How to Clean the Dishwasher

Most of us clean our kitchen every day. We clean the counter after we finish preparing a meal, we clean the stovetop after we finish cooking a meal, and for those of us who do our own dishes, we clean the sink once we are finished washing them. There are, however, many of us who have a dishwasher to do the dirty work for us. And, while most of us clean our sinks after doing dishes, it is rare for anyone to clean the dishwasher after using it. Granted, the dishwasher does not need to be cleaned as often as the sink but it is a job that should be done at least once a month. This is because, over time, the food and debris that is being washed from our dishes becomes built up inside of our dishwasher thereby reducing its performance. Thus, since most of us want to eat off of clean dishes, it is extremely important that we keep the inside of our dishwashers clean. Since cleaning the dishwasher is something that people rarely think of doing, most of us don't know how to do it. Follow the instructions within this article to learn how to clean your dishwasher so you can ensure that you are eating off of a clean plate!

Before beginning the cleaning process, always make sure that all dishes are removed and that all cycles are turned off. Next, look inside of your dishwasher for the spinning arms. Use a wet sponge or cloth to clean these off. Also, on the arms you will see a hole. Make sure that there is no debris inside of this hole to ensure that water can run through it freely. If there is debris, use something with a fine point, such as a toothpick, to carefully dig it out.

Next, we must clean out the door. When cleaning off the door of the dishwasher make sure to pay close attention to the edges of the door that do not get wet during the dishwashing cycle. These will be the dirtiest areas as they do not get cleaned during the dishwashing process. Also pay close attention to the bottom of the door as it does not get wet during the cycle either. After you finish cleaning the door, inspect the bottom of the dishwasher and wipe away any debris with a wet cloth or sponge.

Once you have given your dishwasher a brief wipe down by hand, you can begin to remove any water deposits or scale. To do this, place a coffee cup filled with distilled white vinegar, baking soda, or any type of dishwasher cleaning product into the dishwashing rack. Close the dishwasher and run one full cycle. Once this cycle has finished remove mold and mildew by running one more cycle, this time using a small amount of bleach. Be careful to never add other detergents with the bleach and skip this process if your dishwasher has a stainless steel interior.

Cleaning our dishwasher is not something most of us think of doing. It is however, a necessity to keep our dishwasher running properly. If you own a dishwasher be sure to clean it at least once month to ensure that your dishes are coming out clean and that you are eating off of a clean plate!

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