to wash my Crocs in the dishwasher (and poss DC's Clarks too)

[hennybeans]

DC and I all wear Crocs and every few months I put them all in the dishwasher on top rack with kitchen bin lid on bottom rack for a good clean. They come out like new, as does the bin lid. I mentioned this to a friend the other day and she looked a bit horrified like she was making a mental note not to ever eat off my dishes again. Is this disgusting? I put plates that had raw meat on them in the dishwasher so assume if it can kill that bacteria shoes will be ok too.

Also, have been considering putting all the Clarks school shoes in too but haven't had the courage yet. I tried Clarks in the washing machine on a special sport shoe setting but it didn't get them clean at all. They weren't ruined in any way though.

Lastly, (I can see this coming) please don't say I am BU just for wearing Crocs! I have size 9/ 9.5 feet and not a huge array of options. I stay away from the 'clog' styles though.

Just as an aside, I have size 10 feet. So much easier to get shoes than it used to be. I have a number of websites I use. PM me if you want them!

I've never bleached my DW filter. I do, however, use the bottles of cleaner and assume that does the same job.

I rinse the filter daily and bleach it weekly. As I deal with bacteria and cross infection control at work I'm possibly more careful than other people.

If you are using your dishwasher to do the things you say you do, the idea of bleaching your filter should really have been somewhere on that 'cleaner than clean' mentality, surely? What's the point in the bin lid looking glam if your family are all eating faecal matter spread generously into your fork prongs with zillions of extra bacteria breeding like wildfire to add to the experiment?

Errr not nice, putting shoes which has been in contact with all sorts of nasties on the pavement, into something where you put plates where you eat off, no no no.

I wouldn't clean things like boots in my kitchen sink either. What's wrong with a bucket of hot water in the garden.

This reminds me of the episode of The Royale Family with the mother standing at the kitchen sink cleaning dog shit off someone's shoe with a kitchen knife. It made my stomach heave. I didn't dream people would actually do that sort of think in RL.

I only wash dishes in my dishwasher but the idea of putting crocs in doesn't disgust me.

onetwothreefourfive Someone has actually done the salmon . Can you explain the jelly bean vodka please?
I have a large amount of American mum friends (as I'm originally from California) and they all think British mums are straight out of the 1950s for sterilising their bottles. It is common practice there to just wash them in the dw, even for newborns. They also... wait for it... don't boil the water. Tap water is commonly used. American babies are not dropping left and right from any of this so are we just overly concerned about bacteria?

YANBU - I have a policy in my house that if things arebt dishwasher safe then they can sod off. This includes flip flops, the nozzly bits from the dyson... And a boiled sweet once attached itself to the spare keys so in they went. Not the car keys though. I'm not weird.

Haha! I left this thread several hours ago, I come back and people are now cooking in their dw!!

Can it get any better? Is the dishwasher the most versatile domestic appliance known to man?

Hmmm. Eyeing up the dog now.

UK guidelines are based on WHO recommendations - if America isn't party to that then that is up to them! We had the same advice here until fairly recently when it became known that sealed formulas can (very rarely) contain salmonella and other nasties that can be life threatening to babies.Our policy tries to stop even that one in a million from an unnecessary death. I think I'd rather have that policy.

From what I remember though it very much depends on where you live in US as to what is in your water or whether it is well based, so I think perhaps your statement may be rather generalised on the tap water/feed issue.

All beside the point unless you are cleaning your loo brush and bins with the babies bottles whilst poaching a salmon for dinner in the dishwasher just to look like the typical spotless 50's housewife when hubby gets home

I don't know. I can't imagine ever owning Crocs. I put cat food bowls in the dishwasher. 2 of the 4 cats eat on the kitchen table. It's always been that way and we are a quite spectacularly healthy lot. Still don't think I'd put shoes in the dishwasher. Why can't they go in the washing machine?

On toilet brushes , and I can't believe I'm going to write this, but isn't the Toilet Duck with the disposal and flushable cotton bit you clip on to a handle the best thing ever (in the world of toilet brushes)

This is disgusting.

NoArmani is correct. Dishwashers are not autoclaves. It's common sense to keep items that are in contact with faeces (toilet brushes, potties) as far away as possible from items you use for preparing and eating food. FFS, how is this not obvious?

Wash these things in the laundry trough with hot water and bleach. If you don't have a laundry trough, fill a bucket with hot water in the kitchen and take it into the bathroom or outside. Then scrub shitty shoes/loo brushes/potties.

All bacteria is not created equal. People who live in developing countries with no hot running water, let alone a dishwasher, go to great lengths to keep poo bacteria away from eating areas. The thought of deliberately bringing shit into the kitchen out of sheer laziness is making me heave.

I run the bin through occasionally but I draw the line at shoes (they go in the washing machine here), the cat bowls go in with our bowls.

After a 'dirty wash' bins etc I run a clean on the dishwasher itself with one of those cleaner thingies.

We are all still alive and rarely ill, so it is probably OK.

What in god's name is a laundry trough and does everyone have one?

Yes, all these bin lids/shoes/dildos/potties may come up a "treat" in the dishwasher, but really, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

There are many pathogens that are picked up on shoes (especially from dog shit) that will not only survive a dishwasher cycle, they will also multiply and stay in the machine. Ask yourself how often you've had to put a mug or saucepan through another cycle, as there is still food on it?

mindthegap, it's a sink in the laundry. Very deep, stainless steel. The washing machine drains into it.

(Nearly) everyone in Australia has one, yes. When I lived in a flat in the UK, I used a bucket of hot soapy water on the bathroom floor for scrubbing non-kitchen items.

meh, bigger issues to worry about - I'd probably run an empty cycle between that and dishes in case the residual water in the pipes wasn't clean (but that water gets replaced during the next wash cycle). As for the water temp, although the water temp is only 70, the drying cycle gets much hotter - to make the water into steam... so I'd say chances of actual germ contamination are low.

I washed our trampoline through the dishwasher!! All the springs and posts had to be thoroughly cleaned before transit to Australia (stringent quarantine), so I put them all through the dishwasher and voila!

Just don't mention it to dinner guests!

You should rinse visible dirt off anything before putting it in the dishwasher. I can't see anything wrong with putting Crocs in the dishwasher providing they have been soaked in soapy water (hot water plus laundry detergent) first.

My bin lids and small bins go in the dishwasher several times a week.

Meh, something like that wouldn't bother me at all.

I regularly run all manner of things through the dishwasher, including dog and rabbit bowls, DDs plastic step, wellies, safety muzzle and dog collar.

I also make chocolate or sweetie vodka every few months for friends.

My DW is probably my most used appliance - I'd be lost without it.

I am a dog licker plate allower so maligned so MN ers so probably not allowed an opinion.

It's common sense to keep items that are in contact with faeces (toilet brushes, potties) as far away as possible from items you use for preparing and eating food. FFS, how is this not obvious?

I hope you don't allow raw meat in your kitchen then

If you think it would be better to wash shoes in your washing machine, do you also wash tea towels, dish cloths and table cloths in your washing machine?