How to Best Clean a Dishwasher

Appliances need cleaning, especially the ones whose task is to clean dirty things. Your washing machine always needs a good cleaning as does your dishwasher. The latter is more so as it is tasked with getting rid of germs and bacteria before you use those same dishes and utensils again.

When you want a healthy life, it is important to make sure your dishwasher gets cleaned frequently and regularly. If you do not do this, then your appliance may not last as long or perform up to your expectations.

To learn more about cleaning your dishwasher just continue to read our article. It has the information that will help you do a good job and keep your appliance working at optimum levels for a long time.

When to Wash Your Dishwasher

The frequency you clean your dishwasher depends on how often you use it. If you do not cook at home a lot or use ready-to-eat meals that come with disposable containers, then you may not have to clean your appliance more than once or twice a year.

However, if you are a person who likes to cook and uses their dishwasher every day, then it is best to clean your appliance once a month. The more you clean, the better the dishwasher will clean your dishes.

Items You Need to Clean Your Dishwasher Thoroughly

One thing about cleaning your dishwasher is that you do not have to do a lot of work. Your dishwasher does that for you. While you do have to supply the needed cleaning items and do a little work, most of it is handled by the appliance. Here are the cleaning items you will need:

1. White Vinegar
2. Baking Soda
3. An Old Toothbrush
4. Toothpicks
5. Dishwashing Liquid
6. Soft Cloths

How to Clean Your Dishwasher

Step one– Give your dishwasher a nice rinse with hot water. You do not have to remove any dishes for this step.

Step Two– After the cycle is over, remove everything from the interior of the appliance. Take out the racks and baskets as well.

Step Three– Soak your racks and baskets in some nice warm, soapy water, and then wipe them down with a good cloth. Rinse off the soap and let the racks dry. When those racks, etc., are really dirty, let them soak for a few hours.

Step Four– Clean the drain inside the dishwasher, removing any gunk and food items or utensils you find inside.

Step Five– Take your baking soda and make a paste with a little water added in. Then use the old toothbrush to clean around and inside the drain. Wipe off any residue with a clean cloth.

Step Six– Next, take a toothpick and start looking at the holes on the sprayer arm. These can get clogged with small food particles so use the toothpick to clean out those holes.

Step Seven– At this stage, you should check your owner’s manual to see if your appliance has a filter. If it does, follow the manual’s instructions for removing it and cleaning the filter.

Step eight– Put all dishwasher parts you removed back in their rightful place and place a bowl filled with the vinegar inside on the bottom rack. Make sure that the bowl can hold up to 2 cups of vinegar and place it in the center of the rack.

Step Nine– Run the cleaning cycle on your dishwasher to get the interior nice and clean.

Step Ten– At this time, wipe down the exterior of your dishwasher and make sure to get any food items and other dirt off the appliance. Do not forget to clean the control panel either.

When steps nine and ten are completed, you can sprinkle some baking soda on the floor of your dishwasher and run another cycle. This will deodorize the appliance and make sure it is thoroughly clean.

Some Final Words

Keeping your dishwasher nice and clean is essential. Not only does it help performance, but it makes sure that any germs or bacteria inside will not spread to your cooking and eating dishes.

Also, it helps your dishwasher last a lot longer than you may have thought. Proper maintenance, which includes cleaning, is the key to keeping your dishwasher in top shape all the time.

Take care of your dishwasher so that it can take care of you and make your life a little easier.