We’ve talked about the more tedious house chores — like washing your window screens — but doing the dishes is a whole other ballgame. Some people love it (please don’t judge me) while the majority of people would rather have them be done with as soon as they’re dirty. Enter the wonderful dishwasher: giving us our life back one dirty dish at a time.
Having one in the home is certainly nice, but there are some dishes you really shouldn’t be sticking in there. Contrary to popular belief, there are lots of different items you really need to tackle by hand.
Wooden Items
When you’re finished with your cutting boards or wooden spoons why wouldn’t you place them into the dishwasher? Well, mainly heat will warp your wood which is why you should be washing them off by hand. Not to mention, the cycle may also cause splinting, which may lead to breakage.
Certain Knives
Wait, what? You’ve been putting knives in your dishwasher this whole time and there never seems to be an issue. Well, aside from the classic butter knives, heavy duty knives will eventually lose their sharpness in the dishwasher. You should really tend to your paring, serrated, and chef’s knives by hand.
Cast Iron Cookware
This is definitely one of those items that will need a little TLC in the cleaning process. Cast iron items will surely lose their non-stick elements in the dishwasher and may even rust under all that water.
Non-Stick Cookware
Similarly, non-stick cookware needs to avoid the dishwasher as well. Just like the heavy cycle can cause cast iron items to lose their non-stick properties, the same is true of cookware whose only property is being non-stick. You’ll need to check to see which non-stick item is dishwasher safe before tossing it in there.
Fine Crystal
For many people, washing crystal by hand is a no-brainer because no one wants to see their precious dinnerware destroyed. At least by hand, you can keep an eye on anything and handle it with more delicacy, which is what you should be aiming for anyway. Crystal can become cloudy or even chip in the dishwasher, so avoid putting anything crystal in there.
Jars With Labels
We all like to find another use for our jars once we’re done with them. Before you give your containers a second life, remove the stickers or labels and then place them in the dishwasher. If you leave them as is then the sticker could come off and clog the dishwasher, which is bad news for every dish inside.
Precious China
Just like with fine crystal, fine china should avoid going into the dishwasher as well. We’re already super careful when it comes to these items lest something terrible happen and china can undergo a lot of negative treatment in the dishwasher. Items may chip or even lose their patterns under such heavy cycles.
Plastic Items
Plastic is bound to make it into the home, especially if you have little ones running around. But it’s really best to actually tackle plastic dinnerware by hand because the heat of a dishwasher can cause plastic to warp or even melt. It might cross your mind once the dishwasher door is closed, but the water running through has the power to do some damage. Some plastic items may also become susceptible to wear and tear in the dishwasher.
Copper Items
We all know how expensive copper can be, which is why it’s so important to handle them with care when washing. Placing copper dinner or cookware into the dishwasher will almost guarantee that the finish will dull and the color will fade.
Cheese Graters
Here is another item that probably never seemed like something we needed to handle with care. However, cheese graters really should be washed by hand. The simple reason why is that cheese graters need to be meticulously cleaned in between the grooves to remove any lingering food. Dishwashers don’t really have it in them to blast all the food particles away.
Printed Items
How many times have you placed a really cool glass or a measuring cup into the dishwasher only to pull it out and see that the print was gone? Well, this is exactly why they should avoid the dishwasher. Any printed dinnerware needs to be handled by hand unless you want those neat or helpful designs to lift right off.
Dishwashers are our best friends sometimes, but there are some things we need to just handle on our own. These delicate items shouldn’t really see the inside of the dishwasher and washing them by hand is sure to give them a longer life.
