Your mom is an idiot! Your toaster shouldn’t be fried — it should be toasted! Duh!

she may be in the early stages of dementia

You lost a toaster — you’ll get over it. Just appreciate the fact that your mother was trying to help. Edit: Unless it wasn’t motivated by her desire to help but instead a desire to control. That’s a completely different scenario.

I'm a bit curious how it got fried. I mean did she leave it plugged in when she put it in there or what? Otherwise water shouldn't do all that much to it, it's just plastic and metal.

Was it plugged in when she washed it? No? Then it will be fine. Make sure it's well dried out before plugging it back in.

You should have a funeral for the toaster.

A toaster won't be ruined by putting it in the dishwasher unless you are just as unthoughtful as your mom, and plugged it in while still wet. Heating elements do not get water damaged easily. Think stove. They can, however, short out if you plug them in while still wet.

I read these stores all the time. Why do people's parents have access to their houses? And why do they always destroy something?