Photo via Wide Open Spaces.

Once your dishes are clean, did you know you can then put baseball caps in the dishwasher? You sure can, says Real Simple. And action figures and other small toys too – just put them in a mesh lingere bag. Just don’t put anything with your food. Ick.

“Hairbrushes and combs made of plastic can take a spin,”  reports the magazine, “but not wood or natural boar-bristle brushes. Be sure to remove all the hair first to protect the drain.”

In the food arena, dishwashers can help “potatoes can get nice and clean in the top rack with a rinse-only cycle (no detergent).” It may sound crazy, but makes “mashed potatoes for 20 a lot quicker.”

You can’t put cast-iron, enameled-cast-iron, and copper pots and pans. Why? “Cast iron rusts; enameled cast iron chips; copper dents.” You also should avoid “formal dishes and nice flatware which can get worn with repeated washings. Rule of thumb: If it’s something you would cry over harming or losing, don’t put it in. (If you do put sterling silver in the dishwasher, use about a tablespoon of detergent and don’t mix it with stainless-steel flatware; a chemical reaction between the metals can discolor the silver.)”

You should also avoid putting in wooden spoons or wooden cutting boards “that can warp and crack. If you don’t mind replacing them frequently, throw them in; otherwise wash them in the sink.”

Read more at Real Simple. Apparently, you can cook salmon in a dishwasher too.

What about you? Any new ideas for a dishwasher? What creative items do you put in yours? What do you keep out?