Can this go in the dishwasher?

From choremen.fun/dishwasher-safe. The maker's instructions outrank anything here.

15 things people stand at the sink wondering about, with what to do, why, and how to wash it by hand if it should not go in.

This is general advice about materials. The instructions that came with the thing — on the base, the box, the label or the maker's website — always win over it, in either direction. A coating or a material you can't name gets one answer here: check the maker's instructions.

• Wooden spoons, spatulas and chopping boardsNo

  Keep anything wooden out of the dishwasher.

  The heat can make wood split and splinter, and long hot cycles strip its natural oils, leaving it dry and more likely to take on water and smells.

  By hand: Wash it soon after use in hot water with washing-up liquid, scrub the food off, don't leave it soaking, then dry it with a tea towel and let it air-dry.

  Source: Which?: how to clean wooden spoons, chopping boards and other wooden kitchen tools

• Cast iron and carbon steel pans, woks and skilletsNo

  Wash these by hand.

  A dishwasher takes the seasoning off and will likely make it rust. Soaking does the same.

  By hand: Once it has cooled, wash it in warm soapy water with a stiff brush or scrubbing pad — washing-up liquid is fine — dry it completely straight away, and wipe a thin layer of oil over it.

  Sources: Lodge: how to clean cast iron · Lodge: cleaning and care, carbon steel

• Enamelled cast iron casserole dishesIt can, but better by hand

  It can go in, but hand-washing keeps the finish.

  The enamel makes it technically dishwasher-safe, but the maker prefers hand-washing to preserve the finish, and the maker notes that a dishwasher, like drip-drying, can leave a rust deposit.

  By hand: Let it cool, then wash it in warm soapy water and dry it straight away rather than leaving it on the draining board.

  Source: Lodge: cleaning and care, enameled cast iron

• Non-stick frying pans and saucepansCheck the maker's instructions

  Only if that pan's instructions say so — some do, many don't.

  Makers differ, and even within one range some parts are dishwasher-safe and some are not. Dishwasher detergent can wear a coating down and dull the outside, and some makers advise against it for aluminium bodies and handles.

  By hand: Let it cool first, then wash it in warm soapy water with a nylon sponge — no scouring pads or scouring powder.

  Sources: Tefal: pots and pans, questions · Tefal: how to better use my Tefal cookware · CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher?

• Stainless steel pots and pansYes

  Yes, as long as it is plain stainless steel with heat-resistant handles.

  Plain stainless steel pots with heat-resistant handles are fine in a dishwasher. A pan with a coating, or wooden handles, is a different answer.

  Source: CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher?

• Aluminium pans, baking trays and tinsNo

  Wash aluminium by hand.

  Dishwasher detergent is harsh on aluminium: it can damage and discolour it, anodised aluminium included.

  By hand: Warm soapy water and a soft sponge, then dry it.

  Sources: CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher? · Tefal: how to better use my Tefal cookware

• Copper pansNo

  Hand-wash copper.

  A dishwasher can damage the finish over time, and copper can discolour, bend or warp in one.

  By hand: Warm soapy water and a soft sponge — no scouring pads, steel wool or bleach — and dry it.

  Sources: Mauviel 1830: frequently asked questions · CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher?

• Sharp kitchen knivesNo

  Wash sharp knives by hand, straight after using them.

  The heat, and the knives rubbing against other things during the wash, dull and damage the blade — and emptying a machine with sharp knives in it is a risk of its own.

  By hand: Warm water and a little mild washing-up liquid, then dry it with a soft cloth straight away. Don't leave it in the sink.

  Sources: WÜSTHOF: how to care for your knives · CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher?

• Stainless steel cutleryYes

  Yes — on a hot cycle, kept apart from silver and cast iron.

  Stainless cutlery makers recommend the dishwasher. Stainless steel does not rust, but it can pick up rust marks from silver, silver plate, cast iron or other non-stainless things in the same wash.

  Source: Robert Welch: cutlery product care

• Silver and silver-plated cutleryNo

  Wash silver by hand.

  Silver can discolour in a dishwasher, and makers of silver-plated and sterling pieces say they are not suitable for one.

  By hand: Warm soapy water, then dry it with a soft cloth straight away.

  Sources: Wedgwood: care guide · CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher?

• Drinking glasses and wine glassesCheck the maker's instructions

  Most can, top rack and not touching — unless the box says hand wash, or says nothing at all.

  Many glasses are made to take a dishwasher, but makers say a glass sold as hand-wash only, or with no care instructions, is not dishwasher-safe, and a dishwasher can etch and cloud glass over time.

  By hand: Warm soapy water, one at a time, then dry with a lint-free cloth.

  Sources: RIEDEL: are RIEDEL glasses dishwasher safe? · CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher?

• Crystal glasses and decantersNo

  Hand-wash crystal.

  Makers say crystal is not suitable for the dishwasher, and the heat and alkaline detergent can draw the lead out of lead crystal.

  By hand: Warm soapy water, then rinse and dry it with a lint-free cloth.

  Sources: Wedgwood: care guide · CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher?

• China with gold or platinum rims, and hand-painted platesCheck the maker's instructions

  Only if the piece is marked dishwasher-safe — look on the base.

  Some decorated china is made for the dishwasher and says so; the rest is not. A dishwasher can fade hand-painted details and chip delicate edges.

  By hand: Warm water and a mild washing-up liquid with a soft cloth, nothing abrasive, then dry it with a soft cloth.

  Sources: Wedgwood: care guide · CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher?

• Plastic tubs, lids and containersCheck the maker's instructions

  Only if it is marked dishwasher-safe, and then on the top rack.

  Heat can warp plastic, which is why it belongs on the top rack. If it is not marked dishwasher-safe, it does not go in.

  By hand: Warm soapy water, then leave it upside down to dry — plastic does not dry well in a dishwasher anyway.

  Source: CHOICE: can you put it in the dishwasher?

• Insulated bottles, flasks and travel mugsCheck the maker's instructions

  Depends entirely on the maker, and sometimes on the model.

  One maker says its powder-coated bottles can go in and its coffee mugs cannot, and that a bottle with damaged coating should not. Other makers and models say otherwise. The bottle or its maker's website will say which yours is.

  By hand: Warm soapy water and a bottle brush, the lid and seal taken apart, then left open and upside down to dry.

  Source: Hydro Flask: care and cleaning

Not on here? Look on the base, the box, the label or the maker's website. If you can't find out what it is made of or what it is coated with, this page is not going to guess — wash it by hand until you know.