How to Properly Clean Your Dishwasher

June 25th, 2019

It cannot be denied. The dishwasher is among the most used items or appliances in anyone’s home. This is because the dishwasher is any homeowner’s friend when it comes to the daunting task of dishwashing. However, many homeowners sometimes fail to think about its maintenance. The overall maintenance of your dishwasher is important in making sure that it is free from bacteria, odors, and it is also essential in making sure that its lifespan is maximized. Regular cleaning also means that the performance of your dishwasher is optimized as well. Moreover, regular cleaning can also help prevent expensive repairs in the future as well. But how do you clean your dishwasher properly? Take a look at these tips below:

1. Remove the Rack and Wipe it Out

The first step in cleaning your dishwasher is todetach the bottom rack. When the rack has been removed, you can now clean out any gunk or food particle residues you can find. After that, you can remove the filter from your dishwasher and clean it as well. Make sure to wipe out the door gasket as well.

2. Run a Dishwasher Cycle With Vinegar

To remove odors in your dishwasher, you can fill in a dishwasher-safe container with a cup of vinegar, and run a cycle with it located at the top rack inside your dishwasher. The vinegar will also help get rid of old detergents and other deposits that have built up. It will also remove grease, which can lead to clogging.

3. Use Baking Soda

After running the cycle with vinegar, you can also get rid of the excess food particles by adding a cup of baking soda on the bottom rack. Run a short cycle, and the baking soda will end up absorbing the remaining food residues and particles. After both cycles are complete, the inside of your dishwasher will not be clean and free from bad odor.

4. Bleach

If you still aren’t satisfied with the effects of baking soda and vinegar, then you might want to consider running in a cycle with bleach in it. However, if your dishwasher is made from stainless steel, then this isn’t really advisable. If you plan on using bleach, add in a half cup of bleach to your dishwasher and run a cycle. However, make sure that you don’t mix in vinegar with bleach.

5. Cleaning Daily

Dishwashers need to be cleaned daily, and to do this, you can remove tiny food residues after each cycle. Developing this habit can save you from accumulating a huge amount of food residue from leftover food. This will also prevent the buildup of odor as well.

6. Wipe it Regularly

By using a damp cloth or sponge, you can wipe the door of your dishwasher in order to get rid of any residue that may have accidentally splashed on to your dishwasher’s interior, door, handles, or controls.  You can do this once a week, or as needed.

7. Filter Maintenance

To clean the filter, you can rinse it in hot running water, or use a toothbrush to scrub it. This will also remove any excess grease or particles as well. If you aren’t sure where your dishwasher’s filter is, you can check the manual for instructions.