True Confessions of My Dishwasher

©Copyright 2010 Mary Hunt - 05/18/2010 - www.debtproofliving.com - Used by permission

I got the idea while sitting in the hot sun at a local car wash. In the garage where workers detail fancy cars, I noticed they were putting the floor mats into something that looked like an ancient dishwasher. Hey, why couldn't that work in my kitchen? I couldn't wait to try.

I've washed both rubber and carpet mats in my dishwasher and the results are spectacular. I use the “Pots and Pans” option to get the longest wash cycle with the hottest water. I even add the normal amount of detergent. I fold them over to make them fit, so a mat looks like an upside down “U” in the machine. Then, I take them out before the drying cycle so they don’t shrink or change shape. A few minutes in the sun is all it takes to make them perfectly flat again.

I love to wash grungy baseball caps in the top rack of the dishwasher. I run them through a normal cycle complete with detergent. They come out clean, bright and still looking like caps. I rescue them before the dry cycle, set them on a “form” like a big coffee can and reshape the brims before they dry. It’s amazing. I’ve washed cotton, twill and mesh caps with great results, but never caps made of wool. I’m brave, but not that brave.

I routinely wash the aluminum filter from my range hood in the dishwasher, along with the drip pans from the stovetop. Plastic baby bibs, toys, flip-flops and even my hand tools from the garden get loaded into the magic machine on a regular basis.

I even cook fish in my dishwasher. I’ll confess that I have, on occasion, cooked salmon along with a load of dirty dishes and detergent, too.

Dishwasher Salmon
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heavy-duty aluminum foil

Cut two 12-inch square sheets of aluminum foil. Grease the shiny side of the foil with the olive oil. Place two fillets side by side on each square, and fold up the outer edges. Drizzle one tablespoon lime juice over each fillet. Season with salt and pepper. Fold and pinch the aluminum foil tightly to create a watertight seal around each pair of fillets. Make sure the packets are airtight by pressing down gently with your hand. If air escapes easily, rewrap.

Place fish packets on the top rack of your dishwasher. Set dishwasher to the "normal" cycle. (“Energy saver” and “air dry” settings won’t work since they conserve heat; the “Pots and Pans" setting overcooks the fish.)

Run the salmon packets through the entire wash-and-dry cycle, approximately 50 minutes for most models. When complete, take salmon out, discard foil, place one fillet on each plate and spoon a generous serving of your favorite dill sauce or lemon butter on top.

Don't have a dishwasher? Bake foil-wrapped packets in a preheated 400 F oven for 12 minutes.

What do you put in your dishwasher besides dishes? Or do you think I’m crazy? Pop over to my blog, Money Rules, Debt Stinks! to share your ideas.