Yes, your dishwasher needs cleaning as well – the paradox of all appliances that are used to clean stuff for us. And in today’s article, we’ll learn what is the best way to clean a dishwasher – easy, effective and fun!
The good news is that keeping a sparkling, neat and clean dishwasher, every time you run a cleaning cycle is not very tough to manage.
You do have to pay a bit of attention and keep it in good shape by cleaning it regularly. Otherwise, your dishes will smell bad and there could be even other problems.
Cleaning a dish washer sounds unfamiliar at first, but just like all other home accessories and machinery we have in the kitchen, it has to be done. And it can be easily done with just some very simple household items.
This is what you need:
- One cup white vinegar
- One cup of baking soda
Cleaning your dishwasher: step by step instructions
No, it’s not as easy as throwing the vinegar and baking soda in, drinking a coffee and enjoying a job well done. You have to do a bit of preparing yourself, but fortunately it’s not difficult!
1. First of all, you will have to manually clean the drain area which is usually located at the base of the dishwasher.
You might have to remove the bottom dish rack from there in order to access the drainpipe: do so, because that is where most of the bad stuff resides.
Remove all the gunk that most likely formed there, as well as any bits of food that got stuck any any type of debris.
You will most likely have to remove the filter itself from the drain pipe and give it a good scrub in the sink. (If your filter is not located there, check your dishwasher’s manual to find it – it’s extremely important to keep it clean, otherwise all dishes will suffer!)
This is the worst part of your cleaning process and you should definitely use some rubber gloves: the sight and feel (and sometimes the smell) are not pretty.
But if you let that add up there, things will get worse and worse so it’s best to remove that debris often, otherwise they will grow harmful bacteria and can even damage your dish washer itself!
2. The tough part is done, fortunately! Now, you should place your cup of vinegar (the cup itself, facing upwards) on the top rack and run a washing cycle with just that lonely cup and vinegar.
This will usually be enough to clean most of the grime inside your dishwasher and remove unpleasant smells. Yes, vinegar is one of the best cleaners for your kitchen!
3. Finally, put that baking soda to good use! Spread it on the bottom floor of your dishwasher and run a quick (or short, or whatever it is called on your machine) hot water washing cycle.
And this is it! This is the easiest way to clean your dishwasher, remove bad smell and keep those harmful bacteria at bay. Plus, it helps to keep your dish washer in top shape and prolongs its life.
Another method of cleaning your dishwasher
Sometimes, nasty mold may affect your dishwasher – especially if you haven’t given it a good clean in a while (this is why you should clean it regularly!)
If this happens, you need something stronger than vinegar. Take one cup of bleach, pour it over the bottom, and run your dishwasher through a complete cycle to properly clean it.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that bleach is safe for your dishwasher, as some models (those with stainless steel interiors, for example) will be damaged by bleach. Only use it if your machine can handle it.
If not, use a mixture of vinegar and then rinse with a damp sponge or cloth and your kitchen cleaning liquid of choice.
Maintain the cleanliness of your dishwasher
Keeping your dishwasher clean is easy and prevents you from reaching situations like the ones above. So make it a habit to routinely clean it.
Also, there are some other things that you can and should do in order to ensure the cleanliness of your dishwasher, like:
1. Remove all food remains from the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. I usually use a napkin to swipe away most of the heavy stuff that’s stuck on a plate.
2. Don’t be afraid of adding vinegar every now and then with your wash cycle. It will help keep everything clean, including your dishes.
3. Keep the dishwasher’s door clean by regularly wiping it with a clean sponge or cloth and some washing liquid.
4. Every now and then, use the cleaning tablets specifically made for cleaning your dishwasher. They are especially useful if white vinegar alone can’t get the job done!
And these would be our tips on how to clean your dishwasher if things start to get ugly. The main lesson here is that it’s best to prevent and clean it regularly instead of waiting until the smell becomes too much.