Tips For Cleaning A Dishwasher

Cleaning the inside of dishwashers isn’t high on To-Do lists since they do a great job cleaning themselves while they wash dishes. Sometimes though there may be a few rust stains, detergent or mineral buildup or even an off-smell inside your dishwasher that you want to get rid of. Here are few quick & easy tips for cleaning things up.

Dishwasher Cleaning Tips

Sparkling Clean Inside Of Dishwasher

• Using citric acid to clean dishwashers is a popular trick, here’s how you do it: Fill the soap cup with 2 tablespoons of powdered citric acid (some even recommend just filling the soap dispenser with powdered Orange Tang since it contains citric acid) and run the dishwasher through a full cycle. This is especially good for removing rust spots inside the dishwasher (you may have to do more than one treatment).
• To remove buildup of minerals or stains, run a full cycle with vinegar, here’s how you do it: Start the dishwasher and once it fills up with hot water, open the dishwasher and pour in a cup or two of regular household vinegar. Let the dishwasher finish its cycle. Another method is to set a bowl filled with 3 cups of vinegar on the bottom rack of an empty dishwasher. Let the dishwasher run for a full cycle.
• Borax or Baking Soda Freshener: After dishes are done for the night and the dishwasher is dry, sprinkle a layer of Borax or baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher. Close it and let it sit overnight. The next day take a damp sponge and scrub the powder into the inside walls and door of the dishwasher. Remove most of the powder then run a full cycle on empty to remove all traces of the powder. Another method to freshen up the dishwasher is to toss in a cup of baking soda to an empty dishwasher then run it on the rinse cycle.

Smelly Dishwasher Tips:

If your dishwasher smells, you could have food trapped in the bottom filter. After running a load of dishes, remove the bottom rack of the dishwasher and look for any crud trapped in the filter on the bottom. If there’s food trapped in the holes, you’ll need to remove it and clean it. Also look around the gasket (particularly at the bottom where the door and dishwasher meet), you could have an accumulation of gunk in there that needs to be cleaned.

Remember: Unplug appliances before removing or handling parts to clean.

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