The dishwasher is one of our favorite time-saving kitchen appliances. As well as hygienically cleaning and drying while you relax, it also keeps the sink and countertops clear of stacks of dirty dishes.
But did you know you can use your dishwasher for so much more than just kitchenware? Read on to see a host of items you can clean and sanitize easily and change the way you see your dishwasher!
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Some of our favorite dishwasher accessories
Dishwasher Net
Dishwasher Basket Set
Want to shop all our cleaning & organization supply picks in one place? Check out our dedicated shopping page, full of all our best finds from the interwebs!
- Plastic Toys
I first tried this myself when I bought some second-hand action figures from eBay. Anything from Lego and plastic playsets to toddlers’ teethers and chewables are safe to clean in the dishwasher.Be careful with anything that has stickers or a painted design as that may come off. Also, as with other delicate items, I normally load them into the top shelf of the dishwasher. However, this is a great way to kill germs on kids’ toys. It’s also great if you want to clean preloved toys that you’re getting ready to sell.
- House Keys
Now, even I don’t make a habit of cleaning my house keys. But when you think about how often we use them, the places they are just thrown down, the drinks that are spilled on them and all the surfaces they’re exposed to every day…well, you get the idea.Make sure to dry them off thoroughly afterward so they don’t collect moisture and start to rust. You might even find that frustratingly stiff lock has been the result of your gunked up keys all along.
- Nail scissors and clippers
An item that we use all the time for personal grooming and maintaining our appearance but never clean – infected nails, however, are never good a good look! Hygienically sanitize your metal nail implements, be sure that they are thoroughly dry afterward so they don’t rust. - Dish brushes
Although in theory the cleanest part of the kitchen, the area around your sink is actually more likely to be one of the most germ-filled parts of your home. Dish brushes can pick up a lot of nasties when sitting by the sink all day and most people seldom replace theirs as often as they should, so it makes sense to throw it in with the dishes whenever you have space. - Small trash bins
This is one of my personal favorites, having small white plastic bins around the house (which seemed like a good idea at the time!) I don’t like to use plastic bags to line them because they mostly collect waste paper and dry, non-messy trash.The downside is that my impractical white waste bins get grey and dirty easily. I normally put them in every few months when I’m about to have a spring clean (and generally before I clean the dishwasher) and they come out as good as new.
- Baseball caps
And any other clothing that’s washable but can’t get bent. I put these on the top rack on a medium – to low-temperature wash (and of course, I never put them in with the dishes). - Fridge shelves and racks
Ah the refrigerator, it takes at least an hour to clean, then just minutes to get dirty again. I think this is why I truly loathe cleaning out my fridge. Using the dishwasher makes the job a little bit easier as once I’ve emptied the food, I put all of the removable shelves and racks into the dishwasher for a short cycle while I clean out the inside. Another way the dishwasher helps with some of the most tedious cleaning jobs.
More of our picks for must have dishwasher accessories
Silicone Bottle Brush
Baby Bottle Holder
Dishwasher Bag
