According to an estimate, there are more than 80 million homes worldwide which possess a dishwasher in their kitchens. However, only a small fraction of those users are aware of the full range of functions their machines are capable of. While most people only use their dishwasher for washing dishes, it can actually serve a variety of other purposes. Check out these strange but practical hacks for your dishwasher!
Wash the Toothbrush
You might be aware that a toothbrush can accumulate harmful bacteria over time. Thus, it is essential to maintain its cleanliness to avoid any health problems. However, what you may not know is that washing your toothbrush in the dishwasher can also be an effective solution.
Simply put the toothbrush in the cutlery rack and run the fast wash program on the machine, but be sure to avoid using soap since it would render the toothbrush ineffective.
Cook Shrimp
It may not be common knowledge but a dishwasher can be used for cooking, especially when it comes to cooking shrimp. Although it might seem strange, a dishwasher can even be used as an alternative to an oven.
To achieve optimal outcome, place the shrimp in a closed glass bowl and run it through the rinsing cycle on the dishwasher. This will create steam and lead to a perfectly cooked meal. When entertaining guests, consider serving them some delicious shrimp that has been prepared in the dishwasher.
Wash Your Caps
The accumulation of sweat during hot summer days can make baseball caps dirty as time passes. If you want to clean the fabric of your baseball cap, it is advisable not to use a washing machine, but rather a dishwasher, since it can easily refresh the cap.
If you place your caps in a dishwasher, you will be amazed at how bright and fresh they will appear, just like when you first purchased them. It is essential, though, to avoid using any strong detergents to prevent staining.
Clean Your Hair Brushes
Similar to toothbrushes, hair brushes are essential tools we utilise every day to take care of our personal cleanliness. Consequently, there’s a high chance that your hair brush will accumulate dust particles and microbes as time passes.
To maintain a hygienic scalp, it’s necessary to use a hairbrush that’s new and free from dirt. Instead of discarding your used hairbrush, consider putting it in the dishwasher to give it a thorough wash. This will help you save money, as you won’t have to purchase new brushes frequently.
Clean Your Shoes
You may not have considered keeping your flip flops and shoes in the same area as your dishes and utensils. Nevertheless, there is no negative consequence of washing your shoes in the dishwasher. The high temperature of the water and the steam will completely disinfect them.
All you have to do is place your shoes and flip flops neatly on the upper shelf of the washing machine and run a brief cycle to eliminate any dirt and dust from being outdoors. The washing process will disinfect and eliminate any dangerous microbes that might be present.
Rinse Potatoes
Washing potatoes could be one of the most vexing duties when it comes to preparing a meal in the kitchen. Nobody likes managing filthy potatoes that have been freshly dug from the soil. Fortunately, if you have a dishwasher, you no longer have to scrub potatoes manually.
This kitchen hack will revolutionize how you prepare food. Rather than washing each potato individually, put them in the dishwasher together and run only the rinse cycle without detergent. You’ll be amazed at how remarkably clean the potatoes will appear.
Clean Pet Dishes
The dishwasher is not restricted only to cleaning your dishes. Your pets also deserve to have spotless food bowls. So, you need not spend hours scrubbing the dirty pet bowls anymore, as we understand how unpleasant it can be.
Instead, simply place the bowls inside the dishwasher and select the high heat setting to ensure that any bacteria or microbes are eliminated. As your pet eats from the bowls, there is likely a significant amount of germs present.
Steam Vegetables
It is possible to prepare a complete meal using the dishwasher if you put in enough effort. Your dishwasher can be utilized to cook various food items, including steaming vegetables to serve alongside your main course.
Place the vegetables in a tightly sealed glass container and start the regular procedure. Once it is completed, you will have flawlessly cooked vegetables. It is an excellent backup strategy in case your oven malfunctions unexpectedly.
Clean Your Keyboard
Although no IT company would endorse it, cleaning dirty keyboards in the dishwasher can be a practical solution. However, caution must be exercised to ensure that the cleaning is done correctly. The cleaning of keyboards can be a daunting task, especially in the case of elevated keys.
Simply put the keyboard inside the dishwasher, ensure you remove any cables prior to putting it in. Utilize the regular cycle but do not add detergent as it may harm the keyboard. Lastly, let it dry completely, and it’ll be just like new again.
Warm Plates
In addition to reheating your food, it can be beneficial to preheat your dishes beforehand. This advice, known only to seasoned chefs, involves heating your plates in advance to keep your meals from cooling down too rapidly.
All you need to do is to put the plates inside the dishwasher and turn on the plate warmer function. In case this feature is not available, you can opt for the traditional “dry/heat” cycle. This will ensure that the plates retain the warmth of the food instead of losing it.
Ripe Avocados
Procuring ripe avocados can be a difficult task, particularly if you are unable to locate them. While hunting for avocados at a store, you commonly come across avocados that are either exceedingly soft or still unripe. Nonetheless, one can address this problem by utilizing their dishwasher.
