How to Clean Dishwashers

How to Clean a Dishwasher

Does your dishwasher smell? Is it grossing you out? Wondering how to clean a dishwasher? No Doubt – you’re here aren’t you? You might expect to get at least 10 years out of your dishwasher but without proper maintenance, it’s unlikely.

Well, in this post we’ll teach you how to keep your dishwasher clean using routine tasks you can do weekly, monthly, and annually. We’ll also show you how a few tricks that will make you say I know how to clean a dishwasher! After all, there are many ways to skin a cat; not that we’d ever do that. They’re too cute.

Steps to Clean a Dishwasher 

Step 1: Daily

Scrape before you rack. Scraping food off your plate may be the last thing you want to do after dinner but if you want a clean dishwasher, it’s the first step to preventing food clogging up the drainage. Not only will this reduce the need for maintenance, but it will also mean you don’t need to pick nasty food bits out of your filter. 

Leave the door ajar.  As we’ve explained in many of our posts, the first step to preventing mould is good ventilation. Leaving your dishwasher door ajar will help to prevent it from smelling bad and it will also improve the life of the door seals. 

Stay away from the cheap stuff. Not all cheap detergents are bad, but if you notice a slimy residue being left behind then it could be time to change your dishwashing tablets. Good detergent products also do a better job of cleaning your things. If you dis all of these things properly then it’s likely that you wouldn’t need to know how to clean a dishwasher. 

Step 2: Weekly

Clean food out of the filter. Grab a paper towel and remove any bits of food you missed when you scraped your plates. This is a good habit to get into because it will prolong the life of your dishwasher and stop it from getting smelly. Most dishwasher have a removable filter, so you can take it out and give it a rinse as well. 

 Wipe down the door seals. Once the inside is clean, get a damp cloth and remove any grime or residue that has settled on the inside of the door and the seals. You can even spray it with a kitchen cleaning product if you’re having trouble and need to break down some grease.

Wipe down the outside. This is something that we include in our regular cleaning service. Spray the outside of the dishwasher with a cleaning product suitable for cleaning plastic or stainless steel (depending on what your dishwasher is made of) and give it a wipe-down.  Make sure you pay special attention to the corners, edges, and the handle. Tip: glass cleaner works great on stainless steel.

Source: Getty

Step 3: Monthly

Give it a deep clean. If you’re wondering how to clean a dishwasher, then it’s likely that this is something you’ll need to do now. There are a few ways to do this. You can use a dishwasher cleaning product or you can use natural products like vinegar and baking soda. The dishwashing cleaning product is self-explanatory so we’ll just explain how to use vinegar and baking soda.

Vinegar. This is super easy. Just half-fill a coffee cup with white vinegar and stick it on the top rack of your dishwasher. Then run the dishwasher on a hot cycle without any dishwashing detergent or tablet in it. The vinegar will bust up and grease and soap scum residue inside the dishwasher. 

Source: DIYNetwork

Some side notes on using vinegar. While it’s safe to use vinegar on most dishwashers, some companies like Miele recommend against it because it can damage things. So always consult your manual first and if it advises using a store bought cleaning products then do what it says. 

Baking Soda. Still got grime stuck on the bottom of the dishwasher? Sprinkle some baking soda over the spray arms and floor of the dishwasher. Then run it on a hot cycle again. That should do the trick.

Source: OneGoodThing