Australian man cops backlash for washing his Crocs shoes in the dishwasher

An Aussie man is copping backlash for using his dishwasher for a rather unlikely purpose.

Anthony Di Paulo decided to kill two birds with one stone, chucking his crocs into his dishwasher’s next wash cycle.

“I heard you can wash your crocs in the dishwasher, so I’m gonna try it,” he said in an Instagram reel that has been viewed more than 900,000 times.

Watch the video above

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Di Paulo showed off his dirty white crocs, nestling them inside the bottom rack of his dishwasher alongside his other plates.

When the cycle was done, he pulled them out and noticed that they were “spotless”.

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However, he did confirm that they ”shrunk a little bit.”

“Lucky they were a little too roomy, so now they fit perfectly, but they shrunk.”

Commenters were shocked by the “life hack”.

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“With all the dishes?! Who does that… this why you can’t eat at anyone’s house,” said one commenter.

“Oh dear! That is terrible! Washing odor of smelly feet crocs and dirty dishes combined too is so wrong, I’ve seen it all now,” another added.

Others suggested different, more hygienic methods of cleaning the shoes with “no cross contamination required”.

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“Put them in a mesh bag and put it in the washing machine on delicate,” on suggested.

Another said, “I wash them in the washing machine – cold wash with liquid detergent! Perfect every time!!”

For those who prefer a manual method, “Just soak them in a bucket with Napisan,” one commenter suggested, “They float so you need to MacGyver a weight system to keep them under water.”

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According to Australian consumer advocacy group CHOICE, plastic can be washed in the dishwasher – and though it is usually plastic plates and containers that are being washed, rubber and plastic shoes like thongs can also be put in the appliance.

It is advised to put plastic in the top rack, as the bottom rack is situated just above the heating element which may warp the shape of plastic items and even make them shrink, as it did for Di Paulo’s shoes.

Care instructions on Crocs website state that their signature material can be simply hand washed or wiped with a damp cloth, mild soap and cold water, but “can also be put on a delicate cycle in the washing machine with gentle laundry detergent.”

However, the brand recommends to keep the shoes away from extreme heat so they must not go in the dryer and instead be air dried with the addition of a circulating fan if needed.

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