I put a toaster in the dishwasher (2012)

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.