This is a bit weird, I know.

I was washing my rubber dildo in the dishwasher, as I have many times before. (The box reads “dishwasher safe for residential-grade dishwashers.”) But something happened this time – somehow, something went wrong and some of it ended up melting on the heating element. Some of the rubber even burnt and turned black and the inside of the dishwasher smells of melted/burnt plastic. Some plastic dishes I had in the dishwasher at the time also retain the smell even when I try to clean them in the sink with soap and water.

The dildo melted at a, well, a critical area for the functionality of the device, so needless to say it’s ruined.

I do, however, want to be able to safely use my dishwasher again, though. So tell me:

- How do I get the melted rubber residue off the element?

- How can I get rid of the burnt plastic-like smell (both inside of the dishwasher and on the plastic dishes I was also washing at the time)?

- When will the dishwasher be safe?