What is the difference between dishwasher safe and dishwasher proof?
Dishwasher safe has the same meaning for every item, right? Well at least some countries have a strict distinction between the two terms “dishwasher safe” and “dishwasher proof”. To prevent you from damaging or even shrinking your dishes, we will explain the differences to you.
For more detailed information on how to properly wash our reusable products, you can find it in this document, which was created independently by Ecolab®.
Independent Recommendation Letter
How can I tell if a product is suitable for the dishwasher?
You most likely haven't seen a product that says, "dishwasher safe" or "dishwasher proof". This is probably the case because these very long words would take up too much space and are also not universally understandable. For this reason, uniform symbols have been developed that can be used regardless of the language area and are usually shown below the product. You have certainly seen them before, even if you haven’t consciously noticed them. However, knowing the meaning of the symbols is important as using the dishwasher can be dangerous for certain types of tableware. On the one hand, the persistently high temperatures and aggressive detergents can damage the dishes. However, on the other hand, incorrectly used plastic dishes, for example, might melt in the dishwasher and can also cause serious damage to the dishwasher itself.
Dishwasher safe according to DIN/EN 12875
As stated by DIN/EN 12875 (Mechanical dishwashing resistance of utensils), a product may only be called “dishwasher safe” (not only suitable for dishwasher but furthermore dishwasher safe) if its appearance and usability remain unchanged even after many dishwashing cycles. This applies to our merways® Bowl, for example, whose sustainable appearance and usability is not restricted even after 125 dishwasher cycles.
Clear product descriptions
In our shop you can find information about dishwasher suitability in the description of a product. For our reusable products, it is clearly stated whether the product is "dishwasher safe" according to DIN/EN 12875 or not. If you are unsure, please send us a message.
Dishwasher proof without standardisation
In contrast to the meaning protected by DIN standard 12875, dishwasher proof is not a clearly defined term. Thus, any household item that would "survive" being washed in a dishwasher may call itself so. This does not indicate what condition the object will be in afterwards. Cleaning in the dishwasher therefore entails the risk that certain properties of the product will be impaired or damaged. It is therefore possible that the colour of a plate will peel off, a pan will lose its coating or dishes made of natural materials will become deformed. Here, the consumer himself bears the risk. If you want to be on the safe side, you should wash by hand or try a few washes with just one plate instead of the whole set.
Sign up for our greenbox newsletter for more information, helpful tips or exciting product news. Get an additional €5 discount¹ on your next order.
¹Redeemable from a purchase value of €50 and only once as a newsletter subscriber:in. All data will be treated confidentially. Unsubscription is possible at any time
- ✔ Exclusive offers for subscribers
- ✔ Exciting news
- ✔ Helpful tips
- ✔ New products
Would you like to read more such articles, or do you have a critical comment on the content? Then please send us an email with a reference to the specific article to feedback@greenbox.bio. This way we can continue to provide you with interesting content.