Purchase some green avocados and put them on the uppermost shelf of the equipment. Subsequently, run the usual process for ten minutes and the avocados will turn out tender and ideal for consumption. Experiment with this technique at present and express appreciation to us subsequently!
Clean Your Vacuum
Cleaning vacuum parts can be quite a daunting task, especially if they have been neglected for some time. Given the daily accumulation of dust and dirt, your vacuum may appear to be in a state of chaos.
Fortunately, the vacuum components can be easily cleaned by washing them in a dishwasher where all the dirt can be removed effortlessly. Moreover, the dishwasher will sterilize the items, resulting in a much cleaner vacuum. However, it is important to dry the items immediately after washing to prevent any harm.
Clean Vents
We assume you haven’t thought about cleaning the vents frequently. But, if it’s been on your mind lately, this hack will help you save time and effort during the process.
Just insert the vents into the machine and run the usual cycle without any detergent. This will clean the vents and keep your home free of dust and dirt. Nevertheless, make sure to dry the vents immediately after taking them out of the machine.
Clean Trash Cans
Trash cans are generally the most bacteria-infested area in your home, despite your best efforts to sanitize them. Even if you clean them frequently, they will still harbor germs on their surfaces. It’s crucial to keep the lids of trash cans clean to prevent the spread of these harmful bacteria.
The lids can be sanitized by placing them in the dishwasher and selecting the high heat option along with a standard cycle and detergent. This method is effective in cleansing the lids fully and eliminating any bacteria or unpleasant smells lingering in your kitchen.
Clean Car Floor Mats
It’s not hard to imagine that car floor mats get dirty pretty fast since we walk on them in all kinds of weather and hardly ever clean them. But, it’s important to clean them at some point to keep the interior of your car clean.
If you want to clean your car mats easily and effectively, you can simply place them in the dishwasher and run a regular cycle. This method will give you the best outcome and your mats will look more polished than before.
Clean Mop Heads
Typically, mops are utilized for cleaning purposes within the confines of your home, but have you ever considered the need to clean the mop itself? Since mop heads come into contact with dirt and grime while cleaning floors, it’s imperative to establish an effective cleaning regimen to maintain their hygiene and prevent the spread of germs.
To prevent the build-up of bacteria and unpleasant odors, it is recommended to put the mop head in the dishwasher and use the high heat setting. This not only cleans the mop effectively but also sterilizes it and eliminates bacteria.
Clean Nail Clippers
People often overlook nail clippers when it comes to cleaning, but it is important to wash them regularly to avoid any accumulation of dirt or germs that may be hidden within them.
To sterilize the nail clippers, you may utilize the high heat setting on the dishwasher. Position them in the cutlery tray and execute the standard cycle at maximum heat. Nonetheless, it is vital to dry them post-wash to avoid corrosion.
Decalc Shower Faucet
Shower faucets are likely to catch a lot of calcium sediment, especially in areas with extremely hard water. This can lead to damage or malfunctioning, which is the last thing you want in your shower.
Luckily, you can use the dishwasher to decalc the shower faucets with ease. Not only will the dishwasher remove any sediment stuck to the faucet but it will also disinfect it and remove any mold or bacteria.
Cook Steak
We just cannot get enough of these cooking hacks with the dishwasher. It is so fascinating that you can use these machines to prepare food. This time, you can try your hand at cooking steak in the dishwasher instead of using the grill.
Put the steak in vacuum-sealed packaging and place it on the top rack in the dishwasher. Activate the high heat setting with a 90-minute cycle to prepare the meat. Get ready for one of the most uniquely cooked delicious steaks you’ve ever tried!
Wash Hair Ties
Just like hair brushes, hair ties can get pretty dirty too and they are one of those items we don’t think about cleaning that often. However, even hair ties can accumulate harmful bacteria over time, which is the last thing you want to sit on your head.
You can clean your hair ties with ease by placing them in a small bag and putting them in the cutlery rack of the dishwasher. Run a quick cycle with a small amount of detergent to give the hair ties a nice fresh smell without damaging them.
Wash Zip-Lock Bags
Zip-lock bags can always come in handy in the kitchen or around the household. The only problem is that they are wasteful since we usually throw each one away after using it. Luckily, there is a way to be more eco-conscious when it comes to this matter.
You can easily clean the used zip-lock bags in the dishwasher using the low heat setting. Make sure not to turn the temperature up to the highest setting, as it could melt the thin plastic bags. Once the cycle is done, dry the bags and they will be ready for use.
Clean Garden Tools
You probably never thought of putting garden tools in the dishwasher but that day has finally come. If you have garden tools and they are a bit too dirty, it is time to give them a thorough wash in the machine.
