Stick that in your Dishwasher

I think we can all agree that after a great meal the last thing that any of us want to do is, WASH DISHES. I for one would much rather finish the evening with a good cup of coffee, and some stimulating conversation. Enter the dishwasher. The dishwasher is a great time saving, soggy raisin finger saving, what in God's name is stuck to this plate saving miracle machine. Yes I am a fan. But, as with any machine, there are rules for operation. Some times we as human beings tend to go a bit overboard when trying to save time. It's not that we are lazy, it's just that we would rather do something else. There are some impulses that we must learn to tame. That being said, I have compiled a list of things that should never, never go in the dishwasher.


1. My baseball cards, no really these should never ever go in the dishwasher, that's number 1.

2. Silver flatware, The detergent will tarnish the silver, flatware also has a tendency to move around in the dishwasher, silver is a soft metal, the flatware could "scar."

3. Anything made of crystal i.e. vase's, lamp shades, glass ware. For some of the same reasons as the silver.

4. Your roommates ferret, sure he's a smelly little bugger, and it may seem like a good idea, but trust me you'll be sorry.

5. Expensive knives (regardless of what the handle is made out of, they shouldn't go in the sink either for that matter) The blade has a tendency to dull faster and it can become damaged.

6. Soft plastics i.e. some of the containers you get food in, like sour cream and such, if you want to reuse them hand washing is the way to go because they have a tendency to melt in the dish washer.

7. A bag of flour, I don't know why anyone would want to put a bag of flour in the dishwasher, I'm just putting it out there that it's a bad idea.

8. Anything made from cast iron i.e skillets, dutch ovens, and stew pots. The iron has a tendency to rust when it gets wet. Washing should be done by hand, and it should be done quickly. Also, the dish washer will ruin the pans seasoning. ( if you don't know what I mean by seasoning just leave me a comment and I'll be glad to explain it to you).

9. Your record collection. I know it seems like a quick and easy way to wash the dust and grime off old lp's, but it will compromise the integrity of the vinyl.

10. Anything made of wood i.e. cutting boards, wooden spoons, knives with wooden handles. A lot of these things are held together with glue, hot water from the dishwasher can melt the glue and also lead to splintering of the wood.

True, dishwashers are great, and I am a fan of anything that can make my life easier. But some times there is just no substitute for doing things by hand, we wouldn't want machines for everything. It's important to remember that the dishwasher is a tool and that it has limitations.