Fun uses for your dishwasher
I always feel like I'm derelict in my duties when I do a non-design post like my PSA on the flu this morning. So here's a topical quickie, stolen shamelessly from the pages of Real Simple magazine's website. I rarely have any use for that magazine or the idea that I need to pay someone to tell me to get rid of all my crap so I can replace it with more crap that costs more money but takes up less space. Why not just get rid of my crap and not replace it with anything? Hmmmm. Anyhow, here's their list of dishwasher fun facts.
You Can Put These inside the Dishwasher
Baseball caps can get bent in the washing system but preserve their shape in the dishwasher. Don?T wash them with dishes; meals can get trapped within the material.
Action figures and different small toys can journey in a mesh undies bag at the top rack (however don?T wash Barbie or she?Ll have a horrible hair day).
Rain boots should have the liners removed and lie horizontally. Hook flip-flops on tines in the top rack. (FYI, Crocs are not dishwasher-safe.) [editor's note: that should matter because none of my readers own something called "Crocs"]
Tools with metal or plastic handles will be first-rate. Towel-dry later on to save you rusting.
Ceramic cabinet knobs do nicely within the silverware basket, so in case you feel like embarking on the procedure (get rid of, wash, replace), move for it.
Hairbrushes and combs manufactured from plastic can take a spin, however not wood or herbal boar-bristle brushes. Be certain to eliminate all the hair first to guard the drain.
Fan grilles, switch plates, and vent covers are in in the event that they?Re plastic, aluminum, or steel. Enameled, painted, or plated should stay out.
Shin guards, knee pads, and mouth guards?Toss all of them into the pinnacle rack.
Light-fixture covers are excellent in the pinnacle rack, as long as they?Re not antique, enameled, or painted.
Garden equipment might also have are available in contact with pesticides or animals, so don?T mix them with a load of dishes. (And don?T wash people with timber handles.)
Potatoes can get quality and smooth within the pinnacle rack with a rinse-only cycle (no detergent). Sound crazy? It makes mashed potatoes for 20 loads quicker.
Things You Thought Could Go in the Dishwasher But Really Shouldn't
Cast-iron, enameled-cast-iron, and copper pots and pans are at the never listing. Why? Cast iron rusts; enameled cast iron chips; copper dents.
Formal dishes and best flatware can get worn with repeated washings. Rule of thumb: If it?S something you'll cry over harming or dropping, don?T put it in. (If you do put sterling silver in the dishwasher, use about a tablespoon of detergent and don?T mix it with stainless-steel flatware; a chemical response among the metals can discolor the silver.)
Wooden spoons can warp and crack. If you don?T thoughts replacing them regularly, throw them in; otherwise wash them in the sink.
Good kitchen knives and steak knives aren?T cheap. Why hazard dulling their blades?
Crystal glasses are particularly inclined. Food particles can etch them; heat can motive cracks. After hand washing (it?S commonly safer than the usage of the china/crystal setting), dry with a fabric that hasn?T been laundered with cloth softener, that could leave a film.
Insulated mugs and containers function vacuum seals, which can be destroyed if water seeps in.
Brass items should in no way see the inside of a dishwasher. Hot water can get rid of the herbal shielding layer that forms on brass.
Wooden reducing boards can swell and contract, leaving them teetery and essentially vain on a counter. Most bamboo boards are prone, too.
Technically Acceptable for the Dishwasher...But Too Questionable for Us to Endorse
Broom Ends (and Dust Pans, Scrub Brushes, and Vacuum Attachments)
Why you'll: It?S the simplest way to get them easy.
Why we wouldn't: Ick.
If you're so willing: Shake loose dust into the trash first, says Shannon Lowe, the Tulsa-primarily based writer of the blog rocksinmydryer.Typepad.Com. Stick brushes and attachments inside the silverware basket and broom ends and dirt pans on top.
Computer Keyboards
Why you would: Because you spilled espresso on it. A crazy, closing-resort attempt to store some thing that can be ruined, however some techies swear by way of it. Terry Jarrard, a computer programmer in Collinsville, Oklahoma, has washed his keyboards ?At least a half of-dozen instances and by no means had a problem.?
Why we wouldn't: We don?T accept as true with in Santa Claus or unicorns, either.
If you're so inclined: Place the keyboard facedown on the pinnacle rack, don?T use detergent, and skip the drying cycle. Afterward, unscrew the again, if feasible, or pop off the keys (take a image in advance so you recall wherein they go). Air-dry to 5 days. Pray the Computer Fairy is looking down on you, then reassemble.
Salmon
Why you would: Because it?S an Internet clich? That takes place to work. Impress friends! Make youngsters snicker!
Why we would not: Our meals editors examined this ?Recipe,? And though the fish did prepare dinner, the dishwasher reeked in a while (shocker). Plus, you?Re sincerely cooking the salmon along with your crusty dishes and coffee-stained mugs.
If you're so inclined: Bob Blumer's Dishwasher Salmon Recipe