Appliance repairer’s warning about cleaning anything other than dishes in the dishwasher

Dishwashers are brilliant at cleaning kitchenware and supposedly a long list of all sorts of weird and wonderful items.

However, an appliance repair technician has warned against putting anything other than dishes in there because of the dangers to us, our pets and the dishwasher itself.

Renae, who posts advice and tips about appliances on her TikTok page @renduh, was reacting to a video from the brand Tru Earth Movement.

Watch the video above.

The laundry brand’s TikTok video claimed “weird things” like dog toys, caps, hairbrushes, toothbrushes and sponges can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

But Renae slammed that advice and explained why it was wrong.

Addressing dog toys first, she said dog toys can only go in the dishwasher if the toys or their packaging say it’s dishwasher safe.

READ MORE: An ode to the $8 stain beating pen that goes with me everywhere

“There are plenty of dog toys that are not dishwasher safe. First of all, because a lot of those materials might melt or warp in the dishwasher, and secondly because a lot of those materials are absorbent – dishwashers are made for dishes, which are not very absorbent,” she said.

“If you put the wrong material in the dishwasher and you happen to run some chemicals like dishwasher detergent through it, it can seep into the dog toys and potentially poison them.”

Moving on to hats, Renae explained the plastic brims will warp in the dishwasher. She also noted that the care instructions on the cap she was holding in the video said hand wash only, so it can’t even go in the washing machine.

Renae said toothbrushes shouldn’t go in the dishwasher for the same reasons she listed for dog toys and caps.

As for hairbrushes, Renae claims the plastic it’s made with isn’t designed to go into the dishwasher.

She also warned that any hair in the hairbrush is likely to get stuck in various parts of the dishwasher and “cause a lot of problems”.

READ MORE: Expert reveals why you’re probably using dishwasher tablets wrong

While we can probably all agree on not putting dog toys, caps, hairbrushes and toothbrushes in the dishwasher, sponges are something many advise to clean in the dishwasher.

But the appliance repair tech was quite firm about not putting sponges in there because they can absorb any chemicals that go in the dishwasher.

Instead she suggested putting your damp sponge in the microwave for 30 seconds to clean it, but only if it’s not plastic or contains metal.

READ MORE: A $1.90 Coles buy has topped CHOICE’s dishwashing liquid review

As you’d expect, sponges were the hot topic in the comments section. People were particularly curious about Sponge Daddy sponges, which say they are top-rack dishwasher safe on the packaging.

“I’ve seen more than one sponge say ‘do not microwave; clean in dishwasher’,” one said.

“Watching this while my dishwasher is running with the sponge in it,” another commented.

Renae finished her video by urging “common sense” when using the dishwasher.

“The only things you should be washing in your dishwasher are the things that the dishwasher is intended to wash, like dishes,” she said.

Tru Earth responded to Renae’s criticism of its video on weird things you can clean in the dishwasher in the comments section of her TikTok.

“Thank you for featuring us on your page. We don’t recommend anything we don’t try first,” the brand said.

READ MORE: Top three things you should never put in the dishwasher

It turns out dog toys and toothbrushes aren’t the weirdest things people have cleaned in their dishwasher though.

More than one person revealed in the comments that they are aware of someone who cleans their toilet brush in there. And recently a TikTok video of a person putting a toilet seat in the dishwasher went viral.

“Helping clean up after a dinner party and they had put their toilet brush in their dishwasher with dishes. You can’t eat at everybody’s house,” one said.

For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.

20 mistakes you could be making when using your dishwasher