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Kashering Dishwashwer

We have recently moved into a rented property which has a dishwasher. Can we kosher it without buying new racks? I read that if we heat some bricks in an oven and then put them into the dishwasher and run it on the hottest cycle, obviously after all the other prerequisite cleaning. Please help.

Yours faithfully,

Steve.

Answer:

A dishwasher can be kashered by first ensuring that it is entirely clean, including spilling bleach or similar cleaning substance into cracks and crevices that might not be reached by water. The dishwasher should then be activated at maximal heat, for a full cycle. This is generally relied on by halachic authorities where there is an element of financial loss (usually the case for dishwashers).

Best wishes.

Sources:

According to most authorities, one can do hag’alah for plastic (see Iggros Moshe 2:92; Chelkas Yaakov 2:160). In addition, the dishwasher is usually used with substances that are pagum, and therefore the initial belios are not clearly issur. See also Mibeis Levi (Nissan 5756, p. 36), who writes that the dishwasher should not be kashered for Pesach, yet hints that this can in principle be done.

If not kashering will involve a significant loss, one can be lenient, by means of the procedure above.

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