I thought this ‘controversy’ was put to rest long ago. But it’s apparently come around again on the social media scene. And some newcomers to the question are once again wondering, is washing your produce in the dishwasher is a real ‘thing’…
I’m reminded of the old, inevit-able phenomenon of ‘reinvent-ing the wheel’. Every few years, the old, vexed question of whe-ther you should – or even can – try cooking your dinner on a hot automobile engine resurfaces. These days, social media makes it easier than ever to recycle such old saws. And every time they come around for another turn on stage, they go viral. Because a new generation is exposed to them for the first time, and goes ape.
In the rotation
So it is that the venerable old almost-urban-legend about washing food in the dishwasher comes back around regularly – like the Diehard trilogy on Netflix.
Thus, for the benefit of newer generations, who haven’t been through the approved course of study, I offer my own version of ‘A Short History of Dishwasher Culinary Arts’.
Some history…
The dishwasher was hailed, on its appearance in the kitchens of America, as the ultimate time-, work-, and wife-saver. According to Wikipedia: “By the 1970s, dishwashers had become commonplace in domestic residences in North America and Western Europe. By 2012, over 75 percent of homes in the United States and Germany had dishwashers.”
But Wikipedia also enshrines another aspect of the dishwasher’s legend and lore. The venerable online ‘people’s encyclopedia’ actually includes in its entry on dishwashers, a section on ‘Alternative Uses’, which describes the once-popular practice of cooking certain foods in the DW.
Which leads us to…
Washing your fruits and veggies in the Magic Machine. And, yes, Wikipedia has the answer to our Question of the Day.
“Dishwashers also have been documented to be used to clean potatoes, other root vegetables, garden tools, sneakers or trainers, silk flowers, some sporting goods, plastic hairbrushes, baseball caps, plastic toys, toothbrushes, flip-flops, contact lens cases, a mesh filter from a range hood, refrigerator shelves and bins, toothbrush holders, pet bowls and pet toys.”
Important cautions…
But there are some important provisos, vis à vis food: “Cleaning vegetables and plastics is contro-versial since vegetables can be contaminated by soap and rinse aid from previous cycles and the heat of most standard dishwashers can cause BPA or phthalates to leach out of plastic products.”
BPA and phthalates are just two of many nasty modern-day chemicals you don’t want in your food, for many, many reasons.
My take
The prevailing opinion, then, is you can, indeed:
- Cook in the dishwasher,
- Wash produce in the dishwasher – and…
- Clean all manner of household objects – with the explicit exception of electrical appliances and things that might might melt.
That’s the bell. Thank you for your kind attention. There will be NO quiz next week…
~ Maggie J.