Someone loaded the peetal "helpfully." The cycle ran an hour too long with detergent chemistry metal never agreed to. Recovery starts with honest assessment.
What dishwashers actually do to peetal:
Harsh alkaline detergents attack surface oxides unevenly: expect dulling, cloudiness and dark spotting where finish varied.
High heat plus aggressive jets can shift thinner sections slightly.
Salt-containing cycles pit surfaces locally; pitting is the permanent end of the damage spectrum.
Assessment ladder:
Level one, cloudiness only: fully recoverable. The standard lemon-salt or tamarind routine restores appearance completely.
Level two, dark blotches with roughened texture: recoverable with patience. Extended cleaning sessions over a week, alternating gentle abrasive methods, bring most of the shine back.
Level three, visible pitting: texture stays forever. Polishing improves looks around the pits; the pits themselves remain as testimony.
Level four, lining damage: if the piece is kalai-lined and the interior lining shows wear or flaking post-cycle, stop polishing experiments and consult re-tinning.
The recovery sequence:
Wash by hand thoroughly first, removing all detergent traces.
Then the standard deep-clean routine, worked in two or three sessions rather than one aggressive marathon.
Finish with complete drying and a thin oil wipe to normalise the surface before storage.
The conversation afterward:
Whoever ran the load meant well. Frame prevention kindly: metal joins the hand-wash-only list beside good knives and cast iron, with reasons worth one sentence each.
One accident rarely ruins anything permanently. Two would suggest the dishwasher wins arguments in that house; label the shelf accordingly.
Dull spotted vessel beside bright restored one after hand recovery.