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22 Unexpected Things to Wash in the Dishwasher
By
Danelle Ice - Home Ever After |
March 9th, 2009 |
Category:
Cleaning |
28 comments
The dishwasher can be a homemaker’s greatest convenience for cleaning and sterilizing if you are willing to think outside the box. Gone are the days of hand washing and scrubbing! Placing items in the dishwasher which you wouldn’t normally find there will free up your time while cleaning items more effectively than by hand. We get questions all the time about which items are safe to wash in the dishwasher.
Keep in mind that a dishwasher’s water temperature must reach 155° F to kill bacteria, so crank the water to hot (many dishwashers have a “sterilization mode” or cycle, which is necessary to ensure the water is heated high enough to kill bacteria). Run a full load whenever possible to minimize the energy impact on your utility bill.
Small items can be washed in the dishwasher, as long as corralled into handy dishwasher-safe cages and baskets
If you can’t get on board with the idea of washing some of the listed items with your regular dishes, simply run them as a separate load.
From the most commonplace household item to the truly bizarre, we’re proud to present:
22 Unusual Things to Wash in the Dishwasher
1. Kids’ toys. Germophobes everywhere swear by this method of sanitizing baby toys and teethers (including yours truly) in the dishwasher.
2. Hairbrushes, barrettes, scrunchies and hair ties. Dirt and oil, as well as residue from hair products, can build up on combs, brushes and hair accessories. The top rack of the dishwasher is the safest place for these hair tools.
3. Garden tools. Top rack only for plastic-handled tools.
4. Baby bottle brushes, scrub brushes, vegetable brushes. Ensure the bacteria hiding in your kitchen brushes is eliminated by sanitizing them in the dishwasher. As with all plastics, it takes trial and error to make sure the material used is safe for the dishwasher; wash only one of each type at a time until you establish their safety.
5. Baseball hats. Get them clean and looking as good as new by washing in the top rack of the dishwasher. There are even cool plastic cap holders for the dishwasher
6. Toothbrushes. Make sure that plaque germs don’t get back into your mouth by way of the toothbrush. Sterilize in the top rack.
7. Pet toys. Eliminate pet saliva and dirt periodically with a nice toy wash in the dishwasher (no, you don’t have to wash them in the same load with your dishes!).
8. Faux flowers. No more dusting floral arrangements – wash them in the dishwasher on a light wash setting instead!
9. Kitchen sponges. Kill the germs instead of spreading them around. Sponges can handle 2-3 hot dishwasher cycles before they start to break up.
10. Makeup brushes. Dirt and oil from skin can cling to bristles; sterilize every 2-3 months, depending on frequency of use.
11. Shoes (including athletic shoes, sandals, jelly shoes, crocs, and rubber boots).
12. Plastic broom heads and dustpans. Unscrew the head from your broom handle and kiss the germs goodbye. Top rack placement is recommended to protect the plastic.
13. Keyboards. This how-to article directs washing a keyboard in the dishwasher (be warned: there is some swearing in the linked article).
14. Cages of fans. Completely dismantled (read: no electrical pieces and/or cords!), the front and back cages, as well as removable fan blades, can be washed in a dishwasher to get rid of dirt and grime that clings from the air.
15. Tooth brush holders. Toothpaste and minerals from water can build up on your accessories; wash in the dishwasher from time to time to prevent build-up.
16. Refrigerator shelving. Most modern refrigerator shelving is designed to be dishwasher safe (older appliances are likely not). If in doubt, only wash one shelf to ascertain its dishwasher-safeness. Removal of the top dishwasher rack may be necessary to fit shelves in properly.
17. Soap dishes. Soap buildup can be hard to remove (seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?!). Dishwashers can have soap dishes looking brand new in no time.
18. Pen holders. Ink from leaky pens can pool up in the bottom of pen jars and cups. A thorough washing may not remove the ink stains, but will prevent the spread of gummy ink to your pens and papers.
19. Cup holder inserts from your car. Many cars now have removable cup holders that are dishwasher safe (thanks go out to Chrysler/Dodge for pioneering this feature for busy moms on the go). No more sticky cup holders!
20. Glass globe covers for light fixtures (don’t use a heavy wash setting). The top rack of the dishwasher is safest for these. You can even “wedge” them into place with sponges against the rack to keep fixtures from possibly moving or breaking.
21. Cooking foods. No this one isn’t a joke! People have honestly cooked meals in their dishwashers. It works because of the containment of extreme heat and steam, causing convection of sorts. Lasagne has been cooked in the dishwasher with success; so has fish (general) and salmon with cilantro.
22. Trash can lids and trash cans. Take out the top rack to fit a small to medium sized garbage can in the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning.
