6 Large Kitchen Appliances You Can (and Should) Be Washing In the Dishwasher
Brought to you by a clean freak.
O_Lypa/Getty Images
Having a dishwasher is a godsend for getting all those dirty plates and glasses clean. But recently, I discovered you can put large, unwieldly items into your dishwasher too.
Recently, I seared some steaks and spattered all the stove grates with millions of droplets of grease. I was in the middle of spraying them down and wiping between their nooks and crannies, when my friend stopped me and told me to throw them in the dishwasher. One cycle later, they were cleaner and less greasy than they’d ever been since they were installed.
Now, whenever I’m doing an apartment deep clean, I run a load of big kitchen items through the dishwasher. Because here’s the thing: doing so is not just convenient and easy; it also leaves your items cleaner than they’d be if you hand-cleaned them. And to a clean freak like me, that’s really the kicker.
Here’s the full list of hard-to-clean items that are generally okay to run through the dishwasher. Before doing so, just make sure to triple check with the owner's manual of your items.
3 Best Dishwasher Detergents, Tested By Food Network Kitchen
Stove Grates and Caps
As long as your gas stove grates (and caps!) are coated in enamel they’re fine to toss in the dishwasher. If they look and feel like raw uncoated metal, skip the dishwasher.
Microwave Tables
These are really annoying to clean by hand. They don’t always fit in the sink. I sometimes spray mine off with disinfecting spray but worry that it remains slightly greasy. Enter the dishwasher, a perfect solution.
Refrigerator Shelves and Drawers
Some may be too big to fit into your dishwasher, but many you can stack into the dishwasher compartment where you’d stack plates — or lay across the top.
Johner Images/Getty Images
Stove Fan Filters
Have you ever cooked bacon or fish, and days later your kitchen still smells like bacon or fish? Perhaps you’ve fried something and can’t seem to get rid of that greasy smell. That’s probably because the filter covering the fan that’s built into or above your stove probably is dirty. The screen catches grease particles while the fan sucks out smoky air. Over time, the screen accumulates layers of grease and is incredibly hard to clean by hand (I know from experience!). Place it on its side where the plates would go in the dishwasher and it’ll magically get so much cleaner.
Dish Drying Rack
OK, this one technically isn't a large appliance, but it is large and annoying to clean by hand. As residual water sits in that dish drying rack, mold can build up over time. If you have a plastic or metal one, clean it quickly by running it through the dishwasher. Skip wooden ones, which can be damaged by the water and detergent.
Sink Drain Cover
All right, this one is easy to clean by hand, but it’s really gross right? Especially if you haven’t cleaned it in a while. Give it a bath in the dishwasher. And hey, no one will judge if you add the one in your bathtub too.
Related Links:
