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Can You Put Bleach in the Dishwasher with Dishes? (Answered)

There are several categories of dishes that you will be able to wash in a dishwasher. Some can be cleaned using bleach, others will be damaged when in contact with bleach.

In this article, we will take a thorough look at whether you can put bleach in the dishwasher with dishes. Read ahead to learn more about it.

Can you put bleach in the dishwasher with dishes?

You can put bleach in the dishwasher with dishes as long as the dishes come with a bleach-safe label. Make sure to place the dishes in the top rack when you’re putting the bleach in the dishwasher with dishes. Run the machine in full cycle and avoid the drying cycle.

There are several categories of dishes that go into the dishwasher. So you will have to be careful when putting them into the dishwasher, not all of them are designed to be cleaned with bleach.

You will find many dishes in the market that come with a label that indicates that it is safe to wash this dish with bleach.

You can only put bleach in the dishwasher with dishes when you’re cleaning dishes that are marked with dishwasher-safe and bleach-safe labels. Otherwise, you will cause severe damage to both the dishes and the dishwasher in turn.

In addition, you will have to make sure that the dishes are placed in the top-most rack of the dishwasher.

This will help you clean the dishes better. Moreover, you will have to run the dishwasher in a full cycle. After that, you should avoid the drying cycle in the dishwasher.

All that being said, make sure to never use bleach in stainless steel dishes, dishwashers, or dishes that even contain a stainless-steel part. Bleach will damage any stainless steel that it comes in contact with.

While you can put bleach on dishes, you should refrain from using it too often. Bleach has the potential to damage the door and inner lining of your dishwasher as well.

In addition, powdered bleach will also damage the dishes when used too frequently. So you should only use bleach on your dishes every once in a while.

Can you wash dishes in the dishwasher with bleach?

Yes, you can wash dishes in the dishwasher with bleach. You will have to pour one cup of bleach into the dishwasher with dishes. Make sure that the dishes are dishwasher-safe and bleach-safe.

In addition, you will have to make sure that the dishes are kept in the top rack. This will ensure a thorough cleaning of your dishes. However, while you are at it, make sure that you’re not using bleach in your dishwasher too frequently.

Use it only about once a month in order to prevent any damage for the dishwasher and the dishes themselves.

Bleach can damage the inner lining of your dishwasher. It can also damage the rubber of the machine’s door. So you will have to be careful with bleach, as it is a very strong and harmful cleaner.

What happens if you put bleach in a dishwasher?

The following may happen if you put bleach in a dishwasher:

Disinfects and sanitizes the dishwasher:

Bleach is commonly used inside dishwashers with the purpose of sanitizing and disinfecting the dishwasher. This product is used to clean the interior of the dishwasher as well as the dishes in it.

Bleach also has an innate property of terminating bacteria and cleaning the surface that it is put on. So you can put bleach in the dishwasher with the goal to disinfect and sanitize the dishwasher.

Affects the dishwasher:

If you’re not careful with the amount of bleach that you’re using in the dishwasher, you can damage the dishwasher itself.

Bleach is safe for occasional use in dishwashers as long as the inner lining of the machine is not coated with stainless steel.

Bleach has the potential to completely damage stainless steel material. So if your dishwasher comes with a stainless steel inner coating, then the bleach is sure to damage the machine.

And even if the dishwasher does not contain stainless steel, frequent use of bleach will damage the rubber lining in the door of the dishwasher.

Is it safe to put bleach in your dishwasher?

Yes, it is safe to put bleach in a dishwasher. But there are a handful of conditions associated with this answer. For example, you will have to make sure that the interior of the dishwasher does not have any stainless steel lining that the bleach will damage.

Bleach is damaging towards stainless steel, so you will have to make sure not to put any dish that is made of stainless steel inside the dishwasher as well.

And if the dishwasher has any stainless steel lining inside it, then it will be damaged by the bleach as well. In such a case, you will have to refrain from using bleach in the dishwasher. Otherwise, it is safe.

Moreover, you should not use bleach in the dishwasher too frequently. Bleach contains many harmful elements in it. If you use it too frequently, you are likely to damage the dishes as well as the dishwasher.

Will bleach damage a dishwasher?

Bleach is not likely to damage the dishwasher as long as you’re not using bleach too frequently. In addition, check the inside of your dishwasher for any stainless steel part. Bleach is particularly damaging toward stainless steel.

If your dishwasher has any stainless steel lining on the inside, it will be damaged by the bleach. In addition, frequent use of the bleach will damage the rubber in the door of the dishwasher as well. So you should be careful not to use the dishwasher too frequently.

You should use bleach in your dishwasher only once a month. Any more than that and you may have a risk of damaging the dishwasher.

Can you mix bleach and dishwasher detergent in the dishwasher?

No, you should not mix dishwasher detergent and bleach in the dishwasher. This may cause a harmful chemical reaction that has the potential of damaging the dishwasher.

You should always avoid mixing hand-washing detergent with bleach in the dishwasher.

In such a case, there are some formulations that contain ingredients such as ammonia. When mixed with chlorine bleach, there will be a harmful chemical reaction.

It will create harmful chemical gas inside the dishwasher that will prove to be quite damaging to the machine. So you should always avoid mixing bleach and dishwasher detergent in the dishwasher.

Otherwise, there may be sudden chemical reactions inside the dishwasher that will damage the interior of the machine as well as the dishes that are placed inside it.

How to use bleach in the dishwasher?

Here’s how you can use bleach in the dishwasher:

Check the material of the dishwasher:

The first step would involve you to check the material of the dishwasher. You want to make sure that the interior of the dishwasher is not made with stainless steel. Otherwise, bleach may damage the interior of your dishwasher.

Bleach is particularly harmful towards stainless steel. Bleach is likely to discolor and corrode any stainless steel that it comes in contact with.

So if you notice that the interior of your dishwasher contains any stainless steel part, you should not use any bleach in it.

Place some bleach on the top-most rack of the dishwasher:

Now that you have run a thorough check inside the dishwasher to see it does not contain any stainless steel part, you can proceed with the cleaning part.

You should now place a cup full of liquid bleach solution on the top rack of the dishwasher.

You can also place the bleach in a bowl or a pot. Ensure that you have one cup of bleach in this case as well. But make sure that the bowl is not made of stainless steel.

Run the dishwasher:

Now it is time to run your dishwasher. Set the dishwasher at its highest heat setting.

This will ensure that the bleach is tossed thoroughly inside the dishwasher. This process will also help you get rid of any mold and mildew from the dishwasher.

Final Thoughts

You can put bleach in the dishwasher with dishes. This will help you clean both the dishwasher and the dishes at the same time. Make sure that the dishes are dishwasher-safe and bleach-safe. But do not repeat the process more than once a month if you want to avoid damaging the machine.