We rely on our dishwashers to clean our dirty dishes day after day. But when was the last time you gave your dishwasher it’s own cleaning? Most homeowners are unaware that their dishwashers need to be cleaned on a monthly basis. Follow our quick step-by-step guide on how to clean your dishwasher for your cleanest dishes and to help prevent your dishwasher from needing sudden repairs.
Simple Steps for How to Clean Your Dishwasher
We often overlook maintenance of our dishwasher when it’s still providing us clean dishes. Other times, there may be subtle signs that it is needing to be cleaned. Has your dishwasher ever smelt just plain bad, or has it ever had standing water after a wash cycle? Those are both clear signs that it is in need of a thorough cleaning. So, what is the best way to clean the inside of a dishwasher?
How to Clean Inside a Dishwasher
Cleaning a dishwasher to get rid of odors is surprisingly easy. With a few ingredients from your kitchen, we’ll show you how to clean a smelly dishwasher with just a few quick steps:
- Begin with your dishwasher empty. Place a small, dishwasher-safe bowl on the top rack.
- Fill the bowl with white vinegar. Close the dishwasher door and run a complete wash cycle with hot water.
- Once the cycle is complete, remove the bowl from the top rack.
- Next, sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda into the bottom of the dishwasher. Close and run another wash cycle with hot water.
Some people prefer to clean dishwasher with apple cider vinegar, which also works well.
How to Clean a Dishwasher Filter
Cleaning a dishwasher filter is quite an easy process, using only soap and water.
To clean a dishwasher filter:
- Remove the bottom rack of your empty dishwasher.
- Locate your dishwasher filter. Most filters are located on the dishwasher base, and are a cylinder-shaped tube.
- Gently twist and lift the filter out. Some dishwashers have a lower filter you will need to remove, as well.
- In a sink of warm, soapy water, hand-wash the filter. For any stubborn particles or debris, use an old toothbrush to scrub them away.
- Reinstall the cleaned filter.
How to Clean a Clogged Dishwasher
To properly clean your dishwasher, you’ll need to look for any clogs within your dishwasher and remove them. These clogs are generally formed from food particles and debris that have accumulated over time. Let’s review how to clean a clogged dishwasher:
- Clear out the garbage disposal – Quite often, the dishwasher shares a drain line with your garbage disposal. When your garbage disposal gets full, you’ll need to run your disposal until it clears the shared drain, allowing your dishwasher to drain freely.
- Clean your air gap – If your kitchen has an air gap installed between the sink and dishwasher, it can also become clogged with debris. To clear the air gap, simply remove its cap and clean out any particles or clogs you may see.
- Clear any clogged drains – Just like any other household drain, your dishwasher’s drain can become clogged, resulting in standing water after the wash cycle is complete. A simple solution of baking soda and vinegar can be poured into the clogged drain. After 10-15 minutes, flush it with hot water. This step can be repeated for stubborn clogs.
Mark your calendar to revisit this guide of how to clean your dishwasher once a month, every month, to keep your dishwasher running smoothly. And if maintenance isn’t enough to prevent a dishwasher repair, give Same Day Appliance a call for service in hours, not days!
