Dishwashers-what do use yours for?

[Ekkwhine]

Aside from the obvious of course!!!

And also what's best, the all in one detergents or separate rinse aid and salt?

Thankyou

I'm currently running kids waste paper bins, the toddler step and pet bowls through. Do I need to run an empty wash after or anything? Common sense is telling me that between the detergent and steam it's already clean in there, but I'm still a bit grossed out.

morebeta the toilet brush thing is gross

Food waste caddy goes in.

marooned - back in the day the childrens' potty went in.

I used to rinse it first obviously - much as I do now with the toilet brush and its receptacle.

No one has died.

Ewwww that is all

Putting a toilet brush in the dishwasher is the single most disgusting thing I have ever read on MN.

I haven't ever washed a toilet brush, but I don't see why not, as the dishwasher sterilises itself.

My DH does car engine parts in DW - but not at the same time as crockery.
I've put plastic toys and suchlike in, but definitely draw the line at lavatory brushes........
Don't put lead crystal in as it goes cloudy.

But ... Everyone puts in plates or chopping boards that's have had vegetable peelings on. These have been sprayed with animal poo fertiliser and wee'd on by farm workers. Are they cleaner than a loo brush?

Can I quickly hijack? Another DW rookie here. What temp and cycle is the right one to use for just daily general use? And how often should the rinse aid and salt need topping up if it's used once per day?

IKEA sell loo brushes for about 40p. I think I'd just buy a new one as needed, rather than know one had been in the dishwasher.

All of the above (except the loo brush) plus greying whites like school shirts. It's particularly good for dirty shirt collars and cuffs when you get that ground in effect. Also the washing machine dispenser drawer and the tumble dryer filters.

I did two plastic storage boxes in mine the other day, they only just fit but came out good as new despite being over 20 years old as they were my toy boxes when I was little!

Yeah, definitely watch out for things being stained orange if you put them in the same load as a tomatoey saucepan... Lost a few of DS's baby bottles that way! Well, they would've been fine to use but they just look stupid and I felt annoyed every time I saw them, so I ended up chucking them.

I had one of those high chairs that sat on top of a dining chair. That used to go in.

Inner removable glass from the oven door.

Kids lunch bags.

Toothbrush mugs.

I have contemplated putting the Toilet Duck Fresh Brush holder in the dishwasher countless times but just haven't got the guts to do it. I definitely wouldn't put a normal loo brush in (if I had one) but the TDFB is basically a handle that's been in the bog with a disposable end thing attached. What do you reckon?

Garden toys

And Lego.

Any 'hard' second hand toys.

Loo brush and bins make me queasy, I hope you at least do it on a really hot wash cycle and not on eco 45 degrees. Hasn't there been some controversy with washing machines recently? Dishwasher is even worse. I do mine outside with boiling water and bleach.

Toilet brushes? In the dishwasher?

Thing is, most dishwashers don't actually sterilise, as in kill all germs, they just don't run hot enough. They sanitise, which is a different thing altogether and just means making stuff clean & hygienic. That's why I wouldn't put anything other than our cutlery, crockery, pans & cooking equipment in there.

I'm quite prepared to admit that I might be a clean freak, but I don't even put pet bowls in mine, just don't like the thought of our dishes being washed with theirs. Pet bowls get washed in the utility room sink in very hot soapy water.

That does make sense. For it to kill all germs it would have to run at 100 degrees and they don't do they?

Stirrup irons horsebits.

To sterilise food you need to heat it to 70 degrees. You can cook food in a dishwasher (see salmon example above).

A dishwasher runs at 70 degrees - or at least ours does. You would die of food poisoning if our dishwasher didn't kill bacteria. The chemicals in the dishwasher tablet also destroy bacteria.

Horse stirrups - have you seen what is on the floor in a stable!

Same issue really.

toilet brush

mine does a 45 degree and a 55 degree - I'm still feeling really ill at the thought of those loo brushes