What you can usually wash safely in your dishwasher.
And what you can’t.
Usually
Safe
Material
Exceptions (not safe)
Special Instructions
Some
darkening or
possible. Remove by
scouring with soap-filled steel wool
Aluminum
YES
Some colored anodized aluminum can
Antique, metal-trimmed, hand-painted
or over-the-glaze patterns
Gold
leaf will discolor.
in doubt,
with the
or test wash
one piece daily
at
a month. Compare with the
rest the set,
Load securely to prevent movement. Check
manufacturer’s instructions
your
YES
Crystal
Antique. metal-trimmed or
painted patterns
Gold
will
discolor.
YES
items—such as
electronic air cleaner
filters, furnace filters,
paint brushes, etc.
NO
Do not wash in
Damage dishwasher and
discoloration or
dishwasher
result.
Milk Glass
yellow.
Iron will rust.
Iron
NO
Pewter
NO
Pewter tarnishes.
Plastics
YES
YES
it doesn’t say DISHWASHER SAFE, test
piece in
the top rack
entire
Wash in
top rack only.
Stainless steel
Rinse not washing immediately. Salty or acid foods
can stain if left on.
Sterling
Silver
and Silver plate
Don’t put in same
basket
with stainless steel. Contact between
metals can damage silver. Don’t wash
copper utensils in the same load. Silver
may
a brown film. Adhesive used
to
some hollow-handle knives
can loosen.
Rinse if not washing immediately, Salty or acid
can stain if left on. Dry detergent can
remove black
Place in back section silverware
basket to avoid exposure to detergent from the detergent
cup.
Non-stick
coatings
YES
N()
washing, wipe the rim-stick coating area with
vegetable
to keep it from losing its
quality.
Tin
Tin
rust
Wood
N()
Wood can warp,
or
its
finish with any type of washing,
a dish? Here’s
However, opening the door during
2.
seconds
until
any cycle lessens cleaning power
water
Then open the door.
when you can add it.
Add dishes
time during the
RINSE & HOLD cycle. With
because the temperature inside the
dishwasher is lowered. So
to
Add dishes you’ve forgotten.
load everything at the
4. Close the door and
the
other wash cycles, you can add
dishes at any time BEFORE the main
Here’s how to
a forgotten dish:
to the far right. When the
door is locked, washing will
detergent wash portion the cycle.
1. Push the door latch to the left.
continue.
Washing will stop.
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