10 Household Items You Can Clean With Dishwasher Tablets (Other Than Dishes)

We have to admit, we love the convenience of a good dishwasher pod — especially a plastic-free one. With such a tablet, you never again have to worry about messy liquid detergent pours or grainy washing powder spills. Simply pop a pod in and go!

Even better: What if we told you that dissolving dishwasher tablets can be used for cleaning things ​outside​ the dishwasher, too? Given that most pods are made from grease-fighting, stain-removing, and bacteria-killing ingredients, it's little surprise that they can be used for a variety of cleaning purposes.

Here are 10 things you can clean with dishwasher tablets (besides dishes, of course).

According to a viral Instagram video by @ericamuellerhome, dishwasher pods are ideal for cleaning kitchen sinks. Fill the sink with hot water, toss in a pod, and let the ingredients do their work. For a cleaning bonus, you can dip a cloth or sponge into the mixture once the dishwasher tablet has dissolved and wipe down your cabinets and appliances for a quick clean.

Thanks to a dishwasher tablet's grease-busting features, you can use one to scrub off the grease buildup on your oven door. For this hack, you'll need to use a hard tablet, not one of the liquid-filled pods. Dip the tablet in warm water and use its flat side to scrub the grease right off the glass.

Have some icky burnt bits of food stuck to the bottom of a pot or pan? Fill the cookware up with hot water, drop a dishwasher pod in, and let it soak overnight. For extra-tough stains, use a solid tablet to scrub down the burnt parts, just as you would on an oven door.

Yes, there are a million products made for cleaning toilets, but instead of buying those in addition to dishwasher pods, you can just use the pods as a two-for-one deal. All you have to do is drop a dishwasher pod into the toilet, let it dissolve, and use a toilet brush to scrub the bowl down.

Walls don't often need a deep clean, but then again, they're prime targets for crayon-wielding children. If you have walls marked up with crayons or markers, you can use a solid dishwasher tablet as a scrubber to remove any unwanted drawings. Just make sure to dip it in warm water first to activate the pod's full cleaning power.

Washing machines are damp environments that are known to get a little smelly once in a while. Keep things fresh by tossing in a dishwasher tablet and running a hot water cycle. The bleach in the tablet will kill mold, mildew, and anything else that might be growing in the washer's crevices.

You can even clean clothes, towels, and sheets with dishwasher tablets if you drop them in your washing machine. However, keep in mind that there's bleach in the tablets, so you should only wash white fabrics that are able to be bleached.

No matter how perfectly you line your garbage cans with garbage bags, it's inevitable that one little leakage will stink your cans up. That's why, every so often, it's a great idea to disinfect your garbage cans — and you can use a dishwasher tablet for the job. Fill the bin up with warm water and drop in a pod (or two, if it's an extra-large bin).

The elements aren't always so kind to outdoor furniture. If you have plastic patio pieces like chairs or tables, you can use a dishwasher tablet to create a cleaning solution for them. Let it dissolve in a bucket of water, then use a cloth or sponge to scrub down the furniture.

Okay, okay, mugs ​can​ be cleaned in a dishwasher, but one cycle might not be enough to rid them of deep-set coffee or tea stains. In that case, fill your mug with hot water, drop a dishwasher pod in it, and let it soak overnight to lift those stains.