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Owning a dishwasher for the first time seems like a miracle until it starts churning out warped wood and smashed belongings. The temptation to rack every dirty dish is strong, but this convenience comes at a high price if you’re not careful. Scorching temperatures and high-pressure water jets are great for sterilizing dishes, but downright toxic to more delicate kitchen equipment.
Porous materials such as wood will crack, and thin glass can easily succumb to thermal shock and vibration. Worse still, this “deep cleaning” will dull your expensive chef’s knives and remove the finish from your favorite pans. Basically, if you value the longevity of your tools, you should stop treating your dishwasher as a one-size-fits-all solution.
Before you close the door on your next load, take a second to filter out the victims. It is best to place your fine cutlery and cooking utensils in the sink. Below are the items that you should never trust the device under any circumstances.
11 things your dishwasher will destroy
1. Insulated cups
Insulated cups can be damaged by pressure from the dishwasher.
The high heat and pressure of a dishwasher can damage or break the vacuum seal that makes these insulated containers effective. Alternatively, wash by hand using warm water and soap.
2. Wooden cutting boards
Always dry a wooden board on its side for at least an hour before storing it.
Wooden cutting boards can become damaged after a single cycle in the dishwasher. Hot water can cause even the strongest wood to warp, bend, crack or split. While plastic and stone cutting boards can usually be handled in the dishwasher, wooden boards should be hand washed and dried thoroughly on their side.
Read our Wood cutting board care guide For more.
3. Wine glasses
Wine glasses and other delicate pieces of barware should be hand washed to avoid breakage.
90% of wine glasses are not dishwasher safe. If you have thick, sturdy glasses, they may be fine, but thin, thin wine glasses are likely to break. Instead, wash them by hand and make sure to rinse them well so soap residue doesn’t mess with your next balanced wine bouquet.
4. Kitchen knives
Always hand wash good cutlery.
If you have a sharp chef’s knife and want to keep it that way, keep it out of the dishwasher. Not only will an extended soak in hot water dull your blade’s edge, but the dishwasher can also cause your knife to rattle and collide with other objects, which can corrode and weaken the blade.
Here’s another list Bad habits ruin your knives.
5. Antiques, porcelain and fine china
Delicate china and porcelain are susceptible to breakage.
Antique cookware, bakeware, and glassware are not good candidates for the dishwasher. Even if it’s labeled “dishwasher safe,” its age may have compromised its once-tough integrity, making it susceptible to chipping or cracking. If you have antique cookware, kitchen utensils, or china that you love, protect them by hand washing them in the sink.
While porcelain itself is dishwasher safe, porcelain dinnerware is often delicate and fragile, and running it through the dishwasher puts it at risk.
6. Non-stick cookware
Nonstick cookware can lose its chemical coating in the dishwasher.
Most nonstick cookware is technically safe to put in the dishwasher, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Non-stick surfaces can be easily scratched and eroded when hit with hot, soapy water or scrubbed and hit on pots, pans, or other dishes.
7. Copper cookware
Stainless steel is mostly dishwasher safe, and copper cookware should be hand washed.
Although I don’t recommend putting any good cookware in the dishwasher, copper cookware is particularly susceptible to damage. Brass will dull and tarnish from prolonged exposure to hot water and the metal is soft, making it susceptible to dings and scratches if it is bumped into other items on the shelf.
8. Cast iron cookware
Use salt and hot water to remove stubborn bits from cast iron cookware.
I worked hard to build up the layers spices And the soft dents on a cast iron skillet, one cycle in the dishwasher has the power to strip it completely. Harsh dish detergent is likely to wreak havoc on the surface, while prolonged soaking in hot water can cause rust. Instead, use This is the basic store For cleaning stubborn cast iron pans.
9. Dishes and pans full of grease
You can clog a dishwasher with just one greasy pan.
Your instinct when faced with a greasy and oily pan may be to put it in the dishwasher and hope for the best. Oils and grease are known to cause clogs in dishwashers – And the banks For that matter.
Instead, try to get as much oil out of the trash as possible using a scraper or paper towel and hand wash oily cookware well with soap and hot water. Only then, when most of the grease has been removed, should you consider running it in the dishwasher.
10. Wooden utensils
Wooden utensils and hot water are not a good combination.
Anything made of wood can be damaged if washed in the dishwasher. This includes cooking utensils, spoons, chopsticks, bowls, and anything else. Wooden items should always be hand washed and dried quickly and thoroughly to avoid splitting, warping and bacterial growth.
11. Plastic cups and containers
Food storage containers look like this but come out to look like something out of a Salvador Dali painting.
Acrylic bowls and other sturdy plastics are dishwasher safe, but delicate plastic bowls are not. Most takeout boxes and food storage containers will melt when exposed to boiling hot water. Plastic cups are also prone to melting and should be hand washed instead.