Everyone hates when their dishwasher starts stinking. When you have inspected the reason for why does my dishwasher starts smell, the next thing that you need to know is how to clean the dishwasher.
As the dishwasher’s main motive is to wash the utensils and clean them. But what happens when the dishwasher itself is contaminated? You get unclean utensils! This is the reason to regularly wash your dishwasher. This will help in many ways like increasing the longevity of the machine, keeping your dishes clean, and providing you with a hassle-free experience.
When you use the dishwasher for many days without washing it, it starts to accumulate the leftover food particles and the grease generated from it. Other scenarios that can happen are due to the type of detergent that you use for the dishwasher and sometimes it also depends on the quality of the water source. These are something that you need to address before you set to clean your dishwasher.
Whether you have to clean the interior or exterior part, all the sides of the dishwasher need to be clean. This will help in avoiding future damages for the internal and external parts of the machine.
Follow the below steps correctly in cleaning the dishwasher. And also find the solutions for commonly asked queries by the consumers.
How to clean a dishwasher?
The steps to clean a dishwasher are very simple. But it needs to be practised well and implemented correctly so that you get the best result. It will be ideal for you to get all the prerequisites mentioned before you start cleaning the dishwasher.
1. Prerequisite
The items that you need to keep before you clean your dishwasher are important to get better results. We have ensured that all the items can be easily accessed from your home. These are some of the powerful combinations to make your dishwasher odour and stain-free.
Firstly you need to have vinegar ready. Then proceed by taking a baking soda. Gather some old toothbrushes and microfiber cloth for wiping the surface. To protect your hand from any injuries or contact with germs, use gloves for your hand.
All the items that have been mentioned can be easily found in your home. These are some of the easy ingredients and dynamic ways to clean your dishwasher.
2. Detach power supply
Before you start your cleaning process, please see that you have removed the power cable from the source. As there can be chances of you getting electrocuted when you start cleaning the internal parts of the dishwasher when it is connected.
To be on the safer side, do a double check to see if the power cable from the switchboard is detached or not. Also, see that the dishwasher is in the turned-off stage. This will help not to overlap the functions when you restart the machine.
3. Remove the fixable parts
After checking the power supply, the next thing you need to start is to remove the fixable parts. These parts can be the filter of the dishwasher, vessel holders, and dishwasher grills. These parts can be easily removed and kept aside when you start cleaning the machine. If you get confused about how to remove the parts, you can get all the information through the owner’s manual.
When you remove all the parts, you need to keep the solvent ready. The solvent will be a mixture of water and vinegar. With this combination, you need to apply it to the dishwasher parts with microfibre cloth. After applying, keep those parts aside for a few while. The homemade detergent will start to show its effect.
4. Examine the parts
You need to inspect all the dishwasher parts thoroughly. You can start by checking the drain pipe and then proceed to check the filter of the dishwasher. Also, you need to check the water connectivity source and outlet valve.
There should be no obstruction within these parts and clean it using the homemade solvent. When you examine these parts and find that there is no blockage, you can proceed with the other steps.
5. Start cleaning the internal sides of the dishwasher
After cleaning the detachable parts, you need to start the main process that is cleaning the internal sides of the dishwasher. When you have kept your solvent ready, you need to check every corner of the dishwasher for any stains. Also see that there are no leftover food particles and if you find it, clear all the unwanted elements.
Check the sidewalls and the dishwasher sprayer. You need to wipe all the sides using the microfibre and see that the perforated pores of the dishwasher sprayer are cleared. You can also make use of the help of a toothbrush to clear those tiny pores of the dishwasher water sprayer.
6. Start the dishwasher with vinegar
Take the vinegar which can be in the form of distilled white vinegar and take a container with it. You need to fill the container with 100 to 200 ml of vinegar in it. Use the container to put the vinegar inside the dishwasher machine. Run an empty dishwasher cycle with vinegar.
You can run the dishwasher cycle preferably with warm water. This will help in eliminating all the dirt particles from every corner of the machine. The vinegar acts as an excellent cleaning agent to remove all the smelly odours present within the dishwasher. It is also so helpful in clearing out the stains caused by the food particles and detergents.
