Reading Time: 13 minutes 30 Things You Should NEVER Put in the Dishwasher
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Dishwashers are a must-have in many homes, making kitchen cleanup faster and more efficient. But while these appliances simplify our lives, putting the wrong items in the dishwasher can cause serious damage. The last thing you want is to ruin your favorite pan or break an important kitchen tool because of one careless cycle.
In fact, around 68% of American households use dishwashers regularly, relying on them to save time and effort. Unfortunately, not everything in your kitchen is designed to handle the intense heat, high pressure, and strong detergents. This can lead to warped, cracked, or rusted items, and even shorten the lifespan of your dishwasher.
With years of experience helping people make smart home care choices, we’ve seen how easily mistakes can happen. That’s why we’re here to show you what should never go in the dishwasher and explain the reasons behind it.
By taking a few precautions, you can keep your kitchen essentials and your machine in top shape for years to come.
Ready to find out what should always be washed by hand? Let’s get into the key items you need to keep out of the dishwasher.
Table of Contents
Wooden Utensils and Cutting Boards
Wooden items are the last things you want to subject to the heat and moisture of a dishwasher. Dishwashers expose items to high temperatures and a lot of water, and wood just can’t handle it.
Wooden utensils, spoons, or cutting boards tend to crack, warp, and lose their protective finish in the dishwasher. Without that finish, they become more susceptible to bacteria buildup.
Hand washing with mild soap and drying immediately after is the best way to keep your wooden tools in good condition.
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Cast Iron Cookware
Cast iron is practically indestructible when cared for properly, but the dishwasher can ruin its non-stick surface. Cast iron requires regular seasoning, coating with oil to maintain its non-stick properties. The combination of detergent and water strips that seasoning, leaving your cookware vulnerable to rust.
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Cast iron should never be submerged in water for long, and it definitely shouldn’t be in a dishwasher. Instead, wipe it clean or use a little salt scrub to remove stubborn bits.
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Non-Stick Pans
Non-stick pans are popular for a reason, but putting them in the dishwasher is a big no-no. Over time, the harsh detergent and hot water can erode the non-stick coating. As that coating degrades, it starts to flake off, leaving tiny bits of non-stick material in your food.
Hand washing non-stick pans with a gentle sponge ensures that the coating lasts longer.
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Crystal Glassware
Crystal may look fancy on the table, but it’s quite fragile, especially under the intense heat and pressure of a dishwasher. It can crack, chip, or become cloudy, losing its brilliance.
Even worse, it could shatter entirely. Hand washing is a must to preserve the clarity and beauty of your crystal glassware.
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Copper and Aluminum Cookware
Copper and aluminum cookware have a beautiful, shiny finish that can be easily tarnished in a dishwasher. The heat and chemicals in dishwasher detergent react with these metals, leaving them discolored, pitted, and dull.
While aluminum is durable, it’s still prone to wear if repeatedly put in a dishwasher. For copper, which is softer, this process happens even faster. Stick to hand washing with a soft cloth and mild soap to maintain the shine and performance of these metals.
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Sharp Knives
Sharp knives are your best friend when prepping meals, but the dishwasher will dull that edge faster than you’d like. The combination of heat, detergent, and jostling in the cutlery basket causes knives to lose their sharpness quickly.
Worse, the sharp edges can get nicked or bent by bumping into other utensils or dish racks. Always wash knives by hand, taking care to dry them thoroughly to avoid rust.
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Insulated Travel Mugs and Tumblers
Insulated mugs are fantastic at keeping your coffee hot or water cold, thanks to the vacuum seal inside. But that vacuum seal is delicate and can be damaged by the heat in a dishwasher.
Once that happens, the mug loses its insulating properties and becomes just another cup. To protect the vacuum seal, wash these mugs by hand and avoid prolonged submersion in water.
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Vintage or Hand-Painted Dishes
Your grandmother’s vintage china or those special hand-painted plates you picked up on your travels should never be put in the dishwasher. The heat and harsh detergent can cause delicate designs to fade, crack, or peel.
Over time, even the structure of the dish itself can weaken. If you want to keep these items in pristine condition, hand washing is the only option.
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Milk Glass
Milk glass is known for its soft white appearance, but that beauty can quickly disappear in a dishwasher. The high heat can cause discoloration, and the abrasive detergent can lead to chipping or scratching.
To keep milk glass looking its best, it’s always safer to wash it by hand.
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Anything with Adhesive Labels
Items with sticky labels might seem like they’ll clean up nicely in the dishwasher, but that’s not the case. The labels usually peel off in the heat and get stuck in the filter, which can clog the machine and cause drainage problems.
Removing adhesive labels before washing, and then cleaning by hand, is the better option.
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Gold-Plated Flatware and Dishes
Gold-plated utensils and dishes add a touch of elegance, but they don’t hold up well in the dishwasher. The detergent and water can wear away the gold coating, leaving behind a dull and tarnished surface.
Hand washing gold-plated items with a gentle cloth helps keep them looking new for longer.
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Pressure Cooker Lids
Pressure cooker lids are full of small parts like valves and seals that ensure the cooker works safely. These delicate components can get damaged or dislodged in a dishwasher, affecting the performance of the cooker.
Always wash pressure cooker lids by hand to protect their integrity and functionality.
