Clean Your Hat (And Other things) In The Dishwasher

That ball cap is well seasoned and you have to break down and wash it. Put it in the dishwasher!

First you buy a plastic hat washing thing-a-ma-jiggy and put you hat in it. Then place it in the dishwasher and run a regular cycle. You hat will come clean! I have done this with several of mine. According to the Woman's Day Cleaning guide you can clean several things in the dishwasher.

1. Glass Globes from Light
Fixtures
It's
amazing how much brighter a room will look after this cleaning task is checked
off your to-do list. "Run these through on the top shelf and make sure there's
space between them because the glass is more fragile than what's used for
drinking glasses," says Trotter. Use the delicate, china or crystal cycle if
available, and skip the heated dry option. And to be safe, avoid washing antique
or hand-painted globes or those with gold-leaf trim in the dishwasher.

2. Shower Heads and Faucet
Handles
If your shower head is spraying sporadically from clogged
holes or your faucet handles aren't as shiny as they used to be, place these on
the top rack and run the pots and pans cycle. It's fine to run cookware through
at the same time, so you're not wasting a wash for these few items.
3. Plastic Hair Brushes,
Combs, Clips and Barrettes
These personal care items get coated
with hair products, but clean up well
in the dishwasher, says Trotter. Remove all strands of hair, then corral
everything in a mesh lingerie bag or dishwasher basket on the top rack. Run a normal
cycle. One note: Don't try this trick with wood-handled or natural bristle
brushes because the water and heat can damage them.

4. Baseball Hats and
Visors
"The dishwasher is a fantastic way to make sure hats keep
their shapes," says Linda Cobb, a cleaning expert who is also known as the Queen of Clean. Put hats on the top rack, head
opening down, on a separate wash cycle from dishes because you can't use
dishwasher detergent (many contain bleaching agents). Instead, fill the
detergent cup with borax, found in the supermarket laundry aisle. Run a regular
cycle without the heated dry option, then place hat over a glass or jar to dry.
Reshape brim while damp.
5. Plastic Toys

Small plastic items such as baby toys, teethers and action figures can get
funky pretty fast. Toss them in a mesh bag or dishwasher basket and place on the
top rack. "Wash these on a normal cycle along with your other dishes," says Donna Smallin, author of The One-Minute
Cleaner.

6. Pet Bowls and
Toys
It's
generally fine to load these with other dishes. "Wash them regularly to prevent
the growth of bacteria that can make both you and your pet sick," says Kimberly
May, DVM, of the American Veterinary Medical Association. "But it's prudent to
run a separate load or use the sanitize cycle if you have a baby or a
familymember with a suppressed immune system." Most dishwasher-safe toys are
labeled accordingly on the package or manufacturer's website. However, if you're
not sure whether the material will hold up in the dishwasher, just to be safe,
you can also soak toys in 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, and rinse well. Rope
toys and rawhide chews can't be cleaned; toss when icky.

7. Kitchen Dish Sponges
and Brushes
Load these up at the same time you do the regular
dishes, suggests Smallin. The top rack is usually the best place so you can
stand them up or wedge between other items. Run through on a normal cycle.

8. Kitchen Appliance
Parts
Once a week, load all of these into the dishwasher to make
the whole kitchen seem shinier: chrome drip pans, enamel-coated gas grates and
burner caps, fridge water dispenser grate, sink plugs, microwave tray and range
hood grease filters. Use the normal washing cycle.

9. Butter Dishes, Sugar
Bowls, Spoon Rests, and Salt and Pepper Shakers
"We handle all of
these things every day, so they collect lots of grease and grime, which you may
not even notice," says Trotter. Periodically empty sugar, spice and condiments
and wash these containers along with your regular loads. Once they are
completely dry, you can refill them with the contents you set aside before
washing.

10. Personal Care
Items
Toothbrushes, toothbrush holders, goopy soap dishes, nail
brushes, plastic makeup brushes and bathtub drain plugs all benefit from an
occasional run through the dishwasher. Place on the top rack with smaller items
tucked in a dishwasher basket, and wash on a normal cycle with your other
dishes.