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Lost potential is a sad reality, and one such equipment that continually fails potential is the dishwasher. Well, it’s time for a change.
A dishwasher has quite a simple mechanism- to spin things with water and detergent vigorously to clean them up with the pressure. While it was made specifically for cleaning utensils and cutlery, you might be surprised to know how much more it can do. (Buy a good quality dishwasher)
So check out these uses of your hardly-used dishwasher and let it help you make your life a bit easier.
50+ Surprising Things You Can Clean In Dishwasher
1. Cleaning Kids Plastic Toys
Do you realize how many bacteria and germs your kid’s Lego blocks or Nerf guns contain? You can’t stop them from having a taste of it now and then. Well, you can get rid of all that by running your kid’s toys through the dishwasher efficiently.
2. Baseball Hats
Baseball hats can start stinking after a good match. Putting them in the washing machine can ruin its shape. Use the dishwasher instead and place the cap on top of its rack. It will remain in form and will pleasantly as your soap does
3. Clean Pet’s Chew Toys
Taking care of pets is no less than raising a kid, especially if you have a dog who tries to bite everything. Chew toys can transfer a host of germs into your dog and make him sick. Just give it a little run in the dishwasher now and then to keep it hygienic.
4. Clean Greasy Car Parts
Road grime and dirt sticking on your rims, wheel covers and hubcaps can be so messy to remove. You don’t want to ruin your latest manicure but need to clean the tires. Run the wheel covers and caps in the pot and pan cycle of the dishwasher to make them shiny without fuss.
5. Clean The Dustpan
The dustpan is a cleaning warrior around the house and can get seriously dirty and stinky. Instead of scrubbing it with hands, put it in your dishwasher and eliminate the germs coming from the smelly dust it collects.
6. Eliminate Germs From Toothbrush
Toothbrushes can be home to a host of germs, viruses, and bacteria coming from the air as well as your mouth. It’s wise to clean them with hot water every day, but you can also put it in the dishwasher for a quick cleanup and ensure complete hygiene for your gums and mouth.
7. Rescue A Drowned Keyboard
Well, it might seem like a rarity, but we all have spilled that coffee or booze while working on the computer at least once. If that does happen, you won’t find too many ways to rescue your keyboard. You can put it in the dishwasher’s top rack but avoid using the dry cycle and soap. Let it air dry and check it after a week or so.
8. Strained Dishes
A lot of bachelor’s and singles prefer to hand wash their couple of dishes. In such a case, you can use the dishwasher as a storage space as well as dry your plates off the excess water. Add a bit of baking soda now and then to make it smelling fresh.
9. Clean Canvas Shoes
It’s always a challenge to wash canvas sneakers, and rubber flip flops. Hand washing is too tricky and time taking while canvas cleaners are expensive. You can instead put the shoes and slippers in the dishwasher after turning off the dry cycle. Don’t forget to remove liners and inserts before washing the shoes.
10. Clean Showerheads
The showerhead can retain a lot of slippery scum over time and takes a while to clean. You can instead deep clean them in the dishwasher to make them shine like new.
11. Clean Soap Dishes and Toothbrush Holders
The little accessories and storage spaces in the bathroom can get pale and disgusting if you leave them unclean. Instead of spending time scrubbing each small attachment, wash all the holders and dishes in the dishwasher.
12. Clean Vacuum Attachments
Vacuum cleaners become less effective when their attachments are dirt and dust-ridden. Fight this issue by using the multi-purpose cleaner device, dishwasher. Let the accessories go for a spin and sanitize so that it sanitizes your room effectively afterward.
13. Clean Garden Tools
You can clean modern garden tools having plastic and metal handles easily in the dishwasher. You shouldn’t put in wooden handle items to clean in the dishwasher, though.
14. Glass Light Fixture Covers
The top rack of the vacuum cleaner has space for many fragile utensils and equipment, and a glass light fixture cover is one of them. Don’t put in antique or painted items whose paint might be ruined inside the dishwasher.
15. Clean Switch Plates and Covers
Wo touch switch plates every day but rarely remember to clean them up. Of course, you can’t use much over the item. And it can straightaway ruin your decor’s shine. Just unscrew the covers and put them in the dishwasher to get rid of the grime and dirt. Let them dry before placing them back for safety.
