If you put silverware and stainless steel in the dishwasher together there's a chemical reaction that stains the silver or so I've just read. I reckon it's true because we've been washing everything together indiscriminately and our silver has been coming out in spots and stripes. The discolouring polishes off but it would save labour if we retired the silver and just used the cheap stuff- of which we have plenty- so that's what we're going to do.