Test Your Dishwasher IQ
Did you know that the dishwasher is one of the most mis-used appliances in your home? It takes a lot of energy to operate, uses up to 12 gallons of water, and yet is usually only half full.
If you want to get the best performance out of your dishwasher, keep it well maintained and loaded properly. Here are some tips:
Load it right: Utensil baskets come in handy. Make sure to load forks, knives and spoons properly. Forks go with handles down for better cleaning. Knives should be placed with blades facing down as well. Spoons should also go in handles down.
Rinse it off: Rinse off any large food particles from dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. This will prevent food from getting lodged in crevices and then re-deposited on clean dishes during a cycle.
Scrape it off: Scrape food particles into trash can — don’t rinse them down the drain or garbage disposal.
Use the right detergent: Use an automatic dishwashing detergent, not regular hand soap or laundry detergent, which can create suds that won’t rinse away easily and could overflow out of the
In the last blog we stated that dishwashers have an average life expectancy of 9 years. You can increase the life of your dishwasher by following these tips:
1. Never overload your dishwasher. Overloading causes the dishes to not come out clean and causes additional wear on the unit. Proper loading is important to having a long lasting dishwasher.
2. Most manufacturers recommend using a rinse agent as part of their care and use instructions in order to overcome hard water conditions. If you don’t use a rinse agent, minerals could leave filmy residue on dishes and cause corrosion.
3. Replace or clean the filters on most models at least twice per year or as needed according to manufacturer’s instructions in order for your dishwasher to function effectively and efficiently. Dishwasher filters prevent food from re-depositing on clean dishes during the wash cycle. If filters are dirty, dishes won’t come out clean and repairs will be more frequent due to increased wear on the pump and motor assembly from food clogged in its components
Recently someone asked me, “How can I get my dishwasher to last longer?” It got me thinking.
The dishwasher is an inconspicuous appliance that by most people’s standards is very low maintenance. And so it should be. But there are some common misconceptions about how to properly care for your dishwasher that could be hurting its life expectancy.
The average lifespan of a dishwasher is about 10 years. With proper care and maintenance, you can prolong your dishwasher’s life by 5 years or more.
Did you know that your dishwasher should be cleaned out at least once a month? That’s right! Even though it uses soap and hot water, food and particulates can get stuck in the gaskets and filters.
How do you do this?
With a paper towel, wipe down the bottom of the dishwasher. You’ll want to pay close attention to the corners and crevices. With a toothpick, clean out any food or debris from the holes in the spray arms. Use a pipe cleaner to clean out your drain.
How do you open up those hidden areas of your dishwasher?
For most dishwashers, you can easily remove the lower rack of your dishwasher. You’ll usually find both filters and spray arms attached to this rack. Check your owner’s manual for specific instructions on how to remove your lower rack or ask us!
Most homes have dishwashers and they are used as a part of everyday life. These dishwashers come in different shapes, sizes and styles. One of these styles is the two drawer dishwasher. You may wonder what the point is for having a dishwasher with two drawers instead of the traditional one. Well, there are a couple of reasons for this and those reasons are as follows:
Convenience: Having two drawers means that you can do two loads at once. This is a great convenience if you need to wash dishes that have been piling up. You can put all the dirty dishes in one drawer and start it running at the same time you put the clean dishes away from the other drawer. This way there are no dirty dishes sitting around waiting to be washed.
Preserving Energy: Since you only use one drawer at a time, energy is preserved. When you only run one drawer at a time, less energy is needed to do that load than if you were to run one large washer with both drawers full. This saves money as well as energy and helps keep your energy bill down when compared to using a normal sized washer every day.
Dishwasher, n. A mechanical device for washing dishes and eating utensils. A dishwasher is a cabinet, usually about 24 inches wide, containing a pump, motor, heating element, and several racks to hold dishes. It may be freestanding or built into the kitchen counter. Dishwashers are most convenient when they are connected to the hot water supply directly; if you’re remodeling your kitchen, it’s well worth hiring a plumber to install a hot water line to the dishwasher ahead of time.
Dishwashers aren’t cheap: prices typically range from $250 to $1000, depending on how fancy you want it to be. But they can save you a lot of drudgery and make it easier to keep your kitchen clean. If you have young children or entertain frequently, having a dishwasher will change your life forever; even if you don’t always use it, just being able to run it at the end of the day makes life more pleasant.
A dishwasher is a mechanical device for cleaning dishes and eating utensils. Dishwashers can be found in restaurants and private homes. Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies mostly on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher cleans by spraying hot water, typically between 45 and 75 °C (110 and 170 °F), at the dishes, with lower temperatures used for delicate items.[1] A mix of water and dishwasher detergent is pumped to one or more rotating spray arms, blasting the dishes with the cleaning mixture. Once the wash is finished, the water is drained, more hot water enters the tub by means of an electro-mechanical solenoid valve, and the rinse cycle begins. After rinsing, the water is drained again and a warmed drying element activates to dry the dishes. Most modern dishwashers have electronic controls that notify the user of the dishwasher’s status through visual indicators like lights or text display. Some older models use mechanical timers instead.
In addition to residential uses, some dishwashers are made for use in commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants, where many dishes must be cleaned.