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Plastic Containers (Unless Dishwasher Safe)
While some plastic containers are labeled as dishwasher-safe, many are not. Non-dishwasher-safe plastics can melt, warp, or release harmful chemicals when exposed to the high heat of a dishwasher.
Even with dishwasher-safe plastics, it’s a good idea to stick to the top rack to avoid warping.
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Fine China
Fine china is delicate, and putting it in a dishwasher can cause chipping, cracking, or fading of any decorative details. This is especially true for china with gold or silver accents.
To keep your fine china looking beautiful, hand wash each piece with care.
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Graters and Garlic Presses
The small holes and crevices in graters and garlic presses tend to trap food particles. Dishwashers often don’t clean these items effectively, leaving bits of food stuck inside.
Hand washing allows you to scrub out all the debris, ensuring the tool is completely clean for the next use.
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Silicone Baking Molds
Though many silicone items are labeled as dishwasher-safe, washing them by hand is still the best option. Over time, the dishwasher’s high heat can degrade or warp silicone molds, especially if they are on the lower end of quality.
Hand washing ensures they maintain their shape and functionality.
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Brass Items
Brass is a soft metal that can tarnish or corrode when exposed to the harsh chemicals in dishwasher detergents. The combination of water and heat can speed up the tarnishing process, leaving your brass items looking dull and worn.
To maintain their shine, brass items should always be hand washed with a gentle cleanser.
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Lead Crystal
Lead crystal is similar to regular crystal but much more delicate. The high temperatures inside a dishwasher can cause the lead in the crystal to leach out, making it a health hazard.
Lead crystal can also crack or lose its clarity. Hand washing these delicate items is essential to preserve their beauty and safety.
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Decorative Bowls with Metallic Trim
While decorative bowls with gold, silver, or other metallic trims look lovely, they are not dishwasher-friendly. The heat and detergent can cause the metallic trim to peel, fade, or crack over time, ruining the aesthetic of the piece.
Hand washing ensures that these details stay intact.
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Knife Handles (Wood or Bone)
Wood and bone handles on knives are susceptible to the same damage as other wooden items. The dishwasher can cause these materials to warp, crack, or split, which will ruin the balance and usability of the knife.
Hand washing knives with wooden or bone handles helps protect the structure and longevity of the handles.
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Porcelain with Gold or Silver Rims
Porcelain may seem sturdy, but dishes with gold or silver rims are quite delicate. These metallic accents can wear away in the dishwasher, leaving your dishes looking dull.
Hand washing is the only way to protect these delicate designs.
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Marble or Stoneware
Natural stone materials, like marble or certain types of stoneware, can absorb water and detergent in the dishwasher, leading to stains and cracks.
These materials are also more likely to break under the intense heat. To avoid damaging your stoneware, wash them gently by hand.
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Painted Measuring Cups and Spoons
If you rely on painted measuring cups or spoons to be precise in the kitchen, the dishwasher will soon make those measurements disappear.
The heat and detergent can cause the paint to fade or peel off. Hand washing is a better option to preserve these markings.
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Rolling Pins (Especially Wooden)
Rolling pins, particularly wooden ones, shouldn’t go in the dishwasher. Wooden pins can absorb water, which causes them to swell, crack, or split.
Rolling pins with internal mechanisms may rust or break under the high heat of a dishwasher cycle.
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Delicate Baking Sheets
Baking sheets with non-stick coatings or those made from softer materials can warp or lose their finish in the dishwasher.
The intense heat and pressure degrade the coating over time. Hand washing is a safer way to extend the life of your baking sheets.
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Cheese Graters
Like garlic presses, cheese graters have small holes that trap food particles. Dishwashers often don’t do a thorough job of cleaning these tools, leaving them dirty. A hand scrub is the best way to ensure every bit of cheese is removed.
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Glass Mason Jar Lids
While the jars themselves may be dishwasher-safe, the metal rings and lids on Mason jars can rust or become damaged over time.
To avoid rust and maintain the integrity of the seal, it’s best to wash the lids by hand.
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Disposable Aluminum Baking Trays
Disposable aluminum trays might seem like they’d survive a dishwasher cycle, but the lightweight material often warps or falls apart.
This can cause small pieces of aluminum to break off, which can clog the dishwasher or ruin the machine. Hand washing or discarding after use is the better option.
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Pewter Items
Pewter is a soft metal that can’t handle the harsh conditions of a dishwasher. It will discolor and pit when exposed to high heat and strong detergents.
Hand washing pewter items ensures they maintain their smooth, shiny finish.
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Hand-Painted Mugs or Glasses
Hand-painted designs on mugs and glasses add personality, but the dishwasher can cause those designs to chip, fade, or completely peel off.
To preserve the artwork, always wash these items by hand with gentle care.
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Keeping Your Kitchen Tools in Top Shape
Dishwashers are convenient, but not everything belongs inside them. By keeping these 30 items out of the dishwasher and washing them by hand, you can avoid damage and extend the life of your favorite kitchen tools, and even your dishwasher.
It may take a little extra time, but your cookware and dishware will stay in great condition for years. So next time you’re tempted to toss something in for a quick clean, remember that a bit of extra care goes a long way.
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AI was used for light editing, formatting, and readability. But a human (me!) wrote and edited this.