Mod PodgeMod PodgeGlue · Sealer · Finish

Dishwasher safe: Mod Podge decoupage glue for mugs, plates and glass

Mod Podge decoupage glue and sealer mixed to cure hard enough for a top-rack wash — for mugs, plates, tumblers and glass.

Decorated mugs, plates and tumblers fail at the sink, not on the shelf. These formulas cure hard enough for the top rack of a dishwasher, which is the difference between a keepsake and a one-evening decoration.

Give a finished piece 28 days to cure before its first wash. That wait is not us being careful — the film is still hardening, and a hot cycle on week one will undo it.

Everything we bottle on this shelf

Not sure this is your shelf? Our surface chart, written out walks through which of our formulas we have tested on which material, and the other eleven shelves are one click away.

Mod Podge decoupage glue that survives washing

A decorated mug or tumbler does not fail on the shelf. It fails at the sink, when hot water gets under the paper and lifts it. This formula is mixed to cure into a harder, less permeable film than our original decoupage glue, so a finished piece can go on the top rack of a dishwasher and come back intact.

The method is the same as any other decoupage project: thin coat of glue under the paper, smooth it down from the middle outwards, let it dry, then seal with two or three coats over the top. What is different is the wait afterwards. Give the piece 28 days before its first wash. The film keeps hardening for weeks after it stops feeling wet, and a hot cycle in week one will undo the work.

Keep the design away from the rim and away from anything that touches food or lips. We say that about every decorated drinkware project we have ever made, and it has nothing to do with how tough the finish is.

What we use this one on:

  • ceramic mugs, plates and serving dishes
  • glass tumblers, jars and candle holders
  • metal tins and enamelled surfaces
  • anything that will be handled and washed for years

Questions we get about this shelf

Top rack or bottom rack?

Top rack only. The bottom rack sits closer to the heating element and a long hot cycle there is harder on any decoupage finish than the water itself.

Why 28 days before washing?

Dry and cured are two different things. The surface stops being tacky in under an hour; the film underneath carries on hardening for about four weeks. Washing before that is the single most common reason a project lifts.

Can I hand wash instead?

Yes, and we would, for anything you care about. A soft cloth and warm water will outlast any machine cycle. The dishwasher rating is there so an accident does not ruin the piece, not as a dare.

The other eleven shelves