Although newer dishwashers can theoretically handle just about anything (unless it’s trimmed in gold or silver leaf), they might damage your fine wares. Some guidelines:

Treat china like china.

“Most dishwashers don’t have a temperature setting,” says Matthew Kueny, manager of the product-development group at appliance maker Miele, and if the water’s too hot, “china can get little black veins under the glazing, and crystal can develop whitish etching” — a breakdown of the finish and detail. A dishwasher’s china setting should be safe, but for anything particularly fragile, it’s wiser to hand wash.

Less soap is more.

Putting in extra detergent to get china extra clean can erode decorative details over time, says Kueny. For the same reason, don’t prewash, either. Powder and liquid detergents get the same clean results, but powder tends to be gentler on delicate items. Let silver shine. Avoid putting silver or mounted-handle knives, such as chef’s knives, in the dishwasher. Detergent weakens the joint between the handle and the blade, “and the process itself can dull the knife quickly,” says Kueny. You can run the rest of your silver through on the china setting, but it will be less shiny than if cleaned by hand.

Don’t mix metals.

Stainless and sterling flatware should be put in widely separated baskets. “When metals mix, free electrons move between the different surfaces, causing a surface etching, or burning,” says Kueny.