Ahh, the dishwasher — your kitchen’s most trusted companion. Perhaps one of the best parts of enjoying a delicious meal at home is knowing that you don’t have to wash each dish, bowl, cup and mug by hand. Instead, just load the dishwasher and it will handle the mess for you. Unfortunately, not everything can go in the dishwasher. Some items simply can’t withstand the high temperatures dishwashers have to reach to kill germs and clean effectively. Here is a list of items that should never be put into the dishwasher.
- • Aunt Barbara’s treasured casserole dish, or any family heirloom. The dishwasher is not the place to risk it breaking, chipping, or exploding. Instead, wash your plates with gold rims and delicate patterns and similar items by hand.
- • Take-out containers are great for taking lunches or snacks to work, but they are definitely not dishwasher friendly. The heat from the water or during the drying cycle can melt them or change their chemical composition, making it unsafe to place food in them or reuse them.
- • Copper pans should never go in the dishwasher because it will change their color to something a little, shall we say, rustier?
- • Wooden utensils and cutting boards can be dissolved or altered by the hot water of the dishwasher. To maintain them properly, wet a nylon scrubbing pad in a bowl of warm, soapy water and wash them with it. To keep them looking like new, oil them once a month.
- • Don’t be surprised if you put a cheese grater in the dishwasher and it comes out looking like it’s never been cleaned. That’s because the dishwasher doesn’t have the capability of picking up all the cheese curdles hidden deep inside. It’s a hand-wash only item for sure.
- • Never, ever, ever put your pet’s bowl or feeder in the dishwasher. Fido might be considered one of the family, but his germs don’t mix well with yours. That urban legend about how a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s…….not true. Think about where your pet’s mouth has been — it likely contains bacteria that will make you and your family sick. Instead, hand wash the bowls and feeders and let them air dry.
- • Insulated drinkware and mugs should never go in the dishwasher. The insulated component has a vacuum seal that can be ruined by the dishwasher’s high heat.
