While you may have heard crazy stories of people using their dishwashers to do everything fromclean their shoesto cook a steak, the dishwasher isn’t made to do any more than what its namesake says. Unfortunately not all dishes are created equal, so some of your dinnerware and kitchen tools should never wind up in your dishwasher.
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Sharp Knives
Routinely tossing your nice knives in the dishwasher could actually be shortening their lifespan. One of our test kitchen staffers says she only hand-washes her knives because the dishwasher can be too abrasive. Additionally, rubbing against other cutlery in the utensil basket can cause even the sharpest knives to dull.
Wooden Utensils
I once washed a brand-new, beautiful set of wooden utensils in the dishwasher, only to find them looking warped and washed out afterwards. The dishwasher’s high temperatures can be too much for wooden kitchen items, and you’re better of washing them yourself to keep their coating and shape intact.
Insulated Mugs
Insulated mugs can fall victim to some serious coffee stains if you forget about them for a few days (or more), and you’ll have to pay the price with a little hand-washing. Contigo, a popular producer of reusable drinkware,sharesthat while their unpainted products and lids are dishwasher safe, you’re better off using some dishwasher soap and a cleaning brush to get your mug squeaky clean. Hand-washing is better for your stainless steel mug anyways and will ensure you can get the deep clean you want.
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Certain Plastic Containers
The American Academy of Pediatricsadviseshand-washing your plastic container to limit the exposure your family receives from potentially harmful chemicals. This is because harmful chemicals can start to leach from them when facing high temperatures.
If you do happen to have dishwasher-safe and BPA-free plastic containers, be sure to place them away from the heating element of your dishwasher. You may also want to avoid the “sanitize” cycle, since that’s when the dishwasher reaches its highest temperatures.
Cast-Iron Cookware
Our cast-iron pans are a little too precious to be haphazardly tossed in the dishwasher. What makes cast-iron cookware so great is the seasoning that builds up on it over time, and that can all be stripped away with some intense dishwasher sudsing.
Non-Stick Cookware
Graters and Colanders
Aluminum Baking Sheets and Pans
Aluminum won’t react well to your dishwasher’s high temperatures, which cancause discoloration. Sure, the pans are still usable, but they certainly aren’t as pretty. If you don’t want to take the time to hand-wash your baking pans, you may want to invest in some silicone options.
Fine China
A good deal of fine china is hand-wash only, which is why your mom likely only brought it out on very special occasions. Appliance brandGE saysany “antique, metal trimmed, hand painted china or over-the-glaze patterns are vulnerable to fading with high water temperature and detergent solutions, and therefore should not be washed in a dishwasher.” Turn your china-washing into a party with a loved one and blast some music or catch up over suds.
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