A ‘shape’ to insert in everted cooking bags to keep them under control in the dishwasher.
I have my eye out for perhaps a 1/4” diameter coil spring long enough as a circle to hold the bag flat.
Another idea is flat plastic sheeting cut to fit nicely in plastic bags.
As it is, I have been putting the bags over approximately sized plates, but I worry about the bag coming adrift and resting on the heating element. I worried about the high temperature drying cycle but so far it seems a non-issue.
Hi Douglas, and here i thought i was a frugal cook.
Congratulations, you are seeking the pinnacle of frugality sir!
Are you turning the bags inside out for cleaning?
Are you cleaning them soon after use.
Are you using the less aggressive action on the top shelf of the dishwasher to prevent contact with heating elements?
Does your dishwasher have a “gentle” cycle?
It’s an interesting challenge, proteins have an affinity for attaching themselves to plastics like barnacles on rocks.
Your plate solution with reversed bags is likely effective in exposing the soiled interior of the bags to the mechanical and chemical action of your dishwasher.
My concern is the effect on plastic of the harsh caustic ingredients in the dishwashing compound used. It’s been my experience, although not with cooking bags, repeated exposure to most dishwashing compounds has a deleterious impact on unglazed plastic wares.
Please keep us informed of your progress.
Inside out (everted), yes. ‘Dirty’ side out.
Immediately, yes, next DW load.
Top shelf, yes.
Gentle cycle, yes, but I use the Pots & Pans and Sani Rinse and Heated dry cycles, wo far with no issues.
‘Plate solution’ is good for the bags, but not so much the plates as I have had to hand re-wash a few.
DW compounds are indeed caustic. I believe that the primary ingredient is sodium carbonate ‘washing soda’ quite high pH. Milady Wife loves plastic ZipLock containers that seem to have suffered no deleterious effect of the DW (would that they did - shhh).
Frugal, yes, but more am I a cleaning nut, sometimes learning to clean something just for the challenge. I spent four years at sea on a submarine where one must clean constantly, and then a career often in reactor compartments cleaning up after myself.
Use clean plates instead of dirty ones.
Thanks for the recommendation.
That strikes to my frugal nature and lifestyle.
I struggle to balance overfilling and efficiency of my Whirlpool DW that I bought used ten years ago. I have done major repair / replacements to it three times now, and it just keeps keepin’ on.
I live on an Island in Lake Michigan accessible only by a half-hour ferrry ride, for me a round trip is $55 and the nearest ‘shopping’ is 50 miles away. There is no appliance store or appliance repairman on my Island. Either I fix it or I replace it.
I ain’t putting clean dishes in the DW.
Thank you Douglas for adding everted to my vocabulary. This cook learns so much here!
My kitchen also has that make of dishwasher from a few decades back and we only had to replace an internal fuse so far. Its predecessor of the same brand, but the portable model, was still operating after 30 years of use and was only let go due to a total kitchen renovation.
It appears you have discovered a little corner of Heaven on earth. Congratulations.
Keep well.