16. Dog Collar
Your dog deserves as much attention on hygiene as your kid. Don’t let him wear a dirty dog collar for long and clean it up on the top rack of the dishwasher easily.
17. Clean Oven Knobs
We expose oven knobs to all kinds of greasy ingredients that can leave them dirtier than you’d want for them just to wipe. Put the knobs in your silverware caddy and give them an excellent cleanup ride. You shouldn’t use brass knobs, although any ceramic and metal are fine to use.
18. Clean Refridgerator Racks and Shelves
Depending upon the size of your dishwasher and fridge, you can see if you can clean the latter with the former. It can clean away the stubborn stains and give them a fresh smell fairly quickly without bending down scrubbing much.
19. Clean Hairbrushes and Combs
Another couple of things that we regularly use but forget to clean- combs and hairbrushes. You can put all your makeup brushes, combs, and hairbrushes in your dishwasher. But as with other items, you should avoid putting in wooden or other natural elements. We also recommend cleaning the hair first from them, so it doesn’t stick to the dishes.
20. Clean Potatoes
Potatoes live in the dirt and attract a lot of it. Since we use it so much, most of us stock up large amounts of it. Put your stock of potatoes in a rinse and hold cycle and keep it in the storage space. You don’t need to hand wash your potatoes anymore.
21. Clean AC Vents
Dishwashers are more about saving time than cleaning things the most effective way. Save some time you spend on cleaning each grate of the AC vent by putting it in the dishwasher. Your vent will give away fresher air with all the dirt eliminated.
22. Window Screens
Window screens shield our house from the dirt and light by taking a lot of it themselves. Cleaning them is a tough task because they get too dirty and require a lot of wiping. If you can fit your screen in the dishwasher, do it now.
23. Clean Dish Sponges
We use dish sponges to make our utensils hygienic, but these sponges are susceptible to mold and germs. You can quickly put them in the dishwasher on the heated dry setting whenever you see mold or bacteria developing.
24. Light Bulbs Or LEDs
Changing a light bulb or shifting to another room while painting makes us remember how dirty they can get. Don’t make your hands filthy and keep them carefully in the dishwasher rack for a quick cleanup.
25. Car Cup Holders
Just like your typical utensil cups, you can wash the car cup holders by attaching them with other cups. It’s also useful if you have spilled your drink last night and need a quick cleanup.
26. Phone Cases
Silicone and plastic cases attract so much dirt and dust that they turn from transparent to brownish-yellow in months. Give them a quick cleanup in the dishwasher, but be careful with covers having multiple layering or ornaments.
27. Mixer Attachments
The Mixer contains so many attachments that washing them with hands can take a long time. You can’t leave them dirty either as it’s the food we’re talking about. Separate all the enchantments and put them carefully in the dishwasher rack and clean them with other utensils.
28. Microwave Turntable
The greasy turntables in the microwave can spoil the taste of the cake you worked so hard for. To fix it, you just have to remove the attachment and wash it like a regular steel plate in the dishwasher.
29. Mouthguards And Baby Teethers
Babies throw away and make their teethers dirty all the time. You can’t expose them to any germs and so need to clean it now and then. Put the mouthguards in the silverware caddy, so it remains in place and let it kill all the germs.
30. Grill Grates
Yes, cleaning grill grates after every barbecue is necessary, but the sticky oil and coal burns also require an occasional deep clean. Don’t forget to cool the grates and scrape residues before putting them in the dishwasher.
31. Rubber Bath Mats
Bath mats endure a lot of scum and can look filthy if left that way. Don’t procrastinate anymore and weave the cloth around the vertical pegs of the dishwasher. Rinse any excess water afterward.
32. Pot Holders and Oven mitts
Many of us didn’t know it, but the dishwasher is highly effective in cleaning silicone products. Spin your silicone oven mitts and potholders in a dish wash and save yourself some energy to look jubilant at the date night.
33. Workout Gloves
If you are a hardcore bodybuilding enthusiast like me or love to shed to increase your deadlift goals every week, you’d know how stinky your workout gloves can become. Remove the smell of steel and sweat by placing them on the top rack. Try to keep it upright for the best exposure.
