Dishwasher safe Mod Podge jumped into my cart when I was browsing at Michaels one day. Okay so maybe it had a little help, but come on! Dishwasher safe Mod Podge? How? Does it work? There were so many questions that needed to be answered and since trying it is the only way I believe claims; I bought it.
There were so many new Mod Podge products that I hadn’t tried that I picked about three or four others that I’ll be testing out (like the outdoor Mod Podge), so don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter so you’re alerted about new posts.
I tried this originally on my YouTube channel for those of you who prefer to watch, but I will warn you it was a two-part video because Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge requires 28 days to cure fully. Below is part one:
How do you apply dishwasher safe Mod Podge?
The First step is to find your project. Because this was a test run and I didn’t want to pay a lot for something that might not turn out, I went to Dollar Tree and invest $1.25 in a plain white coffee mug. This mug was the perfect canvas for a project. Anything that I put over the top would stand out and it was dishwasher safe.
For my image, I chose a rub-on transfer from Prima Marketing. This little birdhouse is adorable, but I had no other project that I could see it on. I had already used part of this set for other projects, so if this experiment was a huge bust then I wasn’t out a lot.
Once the decal was applied it was time to use the Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge. To apply any kind of Mod Podge I’ve found an art brush works best. I’ve tried sponge brushes but I don’t like the texture.
I applied several light coats changing the direction of the brush strokes with each application. For example, on the first coat, I brushed from left to right. Once that was dry, I brush from top to bottom. Once that was dry, I brushed at an angle across the design.
Mod Podge says to wait 1 to 2 hours between each coat so I did. I wanted to make sure that I was using this product to the letter so no one could say I didn’t do it right.
Once the image was completely covered it was time to let the cup cure.
How long does dishwasher safe Mod Podge take to cure?
28 days is the short answer. Why does it take so long for it to cure? I don’t know. I know that even chalk paints take that long to dry and cure completely. You can read my post about that issue here.
Does Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge work?
My memory isn’t the greatest so I set a reminder on my phone to alert me when it was time to test out the cup in the dishwasher.
I decided to put it through the worst cycle possible; high heat, sani rinse (high temp), and heated dry. The product doesn’t directly say I can’t do that but I’m guessing there’s a fine print somewhere saying not to do this.
That being said the results were pretty impressive. The design held up quite well. The decal stayed in place and nothing flaked off or washed away which would have happened with a traditional Mod Podge. Don’t ask me how I know just trust me.
The only “problem” was a slight wrinkle on the edge. You can see it in the close-up image below.
I’m not sure why this happened. It could be that there were oils in that spot. According to Mod Podge, the surface should be clean and oil free, and even the oils from my hands could cause an issue. Short of wearing surgical gloves to apply; I’m not sure how to avoid touching the cup so that could have been an issue.
I’m betting that if I put it through a normal dishwashing cycle without all the extreme temps that this little cup would have been just fine. I say that because Mod Podge also says you cannot microwave anything with this product on it. They didn’t elaborate if that was because of toxins or because it would melt.
Can you drink out of something with Mod Podge?
Here’s the thing. It’s not food safe. It’s also not toxic. Well, that’s clear, right? Here’s the deal, the FDA has to approve things as “food safe” which this is not. But it’s a water based acrylic so it’s not “toxic”. For my cup, the design is on the side of the cup that will point away from me when I hold it so my mouth will not touch the surface where the Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge is applied. This should be safe enough but don’t cover a plate you’re planning to use for everyday dining unless it’s a clear plate and you put it on the back of the plate. Got it? Good.
I’m quite happy with Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge. As someone who likes to put trinket boxes in the dishwasher to give them a good cleaning now and again this product is going to come in handy. For a piece that I make for the shop since I don’t know how the customer is going to treat it once it leaves my hands, it will be a good option for sealing projects that could potentially be placed in the dishwasher.
Thank you for reading and I hope it answered some of your burning questions about Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge. If not, you can always reach out to me. Because of the spammers I’ve had to shut the comment section down on my blog. It became a full-time job just deleting links to God knows where. I appreciate all the people who left legitimate comments. I miss you too.
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