If you found this article useful, please help support our site by linking to it on your blog! Thank you! Read our other fun kitchen tips.
22 Unexpected Things to Wash in the Dishwasher was originally published July 16, 2008. Photos by plindberg, anamoly23, abbybatchelder.
Sigh…if only I had a dishwasher.
Baseball hats??? This is a great blog, thanks for the tips.
[...] Click Here [...]
If you are cooking corn on the cob for a large crowd that can be cooked in the dishwasher. I have not tried it myself but saw it on a cooking show. She removed the husk and silk and just put it in the top rack and ran it through a wash cycle (without soap of course). The audience loved it when she gave it to them afterwards.
Great list!
I’ve never heard of cooking in there before, but it makes sense!
There are a few thing that I would have never thought of. As a joke when we purchase our Dyson vacuum, I asked if the pieces could be washing in the dishwasher and the sales person said yes. I have never actually tried it, but I have taken it all apart and washed by hand.
@ Jen B: We went without one for a while. It was painful!
@ Beth: You’re welcome!
@ Green Stew: Thanks for the link, ladies
@ Nest Egg: Thanks, Melinda!
Homemaker Barbi
@ Pia: Corn on the cob is a great idea! Thanks for the tip. If you happen to remember the name of the show it was on, please leave another comment – I’d love to include it in the guide.
@dawntrenee: That is awesome – I’m now going to start researching which vacuums are dishwasher safe. Thanks for the comment!
Homemaker Barbi
22 Unexpected Things to Wash in the Dishwasher…
This is an interesting and entertaining article on 22 things that can be washed in the dishwasher. I knew of some of them from common sense and previous articles but some were new to me. I will definitely be cleaning a few things in the dishwasher th…
I’ll be washing my make-up brushes tonight!!
I can’t say that I would try to cook lasagna in the dishwasher, but I may try washing my Crocks in it.
@Michelle: lol I don’t know how my family would feel about lasagna from the dishwasher either!
Barbi
I am *so* trying to envision cooking something in a dishwasher. … Not a pretty sight.
Great ideas here — so far I’ve done trash cans, light covers, sponges and the underliners on the cooktop (try and live with a black stove — shows every drop of anything and dust). I’ve also done the accessories in the living room in the dishwasher, too (just gotta pick and choose which will be OK, but I have no problem with crystal, glass items, etc.
Honestly, if I could, I would put our Maltese in there, but it’s hard to get a blow dryer setting.
@Pro: Laughing about the Maltese! I don’t think my family would eat dishwasher lasagne, but you never know!
Barbi
My washer does sum nice scrambled eggs.
How cool is that! I hadn’t even thought about some of these. Thanks for sharing!
This is a wonderful article ! Thanks for sharing it. Some of these items I never would have thought about !!
Wouldn’t it ruin the plastic toys? I dont advise to put any of these in the dishwasher.
[...] to Comments I had just told you all about how I don’t like dishwashers when I ran across this article at Homemaker [...]
@Make Money: While there is the possibility that a plastic toy might not be dishwasher safe, I’ve never had one melt or get ruined from washing in the dishwasher (which I do frequently to sanitize for my toddler). We’re not talking about electronic or batter operated toys- just plain plastic baby and toddler toys (blocks, little people, etc.). Use caution when trying out a new toy, but mostly you should be fine.
Barbi
This past saturday, my SO’s family had a get-together for their large extended family. They served baked potatoes that they pre-washed in the dishwasher! I was shocked… but they sure were clean! : ) (They didn’t taste different at all, either.)
hmmm never thought about washing my brushes! Wow – washing baked potatoes in the dishwasher is brilliant – I’m so lazy I’m surprised I never thought of that!
[...] is the original post: 22 Unexpected Things to Wash in the Dishwasher Categories: Plastic Brooms Tags: germs, how-to-article, kiss-the-germs, rack-placement, [...]
[...] 22 Things you can clean in your dishwasher (besides dishes) [...]
I just asked my DH if he could take my ceiling fan blades down for me, so I could wash them in the dishwasher. Apparenly they are hard to get down because my DH just said he would rather wash them himself than take them down. Hey,,LOL..that works for me. : )
@Eve: Great job on tackling those cleaning projects! Now you’ll have a head start for your spring cleaning, at least. Glad to hear your fan got cleaned, one way or another!
Danelle
I got my first dishwasher a little over a year ago and still smile happily every time I turn it on! I have a plastic basket from Munchkin I got at Target in the baby feeding aisle for sippy valves and small plastic things. I’ve never had a problem with anything melting. I do wash the toothbrushes and sponges. I wash the sponges every few days and they hold up fine. Toothbrushes we just have 2 sets so while one is down stairs getting clean the other set is ready to go.