The Dishwasher

1. I put a dairy dish in a meat dishwasher (or vice versa). Do I need to kasher my dish?
If the dish/utensil is metal or wooden, one should leave it unused for 24 hours and then kasher it by cleaning it and submerging in boiling water for several seconds. Then the utensil should be rinsed in cold water. For other types of dishes one should consult their local Rav as there are differences of opinion. The dishwasher itself does not need to be kashered.

2. Can I use the same dishwasher for dairy and meat providing I don’t mix the two when I wash them?
The dishwasher should be designated for either milk or meat and not used interchangeably.

3. Can I wash meat (or dairy) and pareve dishes together? Can I wash pareve dishes in my meat (or dairy) dishwasher?
One should not wash the meat (or dairy) and pareve dishes in the same dishwasher. However, if one accidentally put a pareve dish in the dishwasher with the meat (or dairy) dishes it does not require koshering. One should leave it unused for 24 hours and then continue using it as usual.

4. Can a dishwasher be kashered (either from treif to kosher, meat to dairy, or year-round to Passover)?
Most poskim are of the opinion that one should not kasher a dishwasher.

5. Can I load the dishwasher on Shabbos or Yom Tov?
If one removes the dishes from the table one at a time (or in stacks of the same type of dish), then they may be loaded into the dishwasher. However, if the dishes are all mixed up (for example, they were all put into the sink during the meal and one later decides to load the dishwasher), then one is not allowed to separate them to load them in the dishwasher. If one were to rinse each dish with the intention of cleaning it, even superficially, once the dish is in the person’s hand it may be loaded directly into the dishwasher.

6. Can I empty the dishwasher on Shabbos or Yom Tov?
The dishwasher can be emptied for immediate use, providing that no lights go on or off when the dishwasher is opened or closed.

7. Can a non-Jew run my dishwasher on Shabbos or Yom Tov?
A non-Jew may not run your dishwasher on Shabbos or Yom Tov; however, they can load the dishwasher even if the dishes were first mixed up and placed in the sink.

8. Do I need to use kosher dishwashing soap?
One is not required to use dishwashing soap that has a kosher certification, but it is preferable to do so.