5 Things You Should Always Throw Into the Dishwasher If There’s Room

Loading the dishwasher is a special art (that couples and roommates love to fight about). Maybe you’ve mastered your own loading system, one that wastes no space while also still making sure everything gets cleaned. Maybe you often find yourself needing to run a load that’s not totally full? If you fall into this second group, we’d like to suggest adding a few things to your next load.

Here are five things you should always throw into your dishwasher if you have the space.

Isn’t it wild how quickly a recently cleaned microwave can get sticky and splatter-y? Obviously, you’ll have to hand wash the inside (try steaming a bowl of lemon water to make removing all that gunk easier), but you can toss the turntable right into the dishwasher for a thorough clean. Put it in the bottom rack like it’s a plate.

Your sink strainer is probably grosser (and smellier) than you realize. Empty it out over the trash and get as much food out of the holes as you can (you don’t want them clogging up your dishwasher filter), and then put it on the top rack of your dishwasher.

If you have a wood drying rack, definitely don’t expose it to the heat in your dishwasher. But for anyone with a plastic or metal dish drying rack, your dishwasher is the perfect place for a refreshing bath. Put it on the top rack and it can also help to hold down plastic food storage containers that could otherwise flip over while they’re being cleaned.

Spoon rests are a great way to keep your counter from getting messy while you cook, but that means they need frequent cleaning. If your spoon rest is dishwasher safe, add it to the top rack each night.

Hard water can make your dishes look cloudy or dirty — even after they’ve been through the dishwasher. But some vinegar in a dishwasher-safe bowl on the top rack of your dishwasher can help combat that.

This post originally ran on Kitchn. See it there: 5 Things You Should Always Throw Into the Dishwasher If There’s Room