At DadLabs, we believe that there are many tasks that parents should do together. We're just not so sure washing dishes is one of them. In this episode of The Lab, Daddy Clay and Daddy Brad tackle the subject of dishwashing. Can dad earn a few choreplay points by tackling this house cleaning chore? These dads offer a few cleaning tips to consider when doing the dishes. Gear Daddy Troy also stops by to share some advice on how to maximize dishwasher performance. And do you really need to clean before loading up your dishwashers? Find out when Daddy Clay goes shopping for a new dish washer. And find out why washing dishes is Daddy Clay's favorite domestic chore? DadLabs Ep. 576 is brought to you by Munchkin.

Daddy Clay: As parents, there are a multitude of things you should be doing together, collaboratively, as a couple.

Daddy Brad: Dishes, not one of them.

Daddy Brad: Today's episode is brought to you by Munchkin, makers of clever baby products.

Daddy Clay: Over 20 cleaning products that make washing your baby's bottles, cups, and accessories, much, much easier. Munchkin. It's the Little Things.

Daddy Brad: Daddy Clay, why should couples not do the dishes together?

Daddy Clay: It's just an invitation for clash in styles. In my house, for example, my wife does the dishes, she shoves everything in there just higgledy-piggledy. Coffee cups, plates, knives, kids homework, socks, the hamster cage. Just shoves that thing, closes it up, turns it on.

Daddy Brad: And you load it perfectly?

Daddy Clay: No, just with less anger.

Daddy Brad: Well, because the holidays are coming up, there may be some low hanging choreplay points in play for you. That's why this week on DadLabs, we're doing the dishes.

Daddy Clay: As we've mentioned before several times, recent studies have shown that choreplay works. Couples that spend more time together in the household doing chores, also report more frequently, doing the nasty. So it makes sense for you to do your part. Do your half. But there's nothing wrong with choosing the easier half. So until they come up with a dryer that will match and ball athletic socks, I'm going for the dishes.

Daddy Brad: At our house, the old dishwasher's about to give up the ghost, so there's been lots of handwashing going on. Now if you want to have any hope of getting some choreplay action, do not wear these. Rubber gloves. Remember that moisturizing can be manly. All right, some tips. First, if you don't have a double bay sink, get one of these plastic dish tubs. Separate your soapy water from your rinse water. Start off doing your baby bottles if you've got those and then pop them in the sterilizer. Then move on to glasses and plates before you get to the heavy stuff. Now if you've got a really nasty pot, put some soapy water in there and bring it to a boil. That'll do the trick. Now people say that air drying is the most sanitary method of drying things. But I can't understand why. Because there are lots of germs in the air.

Daddy Clay: So we're here with the Gear Daddy who actually used to be a rocket scientist.

Daddy Troy: That's true.

Daddy Clay: So he's going to help us maximize the performance of our dishwasher.

Daddy Troy: First thing I'm going to do is explain to our audience how a dishwasher actually works. It's really just a basic, it's a box, that water comes in, it heats up through this heating element right here. And then it goes through these arms, it sprays all over the dishes, and then goes out the bottom. You want to load your plates facing inward because of the way the water spreads up from the arms. You also want to load them in a staggered fashion, high-low, high-low. A few other hints you might want to know are when you put your flatware in, don't put it in such that the flatware is similar to similar. Cause the spoon can keep all the material on there. Finally, I want to say that it's really important that you read your dishwasher's manual. I know that may not be for some guys, may not be what they like to do, they like to experiment, but I would say to read the manual because you have all these cool little things in your dishwasher. Things that will go up and down that will help you better load the dishwasher and knowing those tricks really helps you get a better, cleaner dish.

Daddy Clay: So, where am I going to put in my nice basket here from Munchkin?

Daddy Troy: Oh, there's a perfect spot right here.

Daddy Clay: Talking to Daddy Troy is making me think it might be time to go for the upgrade. So to get the scoop on buying a new dishwasher, let's go talk to the good folks at Austex Home Direct. So Ben, if I'm out shopping for a dishwasher right now, what are the really cool features that I keep an eye open for?

Ben: Instead of cleaning your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, you can just put them in there and not have to worry about it redistributing all the food. As it's washing, all the food's going to the bottom, and instead of just sitting down there, it's actually being absorbed in a built-in garbage disposal.

Daddy Brad: But you know Daddy Clay, you give back all your choreplay points if you don't unload the dishwasher when it's finished. Or if you break a glass or something.

Daddy Clay: That's true. But I have to admit that washing dishes is my favorite domestic chore. Because it makes me nostalgic - all of these objects, the dishes, and the utensils, they have kind of a permanence in our family. For example, the salad bowl is a wedding gift. It makes me think back. I'm cleaning these things, I'm taking care of them. They're like family treasures. It makes me really happy.

Daddy Brad: You drink a lot at dinner don't you?

Daddy Clay: Just a little.

Daddy Brad: One of the things that I don't like about doing the dishes. Happens right during bath time. And I love bath time, so my wife and I, we trade off.

Daddy Clay: That's a good compromise. Well, you know what we want to do. We want to thank our sponsors Munchkin. Check out, this is their deluxe bottle brush. And hidden right here in the handle, boom, nipple brush. Right there. Munchkin - It's The Little Things.