Should You Really Consider Rinsing Your Potatoes In The Dishwasher?

We're all trying to save time in the kitchen, and that's especially true if you cook every day or have large meals to prepare. There are many little things that can slow us down, from having to clean produce, then peel it, and slice and dice it all up. You'll find many hacks that help you cut down on meal prep time, and of course, celebrity chefs are always offering up cooking tips. But while some of these so-called "hacks" are game changers, not all of them are solid advice.

Recently, a TikTok video posted by user Barbara Costello, best know as @brunchwithbabs, went viral after Costello claimed (and then demonstrated) that you can clean a lot of potatoes at once, and in very little time, by using one kitchen appliance — the dishwasher. The video gained nearly 6 million views and almost 4,000 comments, but can you really wash potatoes in the dishwasher?

According to both Costello and Heavenly Homemakers, you can wash your potatoes in the dishwasher. Simply place dirty potatoes on the top rack of your empty dishwasher, check that there's no soap in the machine, then set the appliance to the rinse cycle. Turn it on and let it do the work for you while you spend time prepping other parts of the meal you are making. That sounds easy enough, but is it safe? Is it even effective?

Idaho Potato says you should not wash your potatoes until you are ready to use them because being exposed to too much moisture for too long can cause them to become moldy. As for how to wash them, the site says that many dishwashers now are made in a way that would leave chemical residue in the machine, so even if you don't add soap, you could still get chemicals on your potatoes. You definitely don't want a side of Cascade with your scalloped potatoes!

Meredith Carothers, a Public Affairs Specialist at the Food Safety and Inspection Service told TODAY that it's best to wash your potatoes with a brush in the sink because you don't want to run the risk of having leftover detergent residue end up on your food, so there seems to be some consensus that this is a risk of washing potatoes in the dishwasher.

So exactly how should you wash your potatoes? According to MasterClass, first, you rinse them under running water, then scrub them with a vegetable brush in a circular motion or even a clean kitchen towel. Rinse them again and pat them dry. It's definitely more hands-on than placing them in the dishwasher, but it's a method of potato washing that's worked for generations. It may not be the fastest cleaning method, but it's thorough and ensures that you don't wind up with soap in your potato side dishes.