With steam and hot water generated in the machine, your garden tools will be clean, disinfected, and as bright as new. However, make sure to run a separate wash cycle for your garden tools and don’t mix them up with your actual dishes and kitchenware.
Clean the Dishwasher
Did you ever think about cleaning the dishwasher itself? Imagine that, even the dishwasher needs a good cleaning every now and then! If your dishwasher is getting a funny odor, make sure to pour in some clear vinegar at the beginning of an empty cycle.
Start the cycle and let the vinegar do its thing. It will clean any remaining grease or oil on the walls of the machine that are causing the bad smells. You will be left with a shiny dishwasher, just like it was when you bought it.
Clean Cabinet Knobs
If you don’t mind a bit of screwdriver work, you can use the dishwasher to clean your cabinet knobs. If you think about it, cabinet knobs are one of those things we touch every day but we always forget about them when cleaning the house.
Now that you remember that you have cabinet knobs, you can use a screwdriver to gently take them off and place them in the dishwasher. After you give them a good wash in the steamy dishwasher detergent mixture, they will surely be ridden of any unwanted bacteria.
Cook Salmon
That’s right, you can even make salmon in your dishwasher. If steak or chicken sounds too simple for you, try making some really unique salmon without using the oven or the grill.
Just wrap the salmon in tin foil and make sure water cannot get to it from any direction. However, don’t forget to season it first if you want the best flavor out of the dishwasher cooking session. Let the salmon cook on a regular cycle for about 45 minutes and you’re good to go!
Prepare Eggs
There are already around a million ways to prepare eggs but we are just about to add another one. As one of the most popular breakfast foods around the world, people are constantly looking for new ways to cook them.
You can be the first one in your friend group to start this unique trend. Just place the eggs inside the washer and set the right washing cycle. If you want to go for a hard-boiled egg, choose a hot temperature. For a soft boiled egg, go with the colder settings.
More Cleaning Tricks
Here’s another convenient way you can give your dishwasher a thorough cleaning after you’ve tried out all these hacks (especially the one with the potatoes). Add some Kool-Aid to the machine to get the best results.
The citric acid from the Kool-Aid will help remove stubborn stains and add some shine to the interior of your machine. However, make sure to explain yourself before doing this as your household members might think it’s rather odd.
Clean Makeup Brushes
If you know how tiring it is to wash makeup brushes all the time, you are probably looking for an easier solution. Did you know that you can just put them in the dishwasher and let the machine do all the hard work?
The hot water will help remove all the dead skin and bacteria off the brushes and thus disinfect them for the next use. However, make sure not to use the highest temperature setting to avoid any damage to these delicate products.
Cook Lobster
Okay, by now you might think we are joking with all these cooking tips but we are as serious as we can get. If you’ve tried the chicken or the shrimp hack, you will love the lobster cooking trick with the dishwasher machine.
If you want a fancy dinner prepared in a rather strange manner, do the following: cut the lobster into small pieces, season them and place them in a glass jar. Close the jar tightly to prevent air from going inside and run the normal cycle on the machine. Voila, your dinner will be ready soon!
Reuse an Old Dishwasher
When an old dishwasher just stops working, it doesn’t mean you have to get rid of it. There is always a way to reuse old things and give them a new purpose. In this case, you can use the old dishwasher as a garden bed.
Fill it with dirt and compost, plant some flowers and you will be surprised how beautiful it can look after a while. You can even go a step further and grow veggies in the new garden beds if gardening is your thing!
Clean the Dryer Filter
Dryer filters tend to get dusty and they sometimes collect lint too, which makes them very difficult to clean by hand. However, you can clean the dryer filter by placing it in the dishwasher and using the hot water settings to get all the dirt out.
This will remove any debris that might be blocking the filter and make your dryer work better than ever. What a way to use one machine to get the other machine to work more efficiently! Talk about household hacks!
Clean the Dishwasher with a Toothbrush
Cleaning your toothbrush in the dishwasher isn’t the only way these two items can work together. This hack can go both ways, as you can also use a toothbrush to clean the dishwasher. Before it gets too confusing, we’ll break it down.
Dishwashers have a lot of small parts that might not be as reachable as the majority of the interior. These are the parts that can accumulate the most dirt and debris over time, which can cause bad smells and malfunctioning. Instead of letting your dishwasher get too dirty, give it a good cleaning every once in a while using a toothbrush to reach those hard-to-reach places.
Wash Cleaning Brushes
One more thing you can wash in the dishwasher are cleaning brushes. After sweeping the entire household, your brushes are likely to get dirty and filled with dangerous germs.
Place them on the top rack of your dishwasher and run the load on a normal cycle to wash all your cleaning tools and accessories. This way, they will be fresh and ready to use the next time you have to clean the house.
