For decades, Americans lived without this handy kitchen helper. But today, most of us can’t imagine living life without it. The dishwasher. If you’re lucky enough to own one, then you want to make sure you’re taking good care of it not only to keep your dishes clean and sanitized, but to help it go the distance.
Many people think that the dishwasher is essentially self-cleaning because you’re always washing dishes in it, but that’s not the case. Hard water scum and food build-up is real and can cause problems over time. So below, you’ll find a few easy tips that you can schedule every 1-2 months to keep your dishwasher working as the mighty machine that it is.
1 – Find Your Owner’s Manual. Keep your Owner’s Manual handy¾whether online or in a file¾so that if any issues come up, you know how to handle them quickly and aren’t tempted to put them off, leading to potentially bigger problems.
2 – Inspect and Clean the Spinning Arms. Before doing this, remove the dishwasher racks. This way, you won’t damage the racks and it’s easier to access the spinning arms. Next, check the holes in each of the arms to be sure there’s no build up. If there is, simply use a toothpick or pipecleaner to extract the debris. Finally, make sure the spinning arms are in good shape, and feel free to wipe them down with a good household cleaner and sponge.
3 – Wipe It Down. Grab a towel and some household cleaner like windex and wipe the edges of the doors, under the door (on the inside), the gasket and the detergent dispenser. These are areas that can hold odors and buildup.
4 – Clean the Drain. This is critical. Without question, this may be the dirtiest part of the dishwasher. Here you may find most of your buildup and food debris and even potentially paper remnants from stickers left on dishes. Check your owner’s manual for instructions tailored to your model.
5 – Remove hard water deposits and build up. Last but not least, fill your detergent dispenser with unsweetened lemonade mix or place a cup of vinegar on your top rack and let the washer run a full cycle. This will do wonders to eliminate buildup and keep your dishes sparkling.
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Have more questions? Call us—we’d love to help! Call the professionals at Go Green Plumbing at 336-252-2999 for service 7 days a week/24 hours a day. If water runs through it – We Do It!
