Just asking as I have a few bakelite radios in good order but could do with a good wash . I wont try it if its not recomended . Would it warp or what could be the outcome ?.

Some dishwasher get pretty hot. I always hand wash mine.

Ben

A wash in the laundry tub with Handy Andy works for me. I use a tooth brush to get in all the corners and have used a Scotch Brite pad at times to remove paint spots that were a bit more resistant to a scrub with a cloth. I wouldn't risk a dishwasher, as Redxm has noted.
Harold

If the cabinet was strong enough to survive the jetstreams and being thrown about it may not survive the corrosive detergents. I'd give it a miss.

I've had some ups and downs with cleaning Bakelite cabinets and one of the downs was buggering a marbled green Astor Mickey DL cabinet. It was pretty much a $2,500.00 cabinet flushed down the bog.

I was lucky in one respect - the cracks were quite clean, making the task of repair reasonably easy for someone skilled at it. I ended up selling the radio to someone who had the time and patience to get the cabinet fixed and they won the radio on Ebay for $650.00. That was still a profit because I was given the radio but the loss of such a unique beast didn't impress me and still doesn't.

There is only one word to ponder on when cleaning a Bakelite cabinet - patience.

There is only one word to ponder on when cleaning a Bakelite cabinet - patience.

I would add two more words to that: "go gently".

I've had good results with very badly weathered bakelite (after all cut and polish attempts failed) using automotive clearcoat. You have to make sure you get all the wax off first - I used a dishwasher for that.

Last resort kill or cure stuff though.