Why Every Idahoan Should Add A Ball of Tin Foil To Their Dishwasher

Open up TikTok and there’s a little bit of everything. Silly dances, questionably safe challenges, sometimes problematic true crime enthusiasts and people sharing life hacks. Your days are busy, so anything that can save you a few minutes or make your life easier is worth watching.

We know ours are and that’s why we’ll always stop the scroll for a good life hack. Especially one that has to do with the dishwasher since the dishwasher is a major point of contention in our kitchen. 

Do you rinse the plates so clean that you can’t tell that they’re dirty before you load them or is it ok to leave a smear of ketchup on them? Do you use liquid dish detergent or are the pods worth the extra money? Does the silverware point up or down when you load it? These are all recurring arguments at our home. 

Why Everyone Should Add Tin Foil To Their Dishwasher

This life hack, which originated on Tik Tok, may help settle one of those debates. Much to our significant other’s chagrin, we think the detergent pods do a better job than the liquid detergent. We notice less streaks and water spots with the pods, which leads to shinier silverware.

READ MORE: Why Every Idahoan Should Be Keeping a Quarter In Their Freezer

According to this TikTok hack, you can elevate that shininess by adding a small ball of crumpled up aluminum foil into your dishwasher basket. Reader’s Digest got great results when they tested the hack and explained how it works. The ball isn’t acting as a scrubbing agent, but the chemicals in your dish detergent produces a chemical reaction with the foil which helps remove the grime and tarnish from your silverware. 

Clay Walker at Business Insider also tested the TikTok hack. He did end up with slightly shinier silverware and said that while he wasn’t dazzled by the results, he’d try it again since there was a visible difference. He also noted that the aluminum foil changed colors which is evidence of the chemical reaction. 

We’re always game for a good argument over the dishwasher, so we’ll try it. If you have, let us know how it worked for you! 

Want to Try More Life Hacks?

We recently shared how having a quarter in your freezer can save you from eating spoiled food. You can check that one out HERE. 

Want to keep your veggies fresher and crispier longer? Try THIS paper towel life hack!