We’re willing to bet that the only thing you’ve been doing with your dishwasher is what it was designed for: to wash dishes. Perhaps it’s time for you to think outside of the appliance box and do more!

While many warnings have been issued about the things you should not put in the dishwasher like cast iron pans, copper cookware, and your good cutlery, we should also talk about what you can put in it. You can clean, cook, and safely sanitize a number of everyday items without breaking your machine.

Take a look at what you can place in your dishwasher for the sake of convenience and cleanliness. Pay special attention to instructions on where, which cycle, and what temperature to use when popping these items on the rack.

1. Kids’ Toys

   Sanitize plastic toys in the dishwasher by putting small pieces in the silverware compartment and larger ones in the top rack. Switch off the heated dry and wash on the gentle or light wash cycle with a gentle detergent.

2. Baseball Caps

   As unconventional as this sounds, it’s not an uncommon method for washing baseball hats. The first thing you can do is spot clean your cap with a laundry detergent or a pre-treatment solution. Empty the dishwasher and place your cap(s) on the top rack only. Turn off the heated dry function.

   Some caveats: Wash with a gentle soap or detergent that doesn’t contain any bleach and always use the cold water option. Do not ever place a wool cap in the dishwasher. Wool hats or those made with weaker brim materials should be hand-washed. .

3. Shoes

   You’ll note in the video that this applies to plastic or rubber shoes like flip flops. Place them on the top rack and use a little dab of dish soap rather than dish detergent to get them clean. And don’t forget to turn off the heated dry. Let them air dry!

4. Dust Pans

   When was the last time you cleaned your dust pan? Rather than doing it in the sink or bathtub, run it through the dishwasher to kill germs. No heat!

5. Makeup Brushes

   Too lazy to wash your makeup brushes by hand? Pop them into the dishwasher for a quick scrub! You can also do this with dirty hairbrushes. Put them in the silverware caddy to be disinfect and watch how clean they come out. Do this once a month and let them air dry!

Keep watching to learn what other items people like to clean in their dishwashers. Take special care when using your machine when it comes to the temperature and drying conditions and always make sure to turn off the heated drying option so your belongings don’t shrink or melt.

You can run an empty cycle to disinfect the machine itself once you’ve given non-dishes a quick scrubbing to get rid of any outside dirt and germs. Go with hot water for that step!

What things besides dishes do you wash in your dishwasher? Would you pop anything on this list in your machine? Will you start a new routine for an item in this video?