July 30, 2014
How to Clean Your Dishwasher
It doesn’t necessarily make sense to have to clean an appliance that cleans, but food particles and minerals can build up in your dishwasher preventing it from cleaning thoroughly. Add cleaning your dishwasher to your cleaning rotation – your dishes will be cleaner and your dishwasher will run more efficiently.
ADD IT TO YOUR ROUTINE: If you’re adding cleaning your dishwasher to your cleaning rotation, completely clean it every month or at least every 3 months.
HOW TO:
Run dishwasher on a quick wash, hot, sanitize cycle. This will ensure that your dishwasher is completely clean and that any mineral build-up is washed away.
When the dishwasher has completed its cycle wipe dry with a microfiber cloth or paper towel.
Cleaning your dishwasher will take about 5 minutes of hands-on cleaning time and however long it takes to run the dishwasher cycle. Try this quick and easy cleaning method today!
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Mandi Says
your new design is so great! i love the simplified version 🙂
Becky Says
Post authorThank you Mandi! xo
Jennifer Hoffman Says
Is this task listed on the monthly calendar?
Lynn Says
What’s the best way to remove food blockages? My dishwasher reeks so I’m sure there’s something stuck in it, but I can’t find anything. I’ve run a commercial dishwasher cleaner in it using the cleaning mode, too.
Becky Says
Post authorIf you can unscrew the bottom plate, try that. That’s probably where the food is….
Lynn Says
Thanks, I’ll try that.
Reen Says
That smell is probably the same gelatinous crud I found after I removed the filter/screen in bottom of tub. Dig it out gently, then put the vinegar & baking soda to it. I mistakenly used a heavy duty bottle brush & some of it’s bristles broke off & clogged up the intake. That was a $65.00 mistake.
Pam B Says
I feel for ya Lynn! I ended up removing the strainer and another layer or so of the bottom of the dishwasher to remove ground up food gunk. Take pics as you take it apart so you can get it back together properly. That tip comes from working on cars. 😉
Brandy Says
Is this okay to use for a stainless steel interior dishwasher too? Just double checking before I try it 🙂
Becky Says
Post authorYes 🙂 – double check with the manufacturer or in the owner’s manual but you should be good 🙂
Darlene Says
It seems like my dishwasher “drains” any standing water before it starts. If I pour the vinegar in, wouldn’t it just drain that out before it begins? Seems like I have seen a post that suggests putting the vinegar in a bowl on the top shelf.
Carrie Says
I’ve read on another site to put the vinegar in a cup or bowl you can set right-side-up in the top rack. This way the vinegar only gets used once the water from the dishwasher starts running (fills the cup/bowl up, overflows).
Barbara Says
When do you use the baking soda?
Becky Says
Post authorYou can put it in the wash cycle 🙂
Michelle O'Connell Says
What’s the best way to get smoke stains off a white marble fire place?
Becky Says
Post authorI would try a microfiber cloth with dish soap and a lot of elbow grease.
Catherine Says
Michelle u need a degreaser for that usually
mel d Says
I use Tang orange drink powder mix in mine occasionally. It works also.
Aisha Says
What is in that drink powder??? Holy cow! People drink something that you use as a cleaner??? 😱
Sydney Says
Becky,
I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful I am that I stumbled upon this tutorial today! My husband is in the military so we move into many houses that are, let’s say, well loved. I just did this in our home we’ve recently moved into and MY GOODNESS! The gunk, junk, and stink that came off was amazing! I will be doing this for the rest of my life and sharing with all of my fellow military spouses. Thank you so much and keep up the great work!
Vicki Says
Would the baking soda and vinegar work on an hg washer?
Becky Says
Post authorYes 🙂
Carol Says
you just saved me several hundred dollars. I’ve been hand washing my dishes because my dishwasher left gunk on my dishes. I was starting to look for a new machine when I saw your instructions on Pinterest. I decided to try cleaning it. I had to take the whole thing apart because of the cement like mineral deposits and dishwasher detergent. It took me all day, but the results were worth it. My machine works again! I am following your suggestion to use vinegar and soda each month to keep it in good shape. Thanks so much! #No more dishwater hands.
sheila Says
Open the dishwasher door ….down at the bottom along the bottom of the door you will find a lot of gunk and junk buildup… i wear rubber gloves to get this off… keep scraping till it is all off……….it can be a mess for sure
Teresa Says
Ever since doing this in my dishwasher my dishes come out after the dry cycle with a white powdery coating dried on them. Plus it’s on the black spatulas and turns them white. You can see it on the silverware also. I ran it empty on rinse cycle several several times with no changes. Any suggestions?
Becky Says
Post authorDid you use the baking soda? If you did it sounds like that hasn’t rinsed out completely? Try running it empty through a complete cycle – not just a rinse cycle 🙂
rai zapata Says
I was just telling my husband we need to clean our dishwasher. He has a surprise look on his face >_<
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Mimi Says
At the end, when you say to wipe dry with a microfiber cloth or paper towel, you mean the inside?
b r Says
Post authorOutside and inside/around the seals.
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Yolanda Flores Says
I have hard water mineral deposit build up in my dishwasher. Will vinegar and baking soda clean this.
b r Says
Post authorIt should!