Your dishwasher cleans your dishes well by removing all the grease and grime, so it should be pretty clean inside. Nope, not really. Since dishwashers don’t clean themselves, food particles can build up in them over time.
The germs make your dishes smell bad, and bacteria and fungi from leftover food could also dirty your talks. Not only that but leftover detergent and mineral deposits can also build up in your dishwasher, making it less effective at cleaning your dishes.
So, just like with any other home part, it’s essential to deep-clean your dishwasher regularly. If you don’t keep up with it, you might have to pay for expensive repairs. You won’t need unique ingredients, methods, or even a lot of time to do the job well.
How often should a dishwashing machine be cleaned?
The answer to how often you should clean your dishwasher comes down to a few things, like how often you use it. If you run a load of dishes daily, you will need to clean the dishwasher’s filter, drain, and inside at least once a month. If you cook with grease or oil a lot, you should do a deep clean about twice a month.
But if you don’t use your dishwasher very often and your dishes don’t get too greasy, you might only need to clean it every few months. There are, of course, some exceptions. there are a few other times when you might need to clean your dishwasher well:
- Things aren’t getting clean.
- When you open the dishwasher, it has a bad smell.
- There was a lot of food stuck in the filter of the dishwasher.
- The dishwasher’s sprayer arm is clogged with food.
- Mineral buildup or rusting can be seen on the inside of the appliance
- Dirty detergent inside the machine
You’ll need these things:
There are various methods to clean a dishwasher well, but you probably already have some of the best tools in your kitchen. Vinegar is an excellent way to clean and eliminate surface smells. It can also help cut through grease left over from the dishwasher.
Because of this, it will be a crucial part of how you clean your appliances. Clean vinegar is the best choice, but you can also use white cooking vinegar. Bedwyr has put together a list of the things you’ll need to clean a dishwasher with vinegar:
- White vinegar that has been distilled
- Baking soda
- A pair of gloves made of rubber
- A tub or bucket made of plastic
- A basin that can move in the dishwasher
- A used-up toothbrush
- A clean microfiber cloth
- Soap or a dish brush
How to Clean a Dishwasher with Vinegar
Step 1: Empty your dishwasher
Before you start cleaning, empty your dishwasher. This includes all the racks, utensil holders, and filters, which should be in the back corner of the bottom of your washing machine or near the base of the bottom spray arm.
Step 2: Soak the dishwasher parts.
Next, put all the pieces in a plastic tub or bucket filled with warm water and a cup of white distilled vinegar. Give them about an hour to soak.
Step 3: Remove any leftover debris.
Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe the dishwasher’s spray arms and side walls from top to bottom to eliminate any leftover food, grease, or other debris. Then, use a toothbrush to clean the machine’s filter and dispenser. Sometimes things get stuck in their tiny holes and slots. You can also use a toothpick if a toothbrush is too big for the job.
Step 4: Use the dishwasher
Pour a cup of distilled white vinegar into a bowl that can go in the dishwasher and set it on the bottom of your machine. Set the dishwasher to use hot water and run it.” The vinegar will help break down all the tiny bits of food, grease, grime, soap scum, and other leftovers.
Step 5: Repeat the Hot Water Cycle
When the first hot water cycle is done, take the bowl out of the washer and expand a cup of baking soda all along the bottom. Baking soda is terrific for acquiring rid of stains and smells in the dishwasher. After putting baking soda on the surface, run the appliance through a short hot-water cycle.
Step 6: Get everything back together.
When the dishwasher’s removable parts are done soaking, please give them a light scrub with a microfiber cloth, sponge, or dish brush to get rid of any leftover gunk or dirt. Then wash them with water and put them back together in the dishwasher. And there you go, the inside of your dishwasher is once again clean.
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Tips for Maintaining Your Dishwasher’s Cleanliness
As with any cleaning job, preventing big messes can make it easier and less often and make your appliance last longer. The easiest way to avoid food buildup is to scrape off all food before putting dishes and utensils in the dishwasher.
If your saucepans are greasy, you should wait for the grease to cool down and then throw it away before washing the pots and pans. If you have hard water, you can also buy a cleaner inside your dishwasher to get rid of mineral deposits.
Using Affresh or Finish once a month or as needed can keep grease and dirt from building up inside your appliances. Last, make sure to rinse the filter in your dishwasher often. If that isn’t clean, the dishwasher won’t be able to do its job well, so you’ll end up with dirty dishes and a dirty appliance for no reason.
