24 Things You Never Knew You Could Clean In The Dishwasher

    From stove grates to butt plugs.

    Julia Reinstein
    by Julia Reinstein

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

    You can wash a lot more than dishes in the dishwasher. And you should.

    But, first, a few ground rules for safety.

    • If anything is delicate or at risk of melting (plastic, in particular) keep it on the top rack, where the heat isn't as intense.

    • When washing anything made of metal, dry it thoroughly to prevent rusting.

    • If it's going in your body, you probably want to skip the detergent.

    Now, on to the fun stuff.

    1. Potatoes.

    2. Dirty window screens.

    3. The grimy drawers and shelves in your fridge.

    Meal Makeover Moms / CC BY-ND http://2.0 / Via Flickr: mealmakeovermoms

    Because your crisper drawer is gross.

    4. The plastic pencil cup on your desk.

    Design Darling / Via designdarling.com

    And all your other plastic desk organizers.

    5. Cabinet knobs.

    Dawn Peterson / CC BY-NC-ND http://2.0 / Via Flickr: dawniecakes

    6. Your kids' grubby plastic toys.

    Tom Haines / CC BY-NC http://2.0 / Via Flickr: tomhaines

    Pretty much anything without electric parts should be fine.

    7. Your greasy hairbrushes and combs.

    Robert Couse-Baker / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: 29233640@N07

    As long as it's plastic and not made of boar bristles. Also, pull the hair out of the brush first.

    8. Pacifiers.

    Douglas Porter / CC BY-NC-ND http://2.0 / Via Flickr: ahhyeah

    9. Baseball caps.

    Etna Products / Amazon / Via amazon.com

    It'll keep its shape even better if you use one of these.

    10. Your shower shoes.

    11. And your rainboots.

    12. Your pesticide-y garden tools.

    Russ Morris / CC BY-NC-ND http://2.0 / Via Flickr: russmorris

    13. Sex toys.

    http://www.babeland.com/Fusion-Dildo/d/4511
    http://www.babeland.com/Icicles-Daisy-Plug/d/4521

    But only if they're made of a nonporous material (like silicone, glass, or metal) and don't contain electrical components. Check out this guide for more information on how to properly clean sex toys.

    14. Soap dishes.

    Arthaey Angosii / CC BY-NC-ND http://2.0 / Via Flickr: arthaey

    15. Stove grates.

    julochka / CC BY-NC http://2.0 / Via Flickr: julochka

    Make sure the bottoms are enamel coated first. Check out these guides by Viking and GE for more information.

    16. And stove knobs.

    Ian Watkins / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: ianwatkins

    17. Dusty vent covers.

    Signature Hardware / Via signaturehardware.com

    Plastic, aluminum, and steel ones are dishwasher safe. Wash painted ones by hand.

    18. And dusty dust pans.

    19. Light switch plates.

    Mandy Jensen / CC BY-NC-ND http://2.0 / Via Flickr: drh

    Get them a few shades whiter again.

    20. Your showerhead.

    Tasayu Tasnaphun / CC BY-NC-ND http://2.0 / Via Flickr: tasayu

    Break down the hard water.

    21. Sports gear.

    Chris / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / Via Flickr: xt0ph3r

    Keep the stench out of your laundry hamper. Knee pads, shin guards, and helmets are all fair game.

    22. Your toothbrush.

    Morgan / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: meddygarnet

    Just because it does the cleaning doesn't mean it's clean.

    23. Your stove hood filter.

    HomeSpot HQ / CC BY http://2.0 / Via Flickr: 86639298@N02

    24. BONUS: Salmon

    Faith Durand / Via thekitchn.com

    OK, so you can't actually wash salmon in the dishwasher, but according to a number of brave cooks and bloggers, you can cook it in there. Just make sure you wrap it up tightly in tin foil so no detergent or excess water seeps in, and put it on the top rack of the dishwasher. You can find directions on The Kitchn. Hey, it's worth a shot.