Things You Didn't Know You Could Put in Your Dishwasher
Let Your Dishwasher do Double-Duty by Cleaning These Dirty and Forgotten Household Items!
Did you know that the dishwasher in your home is probably one of the most energy-efficient and best cleaning devices you have? There are a lot of things
in your home that can be hard to clean that you can put right in your dishwasher!
Kitchen Sponge
There are many items that live right in your kitchen, near your dishwasher, but I bet you never thought about putting them in. The first item on the
list is the cleaning or scouring sponge that you use to clean everything in the kitchen. The sponge is a breeding ground for bacteria, including E. Coli
and salmonella, and as much as it cleans everything else, it also could use a cleaning from time to time. Let your dishwasher do the hard work for you and
throw it right in with your dishes to get it perfectly clean and sanitized.
Sink Strainer
Everything that flows down through your sink goes through the strainer first. What is the best way to clean this grimy and often forgotten item? The
dishwasher. The strainer often has little nooks and crannies where dirt buildups and can be hard to clean. Throw out that old dirty toothbrush, and just
place your strainer in the dishwasher.
Ball Cap
Another item that's great to wash in your dishwasher is a ball cap. Everybody knows how dirty the inside headband gets and how discolored it can become.
The dishwasher is the perfect alternative to the washer. Putting your ball cap in the washer runs you the risk of the hat losing its structure due to the
washer’s agitation, making the dishwasher the perfect alternative. Place it in the top rack, on a light, short wash, and it will come out perfectly clean!
Footwear
Another great item to put in your dishwasher is footwear. If you have something similar to crocks and they need a good cleaning, give your dishwasher
a try. Just flip them over, place them on the top rack, run them through a short cycle, and they should be as good as new.
Pet Items
Another couple of things on our list are some of your pet items, which can also go on the often forgotten about list. With the amount of dirt and grime
that these items can pick up from normal use, the easiest way to clean them and get good results is by putting them in the dishwasher. This includes
anything from food dishes, toys, and leashes.
Showerhead
Another often forgotten item in your home that makes a perfect candidate for the dishwasher is the showerhead. Whether it's just dirty and grimy or
perhaps some of the spray nozzles aren’t working properly due to buildup, the dishwasher should do a good job of getting it nice and clean. Put it in your
dishwasher, run a recycle, and it'll be back to new.
Kids Toys
Another item that works well in the dishwasher is kids' toys, plastic blocks, letters, marbles, and lego. They get handled with sticky hands and often
live on the dirty floor, so while they may not look dirty, they are certainly an item that could use a good cleaning from time to time. Simply put them
in a mesh bag, place them in the dishwasher, and they'll come out nice and clean.
Light Switch Covers
Another item in your home that's touched very frequently, that's bound to have dirt, grime and germs are light switch covers or outlet covers. Often
you can just wipe them, but if you really want to get them clean, take out a couple of screws, put them in your dishwasher, and they'll be sanitized with
little effort.
Hand Tools
Finally, you can't forget the items in the workshop. Mechanic's hand tools, wrenches, screwdrivers, and putty knives can get quite dirty and dusty,
especially the handles. If you want to get them clean and sanitized, put them in the dishwasher.
That concludes our list of dishwasher-friendly items, but there are many more. Check out our video and let us know in the comments if you can think of
other items to add to the list! For more tips and tricks for around the home be sure to subscribe to the Fix YouTube channel.
