- Box graters
Some may specifically say dishwasher safe, but generally, your box grater will last longer if you don’t routinely put it in the dishwasher. A baby toothbrush is great for cleaning the blades of these by hand in the sink. - Hand Blender mini-food processor lids
We love space-saving kitchen gadgets that can fulfill a variety of needs. Unfortunately, though, most of these little guys’ lids can’t go into the dishwasher with the other accessories as they contain electrical parts. - Decorative etched dinnerware and fine china
This one goes without saying right? We know you weren’t really going to risk heirloom bone china in the dishwasher. - Travel mugs and vacuum flasks
Love taking your coffee into work? Keep that vacuum seal in one piece by avoiding washing in the dishwasher.Dishwashers can break the vacuum seal on an insulated mug. The vacuum seal between the inner and outer shell is what keeps your drink at the right temperature, and it can be breached when put through the dishwasher.
Aside from filling the vacuum with water for an annoying sloshing sound, this will ruin the mug’s ability to retain heat.
If you are desperate for a thermos that CAN be placed into a dishwasher this one is pricey but suitable:
- Sharp knives
We have to hold our hands up and admit to being guilty of this from time to time.It’s soooooo easy to just put your sharp knives in with the rest of the dishes when you’ve cooked a big meal and you’re feeling lazy. Plus it stops you from hurting yourself while hand washing them.
Even if you have a sharpener to polish up the edge afterward, however, you can still do damage and cause rust patches to the flat of the blade so try to avoid it. We found this product a couple of years ago and it works great.
- Cleaning tools like vacuum cleaner attachments
This is another item on lists of things you can put into the dishwasher, but we would advise caution as, the dust, dirt, and hair they pick up is probably not something you want in your dishwasher – especially if you or your family have allergies.If the attachment is a brush then we definitely wouldn’t recommend it as the hair and bristles could fall out. Plus, if the attachments were to get warped or broken then they might be expensive or hard to replace.
- Shoes
Leather shoes should not be put through a dishwasher at all as the material will warp but technically, plastic shoes like flip flops and rain boots can go in.Some sneakers may also be ok if placed on the top shelf, but we wouldn’t put any outdoor shoes into your dishwasher for health reasons.
Think of the gunk you walk through in the street all day, and then imagine putting that into the appliance where you clean your plates, euwww!
- Items with sticker labels
If you put something with a sticky label into your dishwasher, chances are it will probably come off – something to bear in mind if you’re using it to clean kids’ toys.If it’s an item where you don’t mind if the label comes away, like a jar to be recycled, then I’ll try to remove most of it first by soaking in some hot water and scraping it so that it doesn’t block the dishwasher filter.
Ready to show your dishwasher some love? See our guide to cleaning your dishwasher with just vinegar!
Some of our favorite dishwasher accessories
Dishwasher Net
Dishwasher Basket Set
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