Not dishwasher safe
The item is not meant to go in a dishwasher: the maker means it to be washed by hand.
Easily confused with
How to read it
Makers draw it as their dishwasher icon with a cross through it, much as the hand wash symbol on a clothes label rules out the washing machine. Mepal’s symbol guide says the crossed-out dishwasher icon means the product is to be cleaned only by hand. No standard defines it, and Bosch notes that some items are meant to be washed by hand while the dishwasher safe mark means an item can go in the machine. Some makers print words instead of a symbol: Pyrex says its airtight canisters are not dishwasher safe and are hand wash only.
Also searched as: crossed out dishwasher symbol, hand wash only symbol, no dishwasher symbol, not dishwasher safe symbol.
These describe what each mark means and who defines it. Most are makers’ own icons rather than a standard, and the same mark can mean slightly different things on different brands. What a particular dish, pan or container can be used for is set by its maker, in its care and use instructions.
No mark at all
A missing dishwasher mark can mean the same thing as a crossed-out one. Sistema says its products without the engraved dishwasher symbol can’t be washed in a dishwasher.
Read next
More kitchenware symbols
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with crosses or squares and rectangles.
Sources
- What do the symbols and specifications on a product mean?, Mepal, Dishwasher symbol
- FAQs, Sistema Plastics, Are products dishwasher safe?
- Dishwasher symbols, Bosch Home Appliances (BSH Hausgeräte), Dishwasher safe symbol
- Frequently Asked Questions, Carlisle Transportation Products (The Carlstar Group), Is it OK to wash airtight canisters in the dishwasher?
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research
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