Shea Simmons
Using your dishwasher seems easy enough. Dishes go in, you hit a button, and poof—clean dishes. But there’s one thing you might be doing that’s harming your dishes.
Putting plastic on the bottom rack is a no-go when it comes to using your dishwasher correctly.
While you probably already know not to place delicate items, like wine glasses, on the bottom rack, you might have thought your Tupperware would be just fine (I did). Turns out, though, your dishwasher might be what’s causing you to have to replace your plastic storage containers so often.
The bottom rack is the hottest area of your dishwasher, so when you place plastic down there, it gets the brunt of the heat, which can cause it to warp and eventually become unusable. Instead, items like plastic storage containers should be on the top rack.
Don’t forget to look for a “dishwasher safe” notification on your plastic items before putting them in the dishwasher, as well.
Certain plastics should never go in the dishwasher, as the heat could cause harmful chemicals to leach from them. Also, try to avoid using any high-temperature settings, like “Sanitize,” just to be safe.
If you’ve found yourself with wonky plastic food containers you’ve had to replace, your dishwasher could be the culprit, so, next time, move them up to the top rack.
If your dishwasher isn’t performing as well as it usually does, it could just need a good cleaning.
[Via The Spruce]
