I put a toaster in the dishwasher (2012)
A 2012 blog post about putting a toaster in a dishwasher is used as a springboard to examine how much “common sense” around electricity, water, and appliances is based on oversimplified or wrong assumptions. Commenters trade stories of drying out soaked electronics and testing GFCI behavior, but repeatedly stress that survivable experiments with unplugged or protected devices don’t negate the real risks of electrocution, corrosion, fire, and chemical contamination. Beneath the anecdotes runs a broader theme: rules of thumb like “never put metal in a microwave” or “electricity and water always kill” are crude but often life-preserving heuristics, and challenging them safely requires understanding the underlying physics and failure modes.
Washing Toasters & Electronics
- Many agree an unplugged, simple mechanical toaster can survive dishwashing if dried thoroughly, since it’s mostly metal and basic electrics.
- Skeptics argue there’s little benefit: crumbs are easier to remove dry, baked-on grease still needs scrubbing, and dishwashers can promote rust or damage glued/heat‑sensitive parts.
- Several posters routinely wash keyboards and even PCBs (or whole appliances for religious immersion) with good results, provided they dry for days and avoid heated-dry cycles.
- Others report reviving soaked gear (switches, PCs, Teletypes, audio consoles) by prompt rinsing with clean water and long drying.
Water, Electricity & Safety
- Strong pushback on wading into flooded rooms with live power: prior near-misses don’t prove safety, and 120–240 V household mains can and do kill.
- Discussion clarifies GFCI/RCD behavior: they trip on current imbalance between hot and neutral, not “water presence,” and may not trip in all fault scenarios.
- Several links and anecdotes highlight electric shock drowning near docks and lethal incidents from ungrounded pumps or shower heaters.
What Actually Damages Electronics in Water
- Consensus: pure water isn’t the enemy; impurities, minerals, and detergents cause shorts, corrosion, and long-term leakage paths.
- Hard water leaves nonconductive calcium deposits, but other residues plus current can corrode traces and contacts weeks later.
- Recommended best practice (when salvage is worth it): immediate power-off, rinse with distilled water or isopropyl alcohol, then thorough drying.
Dishwashers as Parts Washers & Contamination
- Some engineers treat dishwashers or ultrasonic cleaners as “parts washers” for boards, using dedicated non-food machines.
- Multiple comments warn not to wash electronics in the family dishwasher: risk of lead, metal dust, and other toxins redepositing on dishes. If done, they suggest multiple empty, hot, detergent runs afterward.
Conventional Wisdom vs. “Conventional Ignorance”
- Many like the article’s critique of unexamined safety folklore (“never get electronics wet,” “metal can’t go in microwaves”).
- Others caution the author is replacing oversimplified folk rules with overconfident reasoning and unsafe demonstrations; the right takeaway is nuanced risk understanding, not bravado.
Related Side Topics
- Lengthy subthreads on electric showers (common in some countries), their safety when properly grounded vs. numerous “tingle” anecdotes when poorly installed.
- Microwaving metal: thin foil, sharp edges, and proximity to walls are risky; thick smooth metal can be fine under controlled conditions, illustrating how broad heuristics simplify complex physics.