Dishwashers

If you have the luxury of having a dishwasher in the house, you don’t need to spend hours after every meal scrubbing over the sink. A dishwasher does the work for you, by cleaning your dishes and removing food debris. You might think that because this machine is already doing cleaning for you, you don’t need to clean it. However, your dishwasher does get a lot of use and pieces of food can build up over time, impacting the dishwasher’s functioning. Luckily, this doesn’t usually lessen its effectiveness. Dishwashers don’t need to be cleaned very often and they aren’t all that hard to clean, either. If you make an effort to clean your dishwasher every now and then, you can ensure that your dishwasher is performing at its best for as long as possible.

How To

The first and easiest thing to do is to make sure that you use your dishwasher on a regular basis. This will reduce the need to clean it often. If you do want to clean it, do so after you have run it and emptied it.

Begin by taking a look at the spinning arms. They have holes where water shoots up and they should be clear of food items and debris. Remove anything that is lodged in the holes using a pair of tweezers, needle-nose pliers, a bobby pin, or a toothpick. If you’re using a rough tool, ensure you don’t scratch or damage the surface of the arm. A thorough cleaning of your dishwasher should also involve a wipe-down of the outside. Use a wet wash cloth or moist wipes to clean any food stains on the door or the space near the gasket. For tough stains that need scrubbing, use a toothbrush. Make sure to wipe the space below the door, as sometimes food items accumulate there. You should also take a look at the drain of your dishwasher. Remove the bottom drawer, if possible and inspect the bottom. Although this area usually drains clean, sometimes items can get stuck here. Dislodge built-up matter and wipe away stubborn stains. If you suspect that there is something lodged inside of the drain, you might have to take apart the bottom to clean it fully. Unplug your dishwasher before you do any disassembling.

Tips & Takeaways

If your water is hard, mineral deposits can build up on the inside of your dishwasher. These can be removed by running an empty cycle with a mild acidic substance, such as Kool-Aid powder, Tang, or white vinegar. You can also use a dishwasher cleaning product.

Some other things to keep in mind for optimal dishwasher cleanliness include lightly rinsing dishes before you pack them in the dishwasher. You should always clear away leftover food items from your plate before you put it in the dishwasher.

If you’re trying to wash the surface of your dishwasher and you don’t want to spend a lot of time scrubbing, try spraying a cleaning solution such as CIF or Mr. Clean. Let the solution go to work for a few minutes and then come back and run over it with a cloth or sponge. It should wipe off easily.

The dishwasher detergent that you use matters, too. If you’ve been using one kind for a long time, try switching and seeing if your dishes come out cleaner. Some of the most popular dishwasher detergent brands include Finish, Cascade, and Dawn.

Be careful how you load your dishwasher. You should stack plates and dishes so that they aren’t too tight, but you don’t want to run the dishwasher when it’s not full either as it’s not energy efficient. Always check before you put plastic items in the dishwasher as the heat can sometimes cause them to melt.