Dishwasher safe symbols explained

Find out which items are safe to put in your dishwasher and which ones you should always wash by hand.

A woman’s hand inserts a white bowl in the top rack of a dishwasher.

Understanding dishwasher safe symbols can be tricky – and for good reason: there’s no official symbol that tells you your household items are dishwasher safe! What’s more, ‘dishwasher safe’ isn’t a standard claim. That’s because each kitchenware or tableware company has their own way of making items dishwasher safe.

5 dishwasher safe symbols to look for

Items are ‘dishwasher safe’ if they’ve been manufactured to withstand the high temperatures and detergents in a dishwasher cycle.

Only put items in your dishwasher if you see one of these dishwasher safe symbols printed on them or on the packaging they came in:

DISHWASHER SAFE

Blue outlines of a wine glass and a water droplet.

Blue outlines of a dinner plate and a water droplet.

Blue outlines of a wine glass and dinner plate with small lines falling diagonally across them.

You’re safe to put items with any one of these symbols into your dishwasher on either the top or bottom rack.

Top rack only

Blue outlines of a small and large plate, with small lines falling diagonally across the top of them. Text below: Dishwasher safe on the top rack.

Blue outline of a wine glass and dinner plate with small lines falling diagonally across the top of them. Text below: +120°C.

Items marked top rack only, are only safe to be washed on the top rack of the dishwasher. The heating element in your dishwasher is typically on the bottom of the machine, which means the top rack is a little cooler. If you put an item marked ‘top rack only’ in the bottom rack, your dishwasher may discolor, warp or damage it!

What do those lines and temperatures in dishwasher safe symbols mean?

Dishwasher safe symbols typically have a square box with some plates or glasses (or both) inside it. You’ll also see either water droplets or diagonal lines, signifying water. In ‘top rack only’ symbols, the water droplets or diagonal lines will only hit the top of the plates or glasses. If the symbol shows droplets or lines that cross the entire square box, it’s probably safe to wash the item on either the top or bottom rack.

A woman’s hand removes a white bowl with a dishwasher symbol on it from a loaded dishwasher.

You might also see a dishwasher safe symbol that includes the safest top temperature you can wash the item in (for example, 120°C). And sometimes you’ll even see the words ‘top rack only’, which helps eliminate some of the guesswork!

How do manufacturers make items dishwasher safe?

There are different techniques manufacturers use to make their products dishwasher safe, depending on the material. Here are some typical items you’ll find in your kitchen or home, and how manufacturers treat them for that (unofficial) dishwasher safe seal of approval:

: Most glass is ‘annealed’ when it’s manufactured, which means it’s slowly cooled to room temperature to even out any stress points. It’s a routine process that almost all glass products go through to make them more durable.

Annealed glass is often called ‘untreated glass’ because there are two other processes that help make glass more durable.

Tempering – Manufacturers temper glass using heat or chemicals to make it tougher and stronger. You may even find some of your cookware is ‘fully-tempered’, making it four to five times stronger than annealed glass, and able to withstand microwaving.

Heat strengthening – A milder form of tempering that heats glass beyond the annealing point and then cools it quickly. Manufacturers often heat-strengthen kitchenware to make it twice as resilient as annealed glass.

Most glass items can go in your dishwasher, usually on the top rack.

Learn more about how to clean glass in the dishwasher
: Manufacturers make ceramic items dishwasher safe through a similar process as glass – by slow cooling them so they can settle with as few imperfections as possible.
Manufacturers also cover ceramic items in glazes to protect the surfaces – and the types of glazes used can dramatically affect the strength and durability of ceramic items.
Always check for the dishwasher safe symbol before putting your ceramic items in your dishwasher.

Learn more about cleaning ceramics in the dishwasher
: Plastic items typically don’t need to be ‘treated’ to make them dishwasher safe.

Hard plastic items, like reusable plastic containers, have higher melting points and can often withstand the heat of your dishwasher’s cycle. Thinner plastics, like disposable plastic containers, can melt because they have very low melting points.

