We adore our dishwashers because of how much time they save and how well they remove tough oil. Who wants to wash dishes by hand at the sink again once they’ve had a dishwasher? However, the dishwasher was not made to clean every single kitchen object. Putting some kitchen tools through the dishwasher could damage them. We’ve compiled a list of stuff you should never put in the dishwasher—not even on the rinse cycle.
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Things You Should Never Wash In a Dishwasher
Kitchen Knives
Good kitchen knives should be washed by hand in hot, soapy water. This time-tested cleaning technique will keep the handles taut and the blades sharp. Dishwasher soap or detergent can dull knife blades, which can make using your knives more dangerous because dull knives are harder to manage and require more power.
Additionally, your knives’ handles may become looser with time due to the hot water used in the rinse cycle and the high heat generated during the drying cycle. Wash and dry your blades by hand to ensure they stay sharp and durable.
Certain Plastic Items
Certain plastics are resistant to the heat of a dishwasher, while others are not. Handle plastic products individually, making sure to verify the dishwasher safety of each item by consulting the manufacturer’s label.
Dishwasher-safe plastics, which are generally composed of stronger plastic and include mixing bowls and chopping boards, should be stored in the top rack of the dishwasher. This will shield them from the heat from the dishwasher’s bottom which could be harmful.
These things will come out clean, but frequent washing in the dishwasher may cause them to lose their shine. Keep in mind that you should wash plastic items by hand if they don’t mention “dishwasher safe.”
Nonstick Cookware
It’s true that many of us couldn’t make the ideal omelet or pancake without our nonstick equipment. Teflon, which coats most nonstick cookware, lets you cook with very little to no oil or butter and prevents food from adhering to the bottom of the pan. While some nonstick cookware has the label “dishwasher safe,” most of these products are not meant to handle the high heat of a dishwasher.
It’s recommended to clean them by hand to avoid damaging the nonstick coating. To get rid of any food residue, use a non-abrasive scrubber and warm, sudsy water to soak your nonstick items in.
Crystal and Fine China
Those ornately painted plates cost a good buck. Avoid cleaning expensive china and crystal in the dishwasher to preserve your investment and lower the chance of chipping them. Rather, give them a gentle wash in warm (not boiling) water with vinegar and a small amount of dish soap, and then pat them dry with a lint-free cloth.
Copper Cookware
While it might seem convenient to wash your copper pots, pans, and glasses in the dishwasher, doing so can tarnish and diminish the copper’s appearance. Use mild dish soap and warm water to give these objects a hand wash.
Use a copper-specific cleaner to polish and shine up your copper. Or try combining vinegar, salt, and lemon juice.
Cookware made of aluminum
Because their colors seem so similar, it’s simple to mix up your stainless steel and aluminum cookware. However, aluminum cookware cannot usually be washed in the dishwasher, unlike stainless steel (be sure to verify the manufacturer’s instructions).
Pots and pans made of aluminum will soon fade and oxidize when exposed to hot water and high dishwashing heat. Don’t wash these things in the dishwasher or even soak them in soapy water for a long time.
Use water and cream of tartar to clean them instead. Simmer a solution of 1 tablespoon lemon juice to 1-quart water on the stovetop to get rid of discoloration.
Kitchenware made of wood, such as cutting boards
Cutting boards, wooden spoons, and other items with a wooden handle should never be cleaned in the dishwasher. Abrasive dishwashing soap has the potential to scratch the surface over time. Dishwasher drying cycles can cause wood to bend, crack, or break.
After every usage, immediately wash hardwood cutting boards in hot, soapy water. After chopping raw meat, wipe the board down with white vinegar or a solution made of two tablespoons of bleach to one gallon of water. After a thorough rinse, manually dry the board.
Anything Cast Iron
Do you recall how much effort and time you put into seasoning and washing your cast-iron skillet? Well, putting these pans in the dishwasher can quickly undo all of your hard work. Dishwashing soap has the potential to degrade your cast iron’s seasoning, which is a coating of fat or oil baked into the cookware. This seasoning helps keep food from sticking and is essential for preventing rust.
Some cooks only wipe out their cast iron cookware after each use, doing no more cleaning. However, a simple rinse and a mild abrasive, like salt, will clean cast iron.
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