Why does washing knives in the dishwasher dull them?
In: 890
your dishwasher is an *insanely harsh environment*. you are literally sand-blasting your knife (cheap detergents contain sand as an abrasive agent) with the dishwashing detergent, which is also highly alkaline and corrosive, then you’re applying up to 180F heat to it after a water bath.
all of that is happening to the edge of a blade which is thinner than a human hair if properly sharp. you will notice it faster on thinner edges as thicker edges are more durable, and it depends on the type of steel and tempering.
side note: know how sometimes some glass will develop kind of a cloudy film over time? f it doesn’t wipe off with vinegar, that’s the glass literally dissolving in the alkaline environment. if it’s lead crystal, that’s just lead leaching out.
Latest Answers