Can You Clean Chef Knives in the Dishwasher?

Can you simply toss your chef knife in the dishwasher? The clear answer from many experts is no, absolutely not. Your dishwasher can cause damage to your expensive, finely-tuned knives.

Proper cleaning will keep your chef knife sharp, beautiful, and effective, and extend its lifetime by reducing its vulnerability to rust.

Why is a Dishwasher Bad for Knives?

There are several reasons why you should never clean chef knives in a dishwasher:

• Heat and Humidity
• Dishwasher water damage
• Abrasive detergents

Heat and Humidity

High temperatures, moisture, and humidity will ause damage to most knives. Blades made of carbon steel are more vulnerable to rusting. Heat and moisture can also dull knife edges and points. This makes the
blade less effective and can even ruin a knife completely.

Knives with wood handles can also absorb and retain moisture. This moisture will then rust the tang of the knife, which will then rust the rest of the blade.

Dishwasher Water Damages Knives

Your dishwasher’s water jets cause a fair amount of turbulence, which jostles your dishes. This can cause your knife to bump into other utensils, which can damage the edge of the blade. When you pull your knife out of the dishwasher, it will be clean but chipped, scratched, and damaged.

This is especially true of ceramic knives, which are known for their brittle nature. Just one cycle in the dishwasher will be enough to chip or even break these knives. You could be taking out your beautiful ceramic knives in pieces.

Even if your knife doesn’t get significantly damaged, this can still wear down the blade, resulting in dull edges and points. You will find it more difficult to cut and will then need to sharpen the knife more often. This frequent sharpening itself can wear down the blade until you have no choice but to buy a new knife to replace it.

Abrasive Dishwasher Detergents

Detergents cause damage to your knives. They are abrasive, which is how they get your dishes clean. But these detergents can also scratch knife blades.

Detergents also cause chemical reactions that will damage your knives. When combined with the hot water, they can cause dull edges, discoloration, and stains, even on stainless steel blades.

Damage to the Machine and Other Items

It’s not just your knives that could get damaged. The sharp edge of your knife will scratch and chip utensils, cups, plates, and other items inside the dishwasher while it’s being jostled around. You can also injure yourself when you reach into the dishwasher to unload it.

How Do You Clean Chef Knives?

The good news is, you don’t need a dishwasher to clean your knives. You don’t even need that much time or effort. All you need is hot water. You can use soap if you need to, but try to stay away from anything too abrasive.

Always rinse off your knife as soon as you are finished using it. This will keep food from getting stuck on it. If this does happen, scrub very gently with a non-abrasive cloth or sponge.

Dry the knife as soon as you clean it. This is especially important for carbon steel knives with wooden handles. These types of knives are very susceptible to rusting from moisture, so make sure to dry them completely.

Once the knife has been washed and dried, allow it to finish air-drying. You can then oil it lightly and store it in a dry place away from moisture and extreme temperatures.

Hand-Washing Your Knives

It might be easier to just toss your knife into the dishwasher with the rest of the dishes, but you will regret it in the long run. The dishwasher will scratch, chip, dull, stain, and otherwise damage your knives. This will lead to a once-beautiful knife looking worn and aged. It will also cause difficulty in using the knife, causing you to sharpen it over and over again until you finally replace it.

You can avoid this by hand-washing your knives in hot, soapy water, scrubbing gently and drying the knife thoroughly after it’s clean. Allow it to air dry, oil the blade, and store it in a dry place. This will keep your knives sharp, efficient, and beautiful.