11 Surprising Uses of Your Dishwasher

Posted on 09/09/2015

Things You Can Put in the Dishwasher

Owning a dishwasher can certainly make your life easier. Instead of spending hours every week hand washing every plate, glass, and piece of silverware you use in your home, you can just place it all in the machine and let it do its job without you having to move a finger. Just set the appropriate program and worry not about the rest. 

There are actually more items from around your home that you can clean in the dishwasher than just dishes and kitchen inventory. When it comes to the cleaning service your dishwasher can perform, there are additional uses that you might have never considered before:

- Shoes - you can easily wash certain types of shoes in the dishwasher. Follow the general rule: if you can wear the shoes in rain, you can easily put them in the dishwasher for some quick cleaning service. Typical shoes that can be washed that way include flip-flops, rubber boots and pool shoes. Remember to remove the liners and any inserts you might be using with your boots. These can be damaged by water.

- Toys - you can easily wash your children’s (and your pet’s) toys in the dishwasher. It doesn’t matter if they are metal or plastic, one thing is for certain: one cycle in the dishwasher is enough to make them look as good as new. Place toys in the cutlery section, or in a mesh bag to ensure they don’t get displaced during the cycle. Speaking of pets, you can also include their dish inventory to the load. If that bothers you, run it separately.

- Window screens - if you are up for some window cleaning, you will have to take care of those dirty screens. Instead of wondering how to approach the problem, place them in the dishwasher and let the machine solve it. As long as they fit inside, window screens can be washed that way without any problem at all. Welcome the sun through clean screens and enjoy!

- Vacuum attachments - if you have a dishwasher and you have never used it to wash your vacuum attachments, you have missed a great opportunity. Whether or not vacuum attachments need some cleaning is out of the question - of course they do! You don’t imagine that remain miraculously clean, when you have been using them to collect all sort of nasty spoils from the ground, do you?

- Sponge and scrub brushes - they make excellent place for bacteria and mould build-up. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about this if you introduce brushes and sponges to a cleaning service in the dishwasher every now and then.

- Makeup brushes - if you have colour remnants on your makeup brushes, removing it should be your number one priority, if you don’t want to compromise the results of your efforts. You can add all of your brushes to the cutlery holder once every month to ensure that they are in top quality and will serve their purpose perfectly.

- Baseball caps - everyone has had at least one accident with baseball caps in the washing machine. It’s fabric, so it should be cleaned in the washing machine, right? Wrong! Caps can easily get bent and damaged there. Placing them for a cleaning service in the dishwasher doesn’t pose such risk. They will hold their shape and come out clean and looking great. Just remember to never wash them with dishes, as food particles can easily remain in the cloth.

- Light fixture covers - you wash glasses and various containers made of glass. So why not place your light fixtures in there as well? Glass and plastic fixtures will come out looking refreshed, without any trace of dust and other spoils. Just put the dishwasher on gentle cycle and wait for it to do its job.

- Root vegetables and potatoes - lots of produce from the garden can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher. Run the vegetables through a short cycle without using any soap. All of the dirt and spoils covering those veggies will be gone after one cycle.

- Sport equipment - if your sport activity is taking its toll on your guards, helmets and other tools that you use, it is a good idea to consider some cleaning service in the dishwasher. Not only will it come out clean, but also sanitised and deodorised.

- Cabinet hardware - it is a good idea to clean the pulls and knobs of your cabinets from time to time, as bacteria and spoils can easily accumulate there. If you want to see them looking as good as new, you can place them in the cutlery tray or a mesh bag and give them a thorough cleaning in your dishwasher.

Keep in mind these unexpected uses of your dishwasher. The next time you have to clean any of these items, remember to try out the dishwasher as an alternative to any other method. Chances are you will be pleasantly surprised by the result and never again think of cleaning them any other way.