Only place plastics in the dishwasher if they’re clearly marked with a dishwasher safe icon – and stick to the top rack.

Learn more about washing plastics in the dishwasher

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Video tutorial: How to load your dishwasher

Video tutorial: How to clean your dishwasher

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

: Your detergent needs to complement the cleansing action of your dishwasher. Automatic dishwashing detergent is specially formulated to disperse food residue and greasy soiling, hold it in suspension, and remove it in the final rinse. It does all this while producing little or no suds.
For best results use the detergent recommended by the manufacturer of your machine.
However, Finish is the #1 Recommended brand by leading dishwasher manufacturers such as Bosch^*. In very hard water areas we also recommend the use of separate Salt and Rinse aid to protect your machine and achieve the best result.
^*Finish is the most recommended detergent based on the market share of dishwasher manufacturers that recommend Finish
: No need to! Pre-rinsing is a thing of the past. And although many British households do it, it’s time consuming and wasteful of precious resources.
Modern detergents such as Finish Quantum Ultimate contain both bleach and enzymes and are recommended by dishwasher manufacturers for use without pre-rinsing.
Bleach fights tough stains like tea and coffee, and enzymes breakdown proteins and starches. All you have to do is scrape the larger pieces into the rubbish bin and load your dishwasher.
: Dishwasher tablets contain surfactants, which affect the liquid they are added to, making it more efficient at picking up and washing away debris. They also include enzymes (to break down starchy foods and protein), builders (to tackle hard water) and safe bleaches.
Once you’ve put your dishwasher tablet into the detergent dispenser compartment, your machine will release the contents at the optimal time allowing the tab to disintegrate into the water, release all ingredients and clean your dishes!
: Your dishwashing detergent should be stored in a dry environment. If you are using powder, be careful to close the spout after each use to help keep the product dry (and to avoid spills!). Like all cleaning products, store your detergent out of the reach of children.
: Rinse aid is required to:

Ensure spot-free, shiny dishes

Assist the drying function

Salt is required to:

Protect your machine from limescale

Soften the water for better cleaning

With multi-benefit tablets such as Finish Quantum Ultimate and Finish All in One, rinse aid and salt functions are included. However, in very hard water areas we also recommend the use of separate Salt and Rinse aid products to protect your machine and achieve the best result.
: "Dishwasher tablets are very simple to use. If needed, remove any protective packaging, pop the tablet into your detergent dispensing compartment, close the compartment, turn on your washing machine and let technology and Finish handle the rest!
For detailed information on how to use Finish Tablets, read on below.
With dry hands, remove the tablet from the container and place it in the detergent dispenser. Ensure both the dispenser and the tablet is dry to prevent it from dissolving prematurely.
Close the tablets packaging lid tightly. Store away from heat and moisture to protect the remaining tablets.
Our tablets are wrapper-free (with the exception of Finish Classic) and are designed to release their contents when they come into contact with water. Do not pierce or attempt to unwrap the tablets.
Clip the detergent dispenser shut and close your dishwasher.
Make sure all items are dishwasher safe and separate silver from stainless steel.
Wash metal items according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Run dishwasher. The optimal water temperature is 51° – 60°C.
For optimal results, it is recommended to also use Finish Rinse Aid for shinier and drier dishes (vs detergent alone).
: Detergent tablets should always be placed in the detergent dispenser compartment.

If you’re placing the tablet at the bottom of the dishwasher it’s likely that it will dissolve too quickly, releasing the detergent during the prewash and leaving no detergent for the main wash cycle. This will reduce the efficiency of your wash.
: Whether you need to remove the plastic from your dishwasher tablet depends on the product you have bought. As a good rule of thumb, if the tablet comes individually wrapped then yes, you should remove the plastic wrap before using. If, however, the tablet is encased in a skin of thin, transparent plastic, this should not be removed and will dissolve itself safely during the washing process.
: Dishwasher tablets should only go in the dishwasher detergent compartment of your dishwasher, not loose in the dishwasher itself.