Dishwashers can handle ‘nearly anything,’ from toys to old IBM keyboards

For anyone staring down a pile of hand-wash-only clutter at the sink, a simple question is fueling debate online: How much of it really needs to be scrubbed by hand?

That was the idea behind a lively Reddit discussion in which users argued that the dishwasher many people reserve for plates and cups can handle much more, from kids’ toys to cutlery organizers — though not without some important caveats.

Here’s what to know

The conversation started in a Reddit thread on r/CleaningTips, where the OP said the tip was both a cleaning hack and a mindset shift.

“You can put nearly anything you want in the dishwasher and run it as many times as you like: pots & pans, plastic bins & baskets, cutlery organizers, kids toys etc.,” the OP said. “Make things easy for yourself.”

Some replies pushed that logic well beyond standard kitchen items.

One commenter said, “I used to put my old IBM Model M keyboards in the dishwasher. You just had to let them sit out for a couple days until you were 100% sure…