With the purchase of a dishwasher, there is often a desire to wash everything that comes to hand. But some dishes and kitchen utensils should never be washed in PMM. So, aluminum dishes in the dishwasher run the risk of deteriorating. Why this happens and how to cope with the consequences, we will consider in the review.
Why avoid washing aluminum in PMM
The dishes become coated, as aluminum is too active metal and reacts with other substances, including water. Its surface is an oxide film that dissolves in an alkaline medium.
Alkalis are often part of the kitchen "chemistry". Manufacturers use them to better wash complex contaminants. The combination of alkalis with hot water helps to wash off the oxide film from aluminum objects. After that, they freely react with water, which ends with the destruction of the metal and the appearance of a dark coating. If you constantly place aluminum cookware in such conditions, it will finally darken and collapse.
Users share their experience that when washing in water at a 35-degree temperature, this effect was not observed. But after a few sinks, the effect will be felt.
Important! It is necessary to use aluminum utensils correctly so that metallic impurities do not enter the body. Cook in it, but do not store dishes and foods, do not scrape burnt food.
Manual washing is not capable of causing such damage to the dishwasher as a dishwasher, because the means for manual washing are less aggressive than the special “chemistry” for PMM. But in this case, no one is safe from the effect of darkening. Do not use hard or metal brushes - you can damage the surface during the usual cleaning.
So, is it possible to wash aluminum dishes in the dishwasher? The answer is unequivocal - no, otherwise the consequences will not take long:
- the appearance of the dishes will be distorted, it will darken;
- It is dangerous for health, as impurities enter the body when the coating is damaged.
How to restore darkened aluminum
If you did not know that aluminum is not intended for washing in PMM, and it has darkened, do not despair. Do you accidentally wash aluminum products: a pot, pan, garlic crush, cutlery or a meat grinder? You can try to bring them back to life. It is important how dark the products are - not everything is subject to restoration.
How to wash dishes, what to do to cope with a dark coating? Start with manual cleaning using specialized tools.
Do not believe the “folk” methods: do not boil dishes with washing powder and soda on the advice of grandmothers - it will only get worse.
Try the following methods if aluminum has oxidized:
- Clean and polish products using GOI paste. Put the substance on a rag or felt napkin and rub the device.
- Polish the damaged utensils with special Dialux paste.
- Treat damaged areas using a HORS car rust converter, and then polish with any of the above. It is recommended to resort to the method when other methods have not yielded results.
You can try to clean the aluminum after the dishwasher with nitric or sulfuric acid, but this is not safe. Weaker acids, such as citric or acetic, are unlikely to cope.
Important! Even when washing aluminum dishes by hand, avoid normal detergents. Use special gels and powders for aluminum or a bar of kitchen soap.
What other utensils should not be placed in the PMM
We already wrote about what dishes cannot be washed in a dishwasher, but since we are talking about aluminum, we recall that with it you should not put such products in the hopper:
- Wooden utensils, knives with wooden handles, etc. The tree swells and cannot be restored, since it irretrievably loses its appearance.
- Dishes made of silver and cupronickel - it darkens, like aluminum.
Important! Some manufacturers, such as Neff, offer the buyer a lot of accessories for dishwashers, among which you can find containers for washing silver.
- Teflon pans - non-stick properties are lost in the dishwasher. An exception is cases when there is an icon on the packaging that allows washing the product in PMM.
- Knives - in hot water they begin to blunt quickly.
- Porcelain (especially elite) - it may darken and cease to shine.
When washing any dishes and utensils, it is worthwhile to monitor the water temperature of the selected mode and correctly place the dishes in baskets. Even ordinary dishes can deteriorate if you wash them in boiling water with a high concentration of aggressive chemicals.
Output
Aluminum utensils - a taboo for dishwashers. If you need a new meat grinder or frying pan, do not listen to anyone's advice and wash them by hand. The mistakes of thousands of users should be a good example for you.
And a “snack” tip:
Nastya, Moscow
Several times washed the knives and nets from a new meat grinder in the dishwasher. Each time their appearance worsened. I leafed through the entire manual to the meat grinder - not a word about it. When everything became completely dark with the fifth wash, I carried it to the store - change it or let it in. It was there that they asked me if I washed the parts in the dishwasher. In general, I did not draw a parallel right away. But the consultant in the store clearly told that the parts are aluminum and they cannot be washed in the machine. They did not issue a refund, but they advised a cleaning agent. Bought, I will try.