Tips To Maintain Your Dishwasher

Most people never think about cleaning their dishwashers. Come to think of it, you use the appliance to clean your dishes at least daily. You assume your dishwasher will get cleaned simultaneously as it is washing your dishes, but in reality, food debris and other deposits build up over many uses. This build-up results in poor performance of your appliance. A regular cleanup and maintaining your dishwasher can keep it running smoothly, providing you with spotless dishes every time.

You can keep your dishwasher performing at its best by following some tips:

• Washing regularly: Running your appliance frequently will keep food debris from settling at the bottom, reducing the number of times a thorough cleaning is needed.
• Scrape food off plates: Remove food bits from plates. This will reduce particles sticking to your dishes after cleaning or food debris remaining in your appliance.
• Do not overcrowd: Overcrowding your dishes may compel you to rerun the entire load because the dishes won’t wash up well.
• Use the correct cycle: Using a lighter setting to save on your water bills is not convenient. Use the pot setting on your super dirty dishes and pots to avoid a rerun.
• Use a rinse aid: When you purchase soap for the dishwasher, make sure it compliments a rinse aid. You can use white vinegar as a rinse aid if you do not have any.
• Running an empty cycle with vinegar: By doing this, you clean out old food debris from your appliance in addition to leaving it smelling fresh.
• Check your water heater temperature: The ideal water heater temperature should range between 120 and 125 degrees. A higher setting than that may cause water to flash dry, not roll off your dishes.
• Test your water: Hard water makes the ability of your appliances to get dishes clean difficult. Soften water accordingly to facilitate proper cleaning.

How To Clean Your Dishwasher

You should have the below items to aid you in cleaning your dishwasher:

• Vinegar
• A sponge or washcloth
• A dishwasher-safe cup
• Owner’s manual – paper or online

 Steps:

• Unclog sprayer arm nozzles: By removing the racks from the dishwasher, you can easily access the sprayer arm. Check the nozzles for clogs and clean them thoroughly using a toothpick or pipe cleaner. When the nozzles are clean, they spray better, and your dishes come out cleaner.
• Unclog and clean drain: Food debris build-up at the bottom of the dishwasher where the drain is located. Cleaning and unclogging ensures efficient cleaning, leaving your dishes sparkling.

To clean the drain, do the following:

• Unplug the dishwasher
• Take out the screws to remove the cover
• Protect the opening to keep debris out
• Clean out larger pieces by hand
• Use a brush to clean smaller deposits
• Reassemble in reverse order
• Inspect and touch up the racks. Check if the racks are in proper condition. If busted, you should replace them.
• Run vinegar through the dishwasher cycle to remove scum. You may also use an unsweetened lemon-flavored drink mix in place of vinegar.

If you regularly follow the above tips for maintaining your dishwasher, your appliance will have a longer life span, saving you time and money. In addition, you will never worry about your dishes not coming out sparkling. For more information or questions, or if you want to secure a repair service for your dishwasher, please give Crews Appliance Repair a call today at (314) 680-2760

Categorised in: Dishwasher Repair

This post was written by admin