Most people use their dishwasher to wash only their dishes and cutlery which, frankly said, is wasting the potential that this incredible appliance has. Believe it or not, but this amazing invention can be used for the cleaning of many other items. No, we are not talking about kitchen sponges, pet dishes, Ziploc bags or shower puffs which a lot of people have already gathered the courage to put in their dishwasher. We are talking about other items that you may be surprised or even shocked to learn that they are dishwasher-friendly.
A quick profile of the items you can put in a dishwasher
The easiest step to determine whether an item can be cleaned in a dishwasher is by carefully looking at its label. Although there is no official symbol for dishwasher-safe things, it is not hard to spot it. Usually, it includes a plate or a glass (or both) and some water drops. Other times, the label will directly state that the item can be put in a dishwasher. In some rarer instances, you will even get instructions which program to use or if it is safe to put the item on the top rack.
If, however, there is no dishwasher-safe symbol or marking on the given item’s label, you can still clean it with this appliance unless it is made of some material that does not react well when exposed to heat or hot water such as wood, for instance. Aluminium items can also be damaged if they are cleaned in a dishwasher not only because of the high water temperature but also because of the aggressive cleaning supplies used in the cleaning process. Other items you should never put in a dishwasher include:
- Fine china
- Non-stick pans
- Cast iron pans
- Copper cookware
- Wooden chopping boards
- Crystal glasses
Avoid cleaning your garlic press in the dishwasher too. That is unless you want to fill that appliance with countless small pieces of garlic and make it smell in a rather unpleasant way for a very long time.
Pictured: An empty dishwasher
What can you clean in your dishwasher
Items you can wash using this fantastic domestic appliance are many and include hairbrushes, combs, garden tools, toys (particularly teethers and chewing toys), baseball caps, makeup brushes, waterproof keyboards, dustpans… and the list goes on and on. But do make sure that you use a normal cycle for them. Also, clean them in a separate load from the one containing your plates and cutlery. However, just like you would do with your dirty dishes before you put them in the dishwasher, rinse the items before you place them in the machine.
For everything else in your home that needs to be cleaned but cannot fit into your dishwasher or it is simply too fragile for it, rely on an organised one-off cleaning service in London. In fact, you do not need to own such an appliance to use professional cleaning solutions – they can be useful for various types of households in the English capital.
