We are sorry to hear about your experience, JH. This set is DISHWASHER SAFE. Please remember to cool down to room temperature before washing. Overheating a pan may cause brown or blue stains on your cookware. Polishing may remove these stains. To polish the exterior of cookware, use a stainless steel cleaner with a soft cloth and rub it with a circular motion. To remove heavy or burnt-on residue, please allow your cookware to cool down to lukewarm and wash with warm or hot sudsy water. Then rinse well before hand washing or placing in the dishwasher. You can remove spotted white or multi-colored film (caused by minerals in the water) with a mild solution of water and lemon juice or vinegar. Please know all Member's Mark items come with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and can be returned anytime.