes to stacking, I’m more of an architect, while my son takes more of a raccoon approach – but that’s the fun of it. At the end of the day, it’s about using the machine the way it’s meant to be used. “This retro-inspired game isn’t just nostalgic – who can forget the 90s arcade waves? It’s also about bringing families together, sparking a bit of friendly competition, and showing how small actions, like stacking the dishwasher properly, can save water and energy.” Maya Rogers, president and CEO of Tetris, said: ” This version of the game allows us to take that same sense of challenge and fun and apply it to a real-life puzzle in homes across the UK. “It’s nostalgia with a modern purpose: play, stack, and save resources while keeping the peace at home.”