How to Clean a Dishwasher

January 6, 2015

Your dishwasher is supposed to clean your dishes and make them sparkle, but if it’s not cleaned properly, it’s also a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Here are 5 ways to keep your dishwasher in tip-top shape:

1. Wipe the gasket. The rubber door gasket is where food gets trapped during the cleaning cycle, which can lead to mold and mildew build-up. To prevent this from happening, pull back the gasket and wipe with a rag dipped in soapy water.

2. Wash the filter. The kitchen sponge has been named the dirtiest item in our homes according to a study conducted by NSF International. Clean off caked-on food particles from your dishwasher’s filter with hot, soapy water and a soft brush at least once a month.

3. Wash underneath the top rack. Food residue can get caught underneath your dishwasher’s top rack, which can lead to unpleasant odors over time. If you have an older dishwasher that doesn’t have a removable bottom spray arm, try cleaning under there with an old toothbrush or pipe cleaner dipped in vinegar or baking soda at least twice a year. If you have

If your dishwasher isn’t cleaning your dishes well, it’s probably time to clean the dishwasher itself. It’s easy to forget about cleaning this appliance because it usually doesn’t have a bad odor, but over time, grease and scum can build up inside the washer tub, which can result in dishes that are not as clean as you’d like them to be.

Here’s how to clean your dishwasher.

For this project you’ll need:

● a small bowl

● vinegar

● baking soda

● a toothpick or other small tool for cleaning out the holes in the spray arm (optional)

Step 1: Empty the Dishwasher of Dishes and Utensils and Remove the Racks

Carefully remove all dishes and utensils from the dishwasher and set them aside. If you have a top rack that is removable, pull it out of the dishwasher. Carefully lift up on each corner of the lower rack until it comes out as well. Don’t worry—the racks should easily slide in and out with very little effort on your part. Set both racks aside so they aren’t in your way while you’re cleaning.

Not only will your dishes end up cleaner, but a clean dishwasher works better and lasts longer.

It’s a good idea to run the dishwasher empty with the heat dry cycle on once a month to help remove stuck-on food particles and residue. If it has been a while since you’ve done this, or if you’ve never done this before, or if your machine is smelly (see below for more details about that), use an all-natural dishwasher cleaner like Lemi Shine® Booster to help remove the build-up of grease, grime and minerals.

If you notice that your dishwasher isn’t cleaning well (from glasses with white residue to dishes that still have food particles on them), it may be time to clean the dishwasher itself. Whether your machine looks dirty or not, there are several easy ways to get rid of any leftover detergent, hard water deposits and food particles before they start to build up.

Now, your dishwasher is built to clean dishes and should need little maintenance. However, certain conditions may cause the interior to become dirty or foul-smelling. If you are experiencing a problem, try these quick solutions before calling for service.

If your dishwasher smells bad:

Clean the drain area. Food particles accumulate in the drain area (under the filter). Deep cleaning this area will help eliminate odors. Use hot water and a nylon brush to completely clean the entire drain area (inlet opening and drain). Remove any items stored on the bottom rack.

Use a cleaner like Affresh washer cleaner to run through a normal cycle with no dishes inside. This can help remove soap scum or other residue that builds up over time.

It is important to keep the dishwasher clean in order to ensure a good wash cycle. Every week you should check and clean the dishwasher drain and filter. You can do this by removing the filter and checking for any debris or build up that may have occurred. Also check the drain area, which is located where the water is pumped out of the dishwasher. If you notice any debris, use a damp rag to remove it from around the drain. In addition, once a month you should wipe down the interior sides of your dishwasher with a damp rag to remove any residue or build up that you may not see when just looking into your dishwasher. You should also be sure to leave your dishwasher door open after each time you run it so that if there is any moisture left within the door it will dry out and therefore not cause any odors or mildew to build up.

I’ve written a fair bit about dishwashers in the past, but I’ve never really talked about how to clean a dishwasher. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Cleaning a dishwasher is not something that most people need to do very often;

2. When it does come time to clean a dishwasher, it’s usually because of one problem (usually a smelly dishwasher), and so it makes sense to just write an article about that specific problem.

3. It’s not easy to write an article about cleaning, because you can’t show before and after photos of what the inside of the dishwasher looks like.

But I’m going to give it a try anyway! There are actually two main reasons why you might want to clean your dishwasher:

1. Your dishwasher is smelling bad;

2. Your dishwasher isn’t working properly (e.g., dishes aren’t getting clean).

Dishwashers can have problems with both of these issues at the same time, so if you’re having problems with both, you might want to try cleaning them both at the same time, or at least in quick succession.

Your dishwasher is a machine that cleans! You put dirty things in and clean things come out. It’s magic! Except it’s not magic, it’s just engineering that works so well you can’t see how it works.

Like most engineering, the principle behind the dishwasher is pretty simple: water flows in from one side, gets sprayed around by some rotating thingies, and flows out the other side. But because water is a good medium for transferring heat, you can use it to transfer heat from one place to another.

So what happens inside the dishwasher is this: first, water gets pumped into the bottom of the basin. Then there’s a heating element that heats the water up to something like 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Then a rotating sprayer arm sprays this hot water on your dishes. The heat transfers from the water to the dishes, cleaning them by melting or softening or simply diluting whatever gunk was on them. Finally there’s a pump that sucks all the dirty water back out again and squirts clean water in to rinse your plates with.

The parts that wear out are usually pretty obvious: if you look at a dishwasher you can see where the sprayer arms are, for example– if they get clogged with food