Tips to Save You Money on Maintaining Your Dishwasher
Maintaining your dishwasher is important. With regular cleaning and inspecting for signs of trouble you can save a lot of money on repairs and early replacement. By following the tips below you can keep your dishwasher working well for years to come.
Examine the Sprayer Arm
How the dishwasher is loaded can sometimes block the rotation of the sprayer arm. Plates and/or utensils can just get in the way. Also the arm’s holes can get clogged with scraps of food. Using a toothpick or another sharp took, dislodge anything clogging the holes up.
Inspect the Drain
Pull the racks out and take a good look at the drain on the floor of the dishwasher. This is where small items can gather, like lids, utensils and scraps of food that can clog the filter. Next, turn on the garbage disposal to make sure the shared drain is totally cleared out.
Check the Temperature of the Water Heater
Your water heater should remain between 120° and 125°F. Otherwise, it cannot properly clean your dishes. If the water is too hot, the dishwasher cannot flash dry your dishes and the residue will remain.
Test Your Water
If there are too many minerals in your water it will become hard. These would include salts like calcium chloride, magnesium chloride or other types of minerals commonly found in the ground. These minerals will cause a cloudy looking residue on your glasses, dishes, utensils and even the dishwasher itself. If this is your problem, you can have a water softener system installed for around $850.
Clean Out the Trap
On the floor of the dishwasher, beneath the sprayer there is a trap that will probably contain small scraps of food that didn’t fit through and drain out. You should be able to completely remove the tray, but if not you can still clean it out. This should be done regularly.
Clean the Seals
In time the rubber seals that keep the water in during the wash cycle will accumulate a certain amount of debris. You need to use a damp cloth to clean the rubber seal so that the grime does not continue to build up since this could eventually crack the seal.
Clean the Entire Inside
Every dishwasher can potentially build up a scummy residue of calcium, detergent and grease. Using only vinegar and no detergent, run an unloaded cycle every several months to keep your dishwasher clean.
Rinse Dishes Thoroughly Before Washing
Dishes should never be placed in the dishwasher unless all food has been rinsed off. Use a scrub brush to ensure that all bits and pieces are removed. The dishwasher cannot remove everything and you don’t want to risk clogging the drain.
Do Not Overload Your Dishwasher
Although you may want to save water and energy costs, you do not want to prevent the sprayer arm a full range of motion and end up with dirty dishes. Load your dishwasher in an organized manner and perhaps wash a few dishes by hand.
Do Not Use Too Much Detergent
Read the manual that came with your dishwasher to see how much detergent you should use. Some manuals will say to fill the dispenser only ¼ to ½ way up. Using more detergent doesn’t necessarily mean cleaner dishes.
