Perhaps one of the best inventions of all time is the good old dishwasher, which has actively managed to reduce human labour since its creation. Not only does it helps you clean your dirty dishes at a faster rate, but it also provides other services that really make it one of man’s best helps.
But cleaning the dishwasher itself can be tricky and make many work up a sweat over it. So if you also wonder how to clean a dishwasher, this article is here to answer that query.
Do You Need To Clean a Dishwasher?
Yes, one must clean a dishwasher separately, even though it goes through a cleaning process when washing the dishes.
It is easy to overlook how a dishwasher might need maintenance, but one should do a thorough clean-up once in a while so that their appliance can last long and give the best service till the end.
How to Clean A Dishwasher?
Gather Necessary Equipment
Before starting the cleaning procedure, the first thing you’ll have to do is gather all the necessary equipment.
You might need:
- An old toothbrush
- A soft-bristle cleaning brush
- Some baking soda
- Some warm water
- Distilled white vinegar
- Some dish soap
- Rubber gloves for your hands
- Sponge
- Stainless steel cleaning product
- Some toothpicks
- And olive oil or baby oil (Optional)
Remove Everything From Inside
To clean the dishwasher properly, you must clear its inside by removing the filter, the dishwasher racks and the utensil holders. By doing that, you can reach the innermost corners and every crevice of the appliance and will be able to wash the small parts separately.
Now take a bucket, put some warm water and distilled vinegar in it, then soak these detachable parts in water for at least 30 minutes to get rid of their stubborn dirt.
Clean Rotten Food Bits
The reason why dishwashers start to smell bad or become less productive is because of the food bits stuck in them. Most of the time, your fingers and a paper towel will be more than enough to clean the food scraps. But if the dirt is trapped in tiny corners, then utilise a toothbrush or a toothpick to scrub it out.
As this step is pretty easy to follow, you can perform it every day and ensure the dishwasher does not smell bad as often.
Another way you can get rid of food rotting inside your dishwasher is by wiping excess foodstuffs from your plates or tableware before placing them into the dishwasher. You should also peel any stickers or labels from the dishes so that it does not get stuck inside and clog the filter.
Give Your Dishwasher a Hot Water Bath
A quick way to confirm that all the grime is out of your dishwasher is to give it a hot water bath. To do this, take a bowl you can use in a dishwasher, fill it with one cup of white vinegar and place it at the bottom of your device.
Then start the dishwasher and run it on a hot water cycle. This way, the vinegar will soak the remaining grease, residue or leftover grind, if there is any, for further cleaning.
See also: How To Use Dishwasher? (Certain Tips & Warnings)
Now Follow the Same Process with Baking Soda
Once the last step is over, remove the existing bowl and put one cup of baking soda at the bottom surface of the dishwasher. Sprinkle it in a way the entire base is covered with it, and run another short hot water cycle.
This step is guaranteed to leave your dishwasher smelling clean, all the while removing the persistent stains.
Clean the Dishwasher Door and Buttons
For the dishwasher door, you might have to be a bit careful depending on what it is made of. If it is plastic or painted metal, you can use dish soap and a sponge to clean the surface or remove splatters left on its body. Then you can use a wet cloth, rinse the surface and dry it with a clean cloth.
But if it is a stainless steel door, look for a cleaning product suitable for such a surface, as regular cleaners can damage stainless steel.
For the buttons and dials at the front of the door, an old toothbrush and soap water will work wonders to remove any dirt.
Clean The Filter With Great Care
The filter is a very important part of the dishwasher, as it is more vulnerable to grime than the other parts. You can usually find the filter at the base of the spray arm, so to remove it, you will have to pull out the bottom rack.
The best and easiest way to clean it is by extracting it from the main body and rinsing it with hot water. Then you can scrub it with a toothbrush to remove any filth, and then rinse it clean under clear water.
Make sure the filter is properly locked back in its place, as otherwise, the dishwasher will not work appropriately and might even cause severe damage to your machine.
Importance Of Keeping Your Dishwasher Clean
Hopefully, the tips mentioned above will be enough for you to keep your dishwasher clean for a longer period. Still, to keep your washer optimally running, try to follow a schedule and prepare yourself and the equipment accordingly.
The paramount reason behind following a frequent cleaning cycle is not only for your machine to be better smelling and looking cleaner but also for it to work more effectively.
Plus, you do not want your dishwasher to stay unhygienic when it washes your plates, which you use to eat your food.
Should You Use Bleach To Clean Dishwasher?
This question frequently pops up whenever you search for how to clean a dishwasher. But no, you should not use bleach as it can heavily damage stainless steel.
It is also very harmful to humans, as bleach and vinegar together can create the deadly chlorine gas known to cause severe coughing, irritation in the eyes and nose, burning sensation in the chest, etc. So avoid taking such a step at any cost.
Wrapping It Up
On that note, we conclude this article on how to clean a dishwasher. These steps are all tried and tested so that you can get the best results. Follow these instructions, and you should become a pro at keeping your dishwasher squeaky clean!