Ever since Martha, the Martha Stewart documentary came out on Netflix, we've been even more in love with Stewart than we already were. One of my biggest takeaways from the film was that much of Martha's advice from 20 years ago is just as good today. While revisiting her old clips, I unearthed some of her most timeless and much-needed advice: Dishwashing 101.
In a clip posted by Martha Moments, a Stewart fan blog, Stewart reveals items to include, and items to never put in the dishwasher. She tells the camera, 'You might think that loading a dishwasher is a fait accompli, but you know, I'm sometimes very surprised when I visit a friend's home and I see how the dishes and the pots and the pans are stacked in a dishwasher. I would just like to run through Dishwasher 101 because I think we all have a lot to learn about what can and what cannot go in a dishwasher.'
Many of the items that Stewart loads in her dishwasher in the clip came as a surprise. A general rule seems to be, if it's steel, it's good to go. 'Mixing bowls like this, stainless steel, glass, yes,' says Stewart holding up a stainless steel mixing bowl. 'A dishwasher clean is excellent. Always load them in upside down.' She continues, 'Tongs, ladles, anything made out of stainless steel or hard metal like this, yes.'
Unexpectly, most kitchen utensils are fine for the dishwasher, according to Stewart. 'Fine strainers like this, graters like that,' she says holding up a mesh strainer and a microplane. 'They clean wonderfully in a dishwasher. Rinse them off a little bit. If there's a lot of lemon peel stuck on your grater run it under the hot water before you put it in the dishwasher. The same with the strainer and sort of bang it a little bit to get out the really heavy-duty collections down in the bottom of the strainer,' she advises.
Many assume that pots and pans don't go in the dishwasher, but Martha Stewart's cookware goes straight in. She says: 'Teflon lined or non-stick lined pans wash beautifully in the dishwasher. Stainless steel pots and pans come out bright and clean. Actually, the more you wash them the nicer they are.' She holds up a wok and saucepan, 'Big pots and pans like this? Perfect in the dishwasher.'
Don't be fooled into believing everything can go into the dishwasher, there are still many mistakes to avoid when cleaning kitchenware. First, nothing wooden should go in. Stewart states: 'Wooden handled spatula or wooden handled tools? No. No matter what you were told if you really want to prolong the life of beautiful equipment like this, just don't put wood handles in a dishwasher.'
She adds: 'Wooden spoons? No. Never.' She holds up a wooden cutting board stating: 'Wooden boards like this, never. If you have the white plastic cutting boards, if they'll fit in your dishwasher, it's a good idea to wash them in there it gets them really clean.'
Unsurpringly, the best chef's knives should never be washed in the machine. 'And here's something else that should never go into a dishwasher,' she says, holding up a chef's knife. 'A beautiful kitchen knife. These are so beautifully made and the joinery just won't withstand the rigors of a dishwasher.' She adds that rubber scrapers should also never be placed in the dishwasher.
Anything that requires any level of seasoning should be handwashed to avoid stripping. Though her assertion on cast-iron pan maintenance was no surprise, her statement on cake pans was. She states: 'Cake pans too. I just don't wash these in the dishwasher. Once they've gotten the patina of age in a cake pan, the cakes will stick less and less and less as the cake pans get older.'
In Stewart's opinion, delicate or precious items like china or silver should also never be placed in the dishwasher. She says, 'Another thing I wouldn't dream of putting in a dishwasher are any of my antique plates. Look what happened, I bought these plates recently at a consignment shop and several of the plates had been washed a lot, I think in the dishwasher,' the camera zooms in on fading on one of the plates. 'The same pattern, now non-existent on this plate, and what a shame. It would have just meant a little bit of hand washing.' She adds: 'A knife with a silver handle and a steel blade should never go in the dishwasher or risk loosening the joint that holds the blade and the handle.'
No matter how well you choose what to put in the dishwasher, it's pointless if your dishwasher or detergent is ineffective. Here are a few of our top dishwasher pod picks.
These cascade platinum laundry pods are some of the most highly rated on Amazon. Their fresh scent and extra large pack make them a great choice.
If you want a quick and affordable option, there's nothing more classic than these pods. The price is always right.
If you prefer a more sustainable option, these Seventh Generation dishwasher pods check all the boxes.
Beyond what you put in the dishwasher, it's important to stock it in a way that ensures everything gets clean. When it comes to silverware, she recommends alternating with some forks down, some spoons down, and some facing the other way. This keeps spoons from cradling, ensuring everything gets clean. She also suggests, 'Don't let the stainless steel touch your silverware, because if they touch, the silver might get scratched. Stewart recommends paying attention to where the sources of water in your dishwasher are to ensure that every dish gets cleaned.
