Can you put wooden spoons in the dishwasher?

Wood absorbs water and swells, then shrinks as it dries. A dishwasher cycle soaks the spoon for an hour or more and then bakes it dry with heat, and repeating that expansion and contraction opens splits along the grain. The surface also roughens as the fibres lift, and those raised fibres trap food and are far harder to clean than smooth wood. Hand washing takes seconds and a wooden spoon then lasts decades.

What goes wrong

• Repeated soak-and-bake cycles crack the wood along the grain.
• Raised grain traps food particles and harbours bacteria.
• Wooden handles on knives and boards fail the same way.

What to do instead

• Wash by hand in warm soapy water, rinse, and dry standing up.
• Oil occasionally with food-grade mineral oil to keep the surface sealed.

Other "can you dishwasher" questions

• Can you put cast iron in the dishwasher? No — No. Dishwasher detergent strips the seasoning and the pan rusts within hours.
• Can you put knives in the dishwasher? No — No, if you care about the edge. Heat, detergent and knocking all dull and damage it.
• Can you put non-stick pans in the dishwasher? It depends — Only if the maker says so, and it still shortens the coating life considerably.
• Can you put an insulated bottle in the dishwasher? It depends — Only if it says dishwasher safe. Older vacuum flasks can lose their vacuum and stop insulating.