The convenience that your trusty dishwasher offers is an enormous timesaver. However, are you aware that that there are certain items that you shouldn’t let your dishwasher clean?
The high temperatures your dishwasher uses to clean and dry items combined with the potent force of water as well as the strong dishwasher detergent chemicals could lead to dulling, chipping, breakage, and warping. With this in mind, below are specific items you shouldn’t wash in your handy dishwasher:
Crystal Items
Crystal items are typically an investment, so you definitely don’t want to damage them, especially if they’re family heirlooms. Modern dishwashers use very hot water temperatures that lead to crystal items cracking, chipping, and breaking. It can likewise dull your crystal items’ exquisite finish.
Wooden Utensils, Cutting Boards, Bowls, and Dishes
The heat and hot water from your dishwasher’s drying cycle could easily warp wooden items. Think how difficult it is to cut food on a warped cutting board? Likewise, hot water could dull the gorgeous wooden finish.
Copperware
Refrain from washing all pans, pots, and mugs made of copper in your dishwasher. Again, the high temperature can easily dull the finish and shine of copperware. Mild soap and water will suffice to efficiently clean your copper items.
Gold-Trimmed and Vintage Tableware
Don’t, under any circumstances, put your grandmother’s vintage tableware inside your dishwasher. The exquisite pattern and color of antique and vintage pieces could fade when washed in your dishwasher. In addition, the strong detergents and high heat used in dishwashers can erase the delicate gold trim on your tableware.
Objects with Adhesives
Anything that has some kind of adhesive on it like jars and bottles with their labels intact must not be placed in your dishwasher. The dishwasher will dissolve the adhesives and stick to all the other things inside your dishwasher. Or worse, the labels could clog up your dishwasher that you would need to call in an appliance repair services specialist in Bountiful just to get it fixed.
Cast Iron Skillets
You have probably taken your sweet time seasoning your cast iron skillet, and you wouldn’t want to wash away your hard labor, now would you?
Insulated Mugs
Basically, the space in between an insulated mug’s inner and outer layers could be filled with water if you wash the mug in your dishwasher. This will ruin its insulating properties.
Soft Plastic Items
Containers, bottles, and other items made of soft plastic are not safe inside your dishwasher. The heat and harsh detergents used during cleaning and drying could deform them and render them unusable.
Nonstick Items
While not all nonstick pans will be damaged when washed in a dishwasher, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions first to determine if the nonstick pan is dishwasher-safe or not.
Yes, your handy dishwasher is huge help and timesaver that deserve a spot in your busy kitchen. It can, however, damage certain items that could be quite costly to replace or repair. So, when in doubt, clean certain kitchen items the old-fashioned way — with water, dishwashing soap, and your hands.
