Why you cant put Kmart drink bottles in dishwasher
There’s a reason why you shouldn’t put certain things in the dishwasher, particularly ones that state: “not suitable for dishwasher”.
However, we’ve all been there, done that at some point in our rushed lives.
Just like this woman, who was stunned when she learned the hard way that her $6 Kmart water bottle was only meant to be handwashed.
Taking to the popular Facebook group Kmart Hacks & Decor, she shared an image of what the item was meant to look like, compared to what it looks like now.
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“So uhhh … did anyone else not know you can’t put a drink bottle in the dishwasher or is that just me?” she captioned the post.
The image showed her holding her now very shrunk-looking grey bottle.
Colin Jones, category expert, Appliances Online told news.com.au you should only place plastic items in a dishwasher if they say ‘dishwasher safe’, as the dishwasher can melt and warp some plastics.
“All plastic items should be positioned on the top rack of the dishwasher, as if positioned on the bottom rack it could cause damage to the plastic, as the spray of the dishwasher is more powerful at the bottom,” he explained.
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Since sharing her dishwashing mistake, it has been ‘liked’ 2000 times with hundreds of comments from fellow Kmart shoppers also admitting to the blunder.
“Hahaha this is too funny. Sorry. I wouldn’t have known either. The second pic is hilarious. Thanks for sharing!!!” one woman wrote.
“Yep! I bought a set of them for my son and ruined them all before he even used them by putting them through the dishwasher,” another woman confessed.
The Kmart website states that the product is “not suitable for dishwasher, microwave and hot liquids”, but as one woman pointed out, “I think we’ve all done this at some stage”.
“It’s freaky how it changes shape,” she added.
“I’ve done this to three of these exact bottles … you’d think I’d learn. Funny how the lids still fit though,” another Facebook user wrote, while also sharing an image of her shrunk bottle.
The body of the bottle is made with Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), while the lid is polystyrene (PS) and silicone, which explains why it may shrink after being exposed to heat.
Some were sympathetic to those who made the same mistake, while others, not so much.
“Do none of you read the labels? Like SERIOUSLY,” one woman asked.
“Yep that’s pretty stock standard with any Kmart plastic,” a second user wrote.
“There has been many many postings on this topic,” a third said, while another added it is “pretty well known”.
Mr Jones suggested to take extra precaution even with ‘dishwasher safe’ plastics, advising to lower the temperature of the wash program.
“If you are not sure whether something is dishwasher safe, then hand wash it,” he said.
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