Ahh, the dishwasher. We know it as one of the kitchen's biggest time-saving luxuries.
But what you may not know is that the dishwasher cleans much more than just dirty plates and spoons. You can actually use this sudsy powerhouse to quick-wash all sorts of household goods, from pet toys to plastic hairbrushes.
We rounded up 7 of the most surprising finds you can clean in a dishwasher, according to Carolyn E. Forté, director of home appliances and cleaning products at the the Good Housekeeping Institute. Her favorites include:
Most of these items require just a single quick-wash cycle in your dishwasher to become more squeaky clean than if you washed them by hand. Be sure to check items like pet bowls first, of course, to make sure they're labeled "dishwasher safe."
That being said, not every item should be run though a dishwasher. Check out the slideshow below for a list of items to avoid:
You can find more spring cleaning tips like these in the April issue of Good Housekeeping.