34. Plastic Decor Flowers
Faux flowers are an excellent replacement for natural flowers whom you have to replace every day. But no one likes to see dirty flowers. Eliminate the dust by placing them on the top rack of the dishwasher with your daily utensils.
35. Manicure and Pedicure Tools
Manucure is as much about feeling good about yourself as it is about cleanliness. You want your clippers, metal nail files, and other such tools to be shining all the time. Put them in the silverware caddy of the dishwasher for a quick spin.
36. Pet Bowls
We know it’s tough to care for your pet and yourself with your everyday job. Save yourself some cleaning tasks by putting your pet’s food bowl in the dishwasher like other utensils.
37. Detailed Cabinets
Intricately detailed cabinets are a joy to watch, but it can be quite a task to clean them up. If they are dishwasher friendly or ceramic, you just need to remove the hardware and put them in the dishwasher.
38. Clean Sink Strainers
Do you feel disgusted cleaning things as messy as the sink strainer? Let the dishwasher handle the task hands-free and more effectively.
39. Kitchen Exhaust Fans
Exhaust fans can attract a layer of grime thicker than your arms in months. Let the dishwasher do the dirty work and save your manicured nails of the effort.
40. Keys
Keys can contain a ton of germs and viruses; it’s essential to clean them now and then. Put then in the silverware caddy, but of course, you should avoid the electric car ones.
41. Mop Buckets
The mops can have a thick layer of grime as a residual matter at the bottom. Your cleaning warrior can’t be dirty. Place it on the dishwasher and let the mop make your floor cleaner.
42. Ziploc Bags
Take your Ziploc bags for a trip to the dishwasher and give their interiors a proper cleanup. Don’t forget to spread it over the prongs to let the water get in.
43. Bathroom Wastebaskets
These baskets can get too dirty over time, especially when you have multiple people at home. Remove the top rack and place them in the dishwasher a quick cleanup.
44. Acrylic Light Fixture Globes
These delicate items can also be cleaned with a dishwasher, albeit without the dry cycle. Just put them in the delicate cycle, and you’re good to go.
45. Parts Of The Fan
The fan blades and other plastic attachments need some dusting and wiping every month or so. You can give them a deep clean for fresher air by putting the parts separately in a dishwasher.
46. Golf Balls
These balls are probably as expensive as the football ones, so you want to make them last. Put it in the dishwasher for cleaning the dirt, but avoid washing it with other utensils that it might break.
47. Spice Containers
Spices have a strong exotic fragrance and essential oils that a dirty container can contaminate. Give the container a quick cleanup now and then by running them through a regular cycle.
48. Pet Door Flap
Easily ignorable spaces in the home include pet door flaps. Keep your dog free of germs by washing the flap in the dishwasher to make it hygienic.
49. Art Accessories
Clean plastic and glass mixing cups, rinsing jars, and empty paint bottles quickly in a dishwasher. It saves a lot of energy, which you can focus on to create a piece of art instead of now. You should scrape off large chunks of dried paints that can stick all over the dishwasher, though.
50. Figurines
Your figurines of Alexander the great or Marilyn will feel disrespected if you don’t clean them regularly. Don’t work too hard, and put them in the dishwasher. You might want to avoid the delicate ones that might break.
51. Tools
Everyday tools like screwdrivers and wrenches can get greasy and less effective over time. Clean them regularly on the hottest cycle with your regular detergent and eliminate the grime.
52. Coffee Maker
Coffee lovers will know how the quality of coffee deteriorates on a dirty coffee maker. Don’t work yourself and just place it upside down in the dishwasher to regain its old glory. Let it dry and brew another of your favorite cup.
53. Contact Lens Cases
You can’t compromise on the cleanliness of products that contact your eyes. It’s quite easy, too, when you can put the case in the silverware caddy and sanitize them thoroughly.
All these uses and you were just using your dishwasher for cleaning just utensils? Well, it’s time to use your hands less and that machine more. Moreover, it’s not an exhaustive list, so you might find even more uses of it if you experiment a little.