7. Start another dishwasher cycle with baking soda
When you complete the first cycle with vinegar. You need to now proceed through the same way that you added vinegar in a container, but here you will replace it with baking soda.
The baking soda is used to remove all the hard stains and make the dishwasher feel new again. You might have observed the potential of baking soda in many cleaning agents. In the same way, it helps the dishwasher to appear bright after running the dishwasher cycle with baking soda.
Learn: How much water does a dishwasher use?
How to clean the filter of the dishwasher?
The filter of the dishwasher is an important part that you need to clean extensively. Because if the filter is not cleaned, you can’t expect the utensils to be clean. Some of the dishwasher models have a self-cleaning option that is applicable for washing the filters. If you do not have that function, here are the steps that you need to follow to clean the filter of the dishwasher.
You can usually find the filter near the dishwasher water sprayer. You need to pull the part out which you need to perform slowly. If the filter is accompanied by sub-parts, even those need to be removed.
After removing the filter, you need to start cleaning the base part of the device. You can make use of the microfiber cloth and the vinegar solvent that you had prepared earlier.
If you use warm water for cleaning out, it will be very beneficial. You need to slowly wipe all the sides of the dishwasher filter. Take the help of a toothbrush if you find the microfiber cloth is very hard to clean.
Later, rinse the filter off using hot water and wipe it with a dry cloth to ensure perfect cleanliness. After this, you can add the path gently to the dishwasher and see whether it has been properly locked.
How to clean the outside part of the dishwasher?
Cleaning the outside part is equally important as you clean the inside part of the dishwasher. Because when you clean the outside part, it helps in the longevity of the machine and prevents rust over it.
There are 3 ways to clean the outside of the dishwasher:
1. To clean the outside part of the dishwasher, you can take the help of the detergent that you use for washing the utensils.
2. Take help from a cleaning solution that is dedicated to cleaning home appliance products.
3. You can even take the help of the vinegar with a detergent that you use for washing utensils. And combining it with warm water makes it the most effective cleaning solution for the outside part of the dishwasher.
Common step: When you prepare the solution, you need to use the microfiber cloth and apply the solvent. Ensure that all the parts and corners of the dishwasher are properly cleaned. After the cleaning process is done, you can rinse it off with a dry cloth.
When should I clean the dishwasher?
The usual scenario would be depending on the dishwasher usage. If you are using the dishwasher multiple times a day and every time the load is filled, you need to pay extra attention to cleaning the dishwasher frequently.
If we have to take the general thumb rule of cleaning a dishwasher frequency would be once a month. Every month without fail, you need to perform a deep extensive cleaning for the internal and the external sites of the dishwasher. Irrespective of the usage, you need to do this every month.
On a regular basis, you can clean the leftover food particles that are stuck within the machine. And on a weekly basis, you can clean the exterior with the interior parts of the dishwasher.
What happens if I don’t clean the dishwasher?
Having an unclean dishwasher can be dangerous for you and your family members. This can also affect the performance of your dishwasher and decrease the lifespan of the machine.
It is because the dishwasher comes in contact with dirt on an everyday basis by cleaning your utensils. And the leftover food particles get accumulated within the machine. The accumulated food particles over time start forming harmful microorganisms that are bad for humans.
Another scenario can happen due to the detergent used by the dishwasher to clean it. The detergent produces a greasy kind of substance inside the dishwasher. This helps in facilitating the formation of mold and mild you within the machine.
It not only influences the health of your family members but also affects the internal operation parts of the machine.
Concluding thoughts
If you are conscious about the health of your family members and the dishwasher, it will be ideal for you to regularly clean it. When you use warm water, you will get the best cleaning results. The cleaning process also helps in saving you additional expenses and time. This makes the best combination for cleaning your dishwasher frequently.
I hope that you are now clear with how to clean dishwasher. Follow all the steps correctly so that you can get your dishwasher free from any stains and foul smells. You can also leave your dishwasher open and let the sunlight and air pass through it. It is one of the best ways to eliminate the formation of mold and mildew naturally.
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