Are you ready for us to dish out some words of wisdom? Said wisdom relates to your dishwasher and how with a little knowledge it can save the day in all sorts of ways.

Read on and your relationship with your dishwasher shall be changed for the better forever more. If you choose not to take this life-changing advice, quite frankly we wash our hands of you

Stopping Smells

Smelly dishwasher? Leave the door ajar when you’re not using your machine to encourage airflow and prevent mould growth. To freshen a stale smelling washer, use a specialist cleaner monthly to remove limescale, detergent build-ups, and mould.

Brushing Clean

Gunk can build up in small crevices of your dishwasher so save old washing-up brushes and toothbrushes to scrub mould and dirt away. Don’t forget to clean out the holes in the spray arms, which may need a clear out with a piece of wire.

Cooking… Yes really!

Did you know your dishwasher can be used to cook as well as being a cleaning appliance? Mind-blowing. You can poach foods like salmon or asparagus in airtight containers in your dishwasher. A hot wash with no detergent will leave them perfectly cooked!

Cutlery & Crockery Care

If you own a dishwasher there are still a couple of things you’ll need to wash by hand. Sorry to have to break it to you.

It’s best to hand-wash:

• High-quality knives
• Silver or gold plated items
• Wooden cooking utensils
• Delicate crystal glasses
• Cast iron or non-stick pots and pans
• Anything marked as non-dishwasher safe

It’s a bit of a pain, but hand washing these is worth the extra effort to keep your kitchen accessories in tip-top shape!

Beauty Brushes

Makeup brushes will get gunked up with beauty products and oils from your skin over time which means they’re probably crawling with bacteria. We know, gross. Avoid spotty skin caused by your dirty brushes; pop them in the dishwasher to clean them.

Playtime Saved

Cleaning toys is child’s play with a dishwasher. Pop small toys that have got a little grubby in a mesh bag to keep them safe and place it onto your washer shelf. Run a wash and action figures, building bricks and balls alike will be given an effortless, hygienic clean.

Destroying Dust

Sometimes even cleaning appliances need a clean themselves. Dustpans and brushes that have seen cleaner days along with your vacuum cleaner attachments can benefit from a wash in the dishwasher. Just remove hair tangles and excess fluff first then wash away!

Drying Rack

If you’ve got non-dishwasher safe items to wash up, your dishwasher isn’t totally useless. It still makes for an efficient and spacious drying rack afterward. Leave your machine open with the trays pulled out to air-dry your hand-washed dishes, pots and pans.

Scrubbed Spuds

Cleaning potatoes involves a lot of scrubbing and a lot of your free time; especially if you have a large family to feed! You can probably guess what we’re going to say next! Pop your tatties in the top rack and put them through a dishwasher wash without detergent.

Bread Sponge 

If a glass or piece of crockery breaks in your dishwasher it can be nigh on impossible to collect up all the tiny shards. Remove the larger broken pieces by hand and then press a piece of bread along the bottom of your washer to pick up any remaining sharp pieces.

Now whilst other people are periodically washing their dinner plates in their appliance, you can be doing all sorts of handy things with it. Before you wash your hands of us, check out how you can get the same variety of uses for your freezer too!

Tags: Appliance Hacks, Dishwasher Tips