Whether you care for your knives as if they were beloved pets, or slice and dice with whatever’s within arm’s reach, how you clean cooking knives matters. It may be tempting to toss them in the dishwasher, but pros advise against it.

“I never put my knives in the dishwasher,” says Lynn Vita, the executive chef of Poetry Inn in Napa, California. “The high heat and some detergents can damage your knives and eventually dull the blades.”

Here, Vita and other culinary professionals explain which knives can go in the dishwasher, which ones cannot and the best ways to keep delicate blades sparkling clean.

Why You Shouldn’t Put Knives in the Dishwasher

Chef’s knives, steak knives and other sharp tools should not go in the dishwasher because the soap and cleaning process can warp the handles, dull the blades and potentially damage them beyond repair.

“A lot of knives are made with wood handles, and the more that knife soaks in water, the more damage it can do,” says Brandon Collins, Unilever’s corporate executive chef. “Also, the dishwasher can be forceful in the cleaning process, causing the knives to chip on the tip or blade.”

Dishwashers don’t always dry all items immediately or entirely, either. If knives sit in water for too long, they can rust.

Safety is another issue, Collins says. It’s all too easy to cut yourself when unloading the dishwasher, especially if your knives are blade-up in a utensils caddy, or if they jostle during the dishwashing cycle.

There are some exceptions, says Sebastián Gómez, founder and master distiller of Träkál. “Are we talking about cutting implements or cooking knives?” he says, noting that most butter knives with stainless steel handles can go in the dishwasher. Check the website of the manufacturer to confirm yours are dishwasher-safe.

How to Clean Knives the Right Way

To safely clean your knives, hand wash them in warm water with a sponge or dishcloth and dish soap if needed, then rinse and dry them immediately with a clean kitchen towel.

It’s best to clean your knives sooner rather than later — and always dry them straight away.

“Don’t soak them or let them sit in water all day,” says Gómez, because too much contact with water can cause the blade or handle to rust. If your knives need to be cleaned but you’re eager to sit down to dinner, give them a quick rinse and towel them off, then wash and dry them completely when time allows.

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