Can you put the bowl in the dishwasher? I put the "beaters" (not sure what to call it) in the dishwasher, but my mom said that if you put something that is stainless steel in the dishwasher, it will come out nasty feeling, and that feeling won't go away.
Yes - I put mine in the dishwasher a couple of times a week and it comes out great. 
And not to hijack this thread (but I will a little), as long as my KA is working fine, is there any routine maintenance that I need to do? I've had mine for 5+ years and haven't ever done more than wipe it down.
I've had my current KA for over ten years and I have put the bowl in the dishwasher the entire time I've owned it. I also put the vinyl coated paddle (beater) in the dishwasher but over time corrosion built up under the vinyl skin. Eventually it split and I had to buy a new one. Now I hand wash the paddle. I do throw the whip in the dishwasher still though.
When I bought my new KA mixer, I made the mistake of putting the attachments into the dishwasher. They were ruined. Just like your mom said. The 'coating' came off and they were this rough silvery kind of finish that just felt horrible. So I returned the mixer and got a new one. So I NEVER put the attachments or the bowl into the dishwasher.
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