Dishwashers 6


Can you imagine your kitchen without a dishwasher? Maybe you can, maybe you can’t. This tool has certainly become commonplace in our industrialized society. Yet we may take this tool for granted as soap and lotion makers. Here are a few Dos and Don’ts for your dishwasher using pleasure:

1) Read the manual. I know this sounds like a silly notion but so many of us install equipment and never read the manual because “we already know how to run such a simple machine.” Reading the manual may show that your dishwasher can grind up some foods like cooked rice and beans but it can’t handle an olive pit. Reading the manual may explain how to keep the racks in the best condition for a long time or how to keep the dishwasher smelling fresh when used infrequently.

2) Rinse your dishes but don’t wash them twice. I know people who wash their dishes and then run them through the dishwasher. This tool is not a dish LOCKER, but a dish WASHER. Rinsing saves time, money, energy and detergents.

3) Never, ever, ever wash an item in your dishwasher that has been tainted with a fragrance, essential or flavor oil. You may think “one time won’t hurt.” This is bad thinking because it will be tempting to wash again and again because “so far nothing bad has happened.”

Fragrance, essential and flavor oils are that, OILS. They get trapped in all plastics. Even if you have a stainless steel dishwasher interior the racks are likely coated plastic and the sprayers and wheels can be plastic too. Once these plastics are contaminated with scenting oils then they will continue to give everything a fine coating of scent. This means if you wash your favorite plastic mug in the dishwasher after the dishwasher was contaminated then the mug will smell like the flavors/fragrances/essentials that were placed in the dishwasher. Your Diet Coke, coffee and water will take on the mixture of flavors and odors and make all your beverages undrinkable!

Do yourself a favor, and your budget a favor too, only hand wash items that are used with fragrances, essentials and flavors. Unscented soap buckets and pots may be washed in the dishwasher IF the soap was cold process and the bucket/pot is fresh. If the soap was allowed to set up, hot process or melt and pour soap was made instead of cold process, you will quickly learn that the dishwasher is the most efficient bubble making machine on Earth. You will need a snow shovel to scoop up the suds that are now spilling out the dishwasher and spreading across the floor!

If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated dishwasher for your soap kitchen then make sure you never wash food containers in that same dishwasher.

Happy soaping!

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About Andee

Director of Happiness. I'm a thirty-something soap snob. I've grown up with handmade soaps, and I love them! I really like making lotions, soaps, and perfumes. I adore mixing scents to come up with something new. My favorite scent is either Wicked or Cotton Candy. I tend to hoard fragrances, I even have an Earl Grey Tea from the MMS catalog. I won't tell you how old it is, but it sure is good!

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6 thoughts on “Dishwashers

  • Kinky Witch

    Andee,

    I have troubles getting the last little bit of fragrance out of my essential oil glass bottles. Do you have any tips or suggestions? I also don’t have much luck getting the scent out of the cap, especially if it has that cardboard-type cover inside it.

    Help!

    ~Robin

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    • Andee Post author

      Robin,
      I have three suggestions.

      1) Add a small amount of Everclear or Vodka to the bottle. Cap the bottle, shake well and allow to rest for 24 hours. Pour the liquid into a spray bottle to use as a perfume.
      2) Add a small amount of Cyclomethicone to the bottle. Cap the bottle, shake well and allow to rest for 24 hours. Pour the Cyclomethicone into a spray bottle to use as a dry oil spray.
      3) Add a small amount of fixed oil from a soap batch to the bottle. Cap the bottle and shake well. Pour the oil into your soap batch to aid with the scenting of the soap.

      You can also check the Forum for more information here. http://forum.thesage.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=129

      I hope this helps!
      Andee

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  • Kinky Witch

    Thanks Andee!

    I didn’t even think to check the forum threads for this discussion, so thanks for digging that one up for me. Isopropyl alcohol looks to be the ticket for me. I know I can’t wait to get some of my poor bottles clean.

    ~Robin

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  • AAngels

    Good to know about the dishwasher.
    I never new that I have been washing my items in dishwasher. I do have stainless steel inside but stuff is plastic elsewhere.
    I shall wash them by hand now..
    So to clean the plastic what should I do? Vinegar.

    ~~~kathy

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    • Andee Post author

      The best thing to do with scented items is to coat them in oil. Allow to sit overnight then wash with hot soapy water. This can take a few times but oil is the best solvent for an oil.

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