Silicone parts can go in the dishwasher. Check the lid first.

Most silicone parts in a lunch box are fine in the dishwasher, but you should hand-wash the lid and any parts with rubber gaskets or non-stick coatings.

The silicone container itself — the little cups, muffin liners, or the main base if it’s silicone — can ride on the top rack no problem. Dishwashers don’t melt silicone at those temps. Just don’t let them lie flat on the bottom where the heating element lives, and take them out of any plastic outer shell first.

What you need to hand-wash is anything with a seal. Lids with silicone gaskets, vacuum seals, or those little vent flaps collect water and soap residue that you can’t see. Over time that gets gross. Also hand-wash any part with a printed design, a non-stick coating, or a clip that looks like it could snap. The heat and detergent are fine for silicone, but they’re not fine for glue, printing, or thin plastic springs.

When in doubt, look for the little dishwasher-safe symbol on the bottom. No symbol? Hand-wash it. Silicone is forgiving, but the lids are what break.

If you see “top rack only” or “hand wash,” take it out. Thirty extra seconds is worth not melting your favorite lunch box.