Question
Dear Rabbi:
My dishwasher is dairy. My cleaning woman seems to have put two pieces of meat silverware into the dishwasher, without my realizing. The dishwasher was then run with a very full load of dairy dishes, bowls, and silverware. I only just now noticed the meat silverware when emptying the dishwasher. What should I do?
Thank you for you help.
Answer
Since there was definitely 60 times more water than the pieces of silverware, and it is possible that the silverware was not used within 24 hours prior to placing them in the dishwasher, and due the fact that dishwasher soap was most likely used giving the water an unfavorable taste,and because there was no direct transfer of meat to the dairy utensils, the dishes, silverware and dishwasher may all be used.
Though more caution should be exercised in the future and always ask if something similar happens again because each case may have different factors and the halacha will change accordingly.
Kol Tuv
