The Best way to Clean your Dishwasher

Oh, no — what’s that foul smell? Well, it’s not your bathroom this time: it’s your dishwasher. Granted, you might be perplexed as to how this cleaning vessel could be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and mold — but it does happen, and it’s important to take care of it immediately. If you’re not sure where to start, just follow these helpful steps:

Step 1: Knowing the Importance

When it comes to descaling (cleaning) your dishwasher, not only are you helping preserve the unit, initially, but you’re also saving your dishes, glasses, and utensils from harmful bacteria. Since the inside of your dishwasher barely sees the light of day, the appliance can’t dry thoroughly after a cycle — which can then become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria.

Descaling your dishwasher approximately once a month will help keep your appliance as clean as the dining ware that’s put inside of it on a daily basis. Now that we’ve discussed the importance, we’re going to divulge the fun part: how to descale your dishwasher correctly!

Step 2: What You’ll Need

To start the descaling process, you’ll need to obtain some supplies to get the job done correctly. Of course, these are items you might have around your home or can pick up at the local market down the road:

• A bottle of white vinegar

• Picture frame wire

• An old toothbrush (or new)

• A glass measuring cup

Once you have acquired these essentials, it’s then time to dive into the descaling — which will be extremely simple to conduct and won’t take too much time out of your day!

Step 3: Descaling your Appliance

Believe it or not, you don’t have to scrub your appliance down: the machine will complete that action itself. To start, you’ll want to take the bottle of white vinegar and fill up the glass measuring cup to the brim.

After that, take the glass measuring cup and place it on the top rack of the dishwasher and let the unit do a cycle without soap. This will not only help clean your dishwasher effectively, but it will disinfect it, too!

Step 4: Detail Cleaning

Once the descaling is complete, take the measuring cup out of the dishwasher and place it in the sink. Next, gently disassemble the rack arms of the appliance and take them out of the dishwasher. After that step is complete, you’ll want to take the picture frame wire and feed it through any small holes in the arms. This will clean out any minimal, leftover debris that the descaling didn’t get.

Finally, you’ll want to take the old/new toothbrush, gently remove the dishwasher filter and give it a good ol’ scrub. Once that’s complete, attach all pieces (taken out) back inside — and you’ll be good to go! When you regularly descale your dishwasher, you’ll notice a massive difference in terms of performance and smell!

If you run into any problems with your home plumbing, heating or cooling, and prefer to forgo the DIY route, our technicians are here to help! Visit our website to learn more about the services that we offer here at Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc. — or you can call (865) 583-3957 to speak with a representative directly.