Prepare Lasagna
If you are cooking a dishwasher dinner for multiple people, consider adding more kinds of dishes to it. For example, you can prepare lasagna in the dishwasher the same way you would in an oven. The only difference is that your guests probably never tried a dishwasher lasagna.
Prepare the meal the same way you would in an oven, just this time wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Place it in the dishwasher and activate the normal cycle with the “heated dry” option. The additional heat will cook the lasagna perfectly.
Clean Light Fixtures
While this is not as shocking as cooking in the dishwasher, it is a great trick to keep your household clean. Light fixtures are one of those items that get dusty the most but we rarely have time or patience to deal with them.
Luckily, you can place your light fixtures in the dishwasher and get amazing results with little to no effort at all. Make sure not to include any electrical pieces and don’t forget to set the dishwasher on a low temperature.
Access Hot Water
Here’s one hack that will help improve the efficiency of the machine. Sometimes, dishwashers cannot access hot water right away so it takes them time to heat it up and complete the cycle while delivering the expected result.
However, this little trick will help the machine run with hot temperature right on the first cycle. Before you turn it on, run the faucet in the sink until hot water comes out. That way, it will be readily accessible as soon as you turn on the machine.
Refresh Kitchen Sponges
Kitchen sponges are constantly submerged in water and cleaning supplies. No wonder why they get soggy and smelly so quickly. However, you don’t have to throw away the soggy sponges every time.
You can use your dishwasher to freshen them up at a high temperature that kills any harmful bacteria. This will remove unpleasant smells and make your sponges look as good as new. Place the sponges in the machine and turn on the rinse feature at high temperature.
Warm Up Food
A dishwasher can not only serve as a backup oven but it can also serve as a microwave in times of need. That’s right, you can use it to warm up food and leftovers from last night’s dinner and make yourself a very impressive breakfast.
Just place the food in the dishwasher, either wrapped in aluminum foil or closed tightly in a glass jar. Then turn on the “heat/dry” mode without any water and your meal will be heated up sooner than you would expect it!
Use it as a Dish Rack
Some people get rid of their dish racks after purchasing a dishwasher thinking they won’t be washing dishes by hand anymore. However, sometimes you only have one or two pots you need washed right away and it makes no sense to waste water and detergent in the machine on two dishes.
That’s why you still have to wash some dishes by hand even though you own a dishwasher. The only problem is, you no longer have a dish rack. Luckily, you can use the racks inside the dishwasher to dry the dishes you washed by hand and save space at the same time.
Disinfect House Keys
We use house keys every day and we tend to place them on dirty surfaces outside our home. When you come back, you most likely place the keys in a drawer or the shelf in the hallway. However, do you ever think about all the bacteria that can pile up on these keys?
A good way to disinfect house keys is to place them in the cutlery rack of the machine and run the regular cycle. However, instead of letting them air dry, make sure to take the keys out right away and dry them to prevent rust from forming.
Cook Chicken
We have already made lasagna, shrimp, and steamed veggies in the dishwasher so why not try chicken as well? Cooking chicken can now be easier than ever as long as you have a dishwasher with all the regular washing features.
All you have to do is season the chicken the way you normally would and wrap the pieces (or the entire chicken) in aluminum foil. Place it in the dishwasher and run the normal cycle to prepare the meat. Once done, you will have a perfectly cooked chicken to serve.
Clean Faux Flowers
Faux flowers are a great decorative solution for people who don’t have a green thumb. Sometimes, maintaining plants gets so difficult that you wish to replace all of them with plastic decorations.
The only downside of having faux flowers is that they accumulate a lot of dust over time. However, you can clean them easily on the top rack of your dishwasher but make sure not to use detergent during the cycle.
Clean Sports Equipment
Baseball gloves, shoes, and other sports equipment can be difficult to clean. Besides the dirt from the outdoor terrains, these items are often covered in sweat and bacteria, which is why they need a thorough wash after use.
You can wash your sports equipment in the dishwasher by turning the machine on to the highest speed without any detergent. That way, you will sanitize all the equipment and give it a thorough wash without damaging it.
Wash Pet Collars
Did you ever think of washing your pet’s collar? They get dirty quite easily and you need to wash them on a regular basis. Luckily, you can just throw them in the dishwasher to save time and they will come out looking as good as new.
However, make sure not to use detergent while washing the collars, as this could cause irritation on the pet’s skin. When it comes to pet products, washing should be kept natural and odor-free. One more thing, make sure not to wash leather collars in the dishwasher.
Clean Your Child’s Toys
Cleaning children’s toys can be a tiring task, especially if you have a full box of them to go through. Luckily, you can just place them in a dishwasher and get it over with all at once. Run the regular cycle with detergent to make sure the toys are thoroughly cleaned.
However, try not to put any small parts or toys with detachable parts in the dishwasher, as these can get stuck in the drainage system. Overall, cleaning toys in the dishwasher will become your next favorite household task!
