Is anyone out there really a fan of washing dishes by hand? Sure, there might be a few people who find it therapeutic to stand over a steaming sink of hot sudsy water and scrub the aftermath of a family dinner, but I’ll admit that I’m definitely not one of them. And if you’re like me, you’d much rather load up the dishwasher and let it do the work for you.
It’s a great option to have, right? But there’s a catch — not everything is dishwasher safe!
You’re probably aware of this to some degree. You might have even had an experience with putting something that wasn’t dishwasher safe through a cycle, only to open up the door later to find that whatever it was got completely ruined by the hot water or detergent. Maybe it was an antique hand-painted serving dish that got stripped of its paint. Maybe it was a plastic storage container that got completely melted and reshaped. Whatever it was, once was enough. You’re not making that mistake again.
At least…you hope you never make that mistake again. The thing is, a dishwasher can be a pretty tricky beast in the 21st century when we assume that most kitchen items are made to be cleaned this way. You might even notice “Dishwasher safe” logos on the underside of your plates, cups, or even pots and pans.
There’s only one problem: Strictly speaking, there’s really no industry standard for “dishwasher safe” among dishwasher manufacturers (or dish manufacturers, for that matter). Instead, this loose, nonspecific phrase usually describes something that’s able to withstand the high heat of the water and the specific detergents made for dishwashers. Use this as a generally reliable guideline.
This, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that anything without a “Dishwasher safe” logo will get destroyed by a high-power wash cycle. So how can you know for sure?
In general, there are some items that you should never put in your dishwasher. Anything that’s old and delicate is best washed with a gentle sponge and dish soap in lukewarm water.
Other items you should definitely NOT put in the dishwasher include:
Anything with a hand-painted design or metal rims. These elements can easily be worn off by the strength of a dishwasher’s cycle. Even if you’re lucky enough to have Grandma’s gold-embossed china survive one wash cycle, repeated washes might start to wear away at it.
Thin, flimsy plastic, such as inexpensive (i.e. cheap) storage containers. High-quality brands like Tupperware and Rubbermaid will usually fare well on the top rack of the dishwasher (where the water is not as hot), but the knock-off brand you got from the dollar store might melt under the high temps of dishwasher water.
Crystal or delicate glassware. These stand a chance of breaking or being cracked by the high pressure of the water. Sturdier glass, such as the kind used to make water glasses, has been manufactured in specific ways. It’s either been annealed (cooled slowly during production) or tempered (processed to make it resilient).
Pots and pans made from cast iron or with nonstick coating. These can be stripped down or destroyed by the dishwasher.
Sharp kitchen knives. Unfortunately, these will be dulled by the wash cycle, or even nicked if they are knocked into anything.
Silver and aluminum. Both metals will become discolored. It’s best to wash genuine silverware and aluminum cooking sheets by hand.
Insulated drinkware. Your travel mug that keeps your coffee warm or your bottle that keeps your water cold won’t stand up in the dishwasher. The insulation element could get destroyed, meaning that special drinkware will no longer do its thing as efficiently.
Wood, such as salad bowls or cutting boards. Wood must be washed by hand, as it can absorb hot water and ultimately swell and warp. In some circumstances, it will even crack.
Other than that? Well, you’re probably safe. Items you can safely trust to survive a cycle in the dishwasher include:
Everyday ceramic plates, bowls, mugs, and other dishes
Hard plastic storage containers
Stainless steel flatware or cooking utensils (spatulas, tongs, ladles, slotted spoons, etc.)
Drinking glasses and glass baking dishes
Baking dishes made from silicone or stoneware
Even with a thorough lists of what is and is not dishwasher safe, you’ll likely come upon a dish at some point that doesn’t neatly fit into any of these categories, and it doesn’t have a label on the back that designates it one way or another. For example, let’s say it’s a metal cake pan (but you can’t tell whether it’s stainless steel or aluminum, and unfortunately, you already peeled the sales sticker off and threw it away). While running it through a cycle likely won’t cause any damage to your dishwasher or any of the other dishes in that load, it could ultimately leave your cake pan a little worse for the wear. Best to avoid catastrophe all together and wash by hand whenever you’re in doubt.