We love our dishwashers, don’t we! From their humble beginnings in the 1800s to the energy-efficient wonders of today, dishwashers have to be one of the best kitchen inventions ever. Most modern dishwashers feature a sanitizing feature, so dishwashers not only get dishes clean but they also remove germs. As long as you keep it clean and maintained, your dishwasher can save time, get dishes cleaner, and even save money.
Did you know that an Energy Star-certified dishwasher can use as little as 3 gallons per load? Compare that to the average of 27 gallons of water we use to wash dishes in the sink, and it’s easy to see how dishwashers can be much more efficient. If saving time and money isn’t enough to convince you that dishwashers are the ultimate kitchen appliance, let’s talk sanitation.
It takes water temperatures of 140 degrees and above to sanitize. Instead of cranking up your water heater temperature, the safest and most efficient way to sanitize is by using your dishwasher’s sanitize setting. Your dishwasher is the ideal solution for washing and disinfecting dishes, but there are also many unique things you can clean in a dishwasher.
Dishwashers Can Clean More Than Dishes
The time and energy a dishwasher can save compared to hand washing and the eco-friendly efficiency should be more than enough to make dishwashers a must-have. But did you know you can clean more than dishes in your dishwasher (and sanitize them too)?
From baby toys to boots (yes, boots!), dishwashers are ideal for cleaning and disinfecting many things in your home. When using the sanitizer setting, place plastic and rubber items on the top rack to avoid damaging them. You’ll want to skip the dry heat setting for the same reason.
Bathroom Items
Bathrooms are often warm and damp, the perfect breeding ground for mold, viruses, and bacteria. That breeding ground means your shower caddies, soap dishes, toothbrushes, toothbrush holders, and everything else in your bathroom can be covered with germs. The easiest way to fight mildew and germs is to regularly clean and sanitize small bathroom items in your dishwasher.
Kitchen Items
If you haven’t cleaned your exhaust filters and covers in a while, you’re not alone—but now you have no excuse. Most filters and other parts of the exhaust are washable, and you can get them clean again in your dishwasher.
Other kitchen items that are easy to sanitize and clean include:
- Sponges
- Scrubbers
- Brushes
- Other kitchen cleaning tools
Your dishwasher can also help out getting your whole kitchen clean. Microwave turntables, refrigerator bins, and even cabinet and drawer hardware are most often washable. Throw them in the dishwasher and make kitchen cleanup even easier. As a bonus, you can even sanitize that germ-laden hardware while you get it clean.
Baby Items
Imagine having cleaner toys and other baby items for your baby all the time. You can use your dishwasher to clean and sanitize all kinds of small baby items, which is especially handy for minimizing the spread of germs. As long as the items are washable, you’re good to go. Pacifiers, teethers, and toys harbor a lot of dirt and germs, but your dishwasher can get them clean and healthy.
Just be sure to use a non toxic dishwasher detergent to avoid any harmful chemicals coming into contact with your baby’s items. It is best to opt for a natural and eco-friendly option when cleaning items for your little ones.
Pet Toys
Baby toys get their share of abuse and dirt, but pet toys can be much worse. Your pets’ washable toys and other items are easy to keep clean and healthy when you let your dishwasher handle the work. You can wash and sanitize most food and water bowls, plastic and rubber toys, and even synthetic collars and leashes. If you want to keep your pets healthy and happy, count on your hardworking dishwasher.
Personal Items
Unfortunately, many of us don’t think much about cleaning our hairbrushes, combs, and other personal grooming items. But if you think about it, brushes and combs get dirty with dead skin, oils, and other stuff we probably don’t want in our hair! If that grosses you out, instead of rushing to the sink to get them clean, just throw them in the dishwasher.
As long as the items are plastic, you can clean and sanitize all kinds of personal items on the top rack. Just like hairbrushes, facial scrub brushes, manicure and pedicure tools, and other items you use on your skin get pretty dirty too. In addition to dirt and germs, these items can also harbor fungi. Keep those nasties off your skin by washing and sanitizing your personal hygiene tools in the dishwasher.
Outdoor Items
Your dishwasher’s cleaning and sanitizing abilities aren’t limited to inside your home. In the sanitized setting, your dishwasher can eliminate germs, dirt, fungi, and dirty residue on tools and other garden items. If the tools have plastic handles, you can put them in the dishwasher. The same goes for flower pots. Plastic and terra cotta planters can look new again and minimize plant diseases.
Instead of scrubbing those greasy grill grates by hand, try following this cleaning method:
- Rinse them off and put them in the dishwasher on the hottest setting.
- Turn down the temperature, and you can clean rubber flip-flops, garden clogs, and rubber boots.
- Rinse off the excess dirt and put them sole-side up, and let the dishwasher rinse away dirt and grime.
Other Items You Can Wash in The Dishwasher
Most vases and decorative pottery pieces are dishwasher-safe, but skip ones with metal trim or delicate embellishments. To brighten things up, take down your glass globes and light fixtures and run them through the dishwasher for crystal-clear shine. You can even clean and sanitize switch plates and outlet covers in your dishwasher. These notoriously hard-to-keep clean and germ-harboring items will come out of your dishwasher looking like new.
Things You Shouldn’t Put in Your Dishwasher
It’s incredible how many different things you can clean and sanitize in your dishwasher, but even this cleaning wonder has its limitations. Some things weren’t meant to be washed in a dishwasher, including crystal, brass, copper, gold-trimmed china, and delicate items. You’ll want to skip washing anything made with wood, such as utensils, cutting boards, and tools. The heat and excess water from a dishwasher can ruin wood quickly and promote mold growth.
Who knew the dishwasher could be such a multi-tasker! Make housekeeping easier when you put your dishwasher to work cleaning dishes, toothbrushes, and, yes, even your boots.
