Will TikTok's Fruit Cleaning Hack Wreck Your Dishwasher?

If there's one thing social media is good for, it's convincing you that you've been using things wrong your whole life — such as freezing your cooler lid to keep the cooler chilled for longer. The problem is, there's often a pretty significant hidden downside: freezing your cooler lid can break it (and voids the warranty). The same is true for a viral fruit cleaning hack that involves using the dishwasher. While it won't necessarily wreck the appliance, it's not the right way to clean your produce.

The hack has millions of views on TikTok and Instagram, with user @larad_official's mother showing how she lines her dishwasher racks with fruits and vegetables for hands-off cleaning. Many commenters were in praise of the seemingly clever dishwasher hack, with some even saying they've done this before. Others, however, were skeptical that the same machine that cleans dishes is safe to use for food.

House Digest exclusively spoke to Troy Legg, a Frontdoor virtual appliance technician and expert, to see whether this hack is truly safe. In short: He doesn't recommend it. "In my professional experience, dishwashers should only be used to wash dishes," Legg said.

According to Legg, it's unlikely that you'd wreck your dishwasher by washing fruits and vegetables in it, even if you add white vinegar to get the produce extra clean. "The only thing I could think might happen when washing fruits and vegetables is that if the fruit or vegetable was too ripe and broke apart, it might clog your pump," he exclusively told House Digest. 

However, it's still not the best way to get produce clean. For starters, there will be water in the pump from earlier dishwashing cycles. "After each wash, water is left in the pump from the earlier wash to keep the seals from drying inside the pump," Legg explained. He added that the dishwasher's rinse aid could also "permeate some fruits and vegetables and contaminate them."

Another concern is heat. "In the United States, all dishwashers are typically connected to hot water," Legg said. "Some brands can be connected to the cold-water line, but the dishwasher will heat the water." It's not a good idea to wash produce in hot water in general, let alone water as hot as 120 degrees, as it is in the dishwasher. Unfortunately, dishwashers don't have produce cleaning settings, according to Legg — though if this hack's popularity is any sign, maybe one will exist in the future.

Legg pointed out that the Food and Drug Administration has clear instructions for properly cleaning produce: Wash it thoroughly under running water (without soap or detergent), and scrub any hard produce like melons with a produce brush. One efficient way to clean veggies and fruit is to dunk them in a bucket of water, swirl them around, and then dunk them into a second bucket (and potentially a third if they're especially dirty). A salad spinner can help save drying time.

As for the dishwasher, fruits and vegetables aren't the only things to avoid putting in there. For your dishwasher's sake, Legg advised against putting your hand-washing brushes and sponges in it. "The soap residue can remain, causing foam and your dishwasher to leak, damaging the dishwasher or your floor," Legg exclusively told House Digest. He also suggested being careful with utensils. "Do not put knife blades in the down position in the silverware basket if they are not designed to do so," he added. "Doing so can puncture your tub and cause your dishwasher to leak."