The dishwasher is an appliance which comes in useful at your kitchen. But like any other household appliance, the dishwasher requires good care especially if you want to use it for a long time. Of great importance is here that you regularly take care both of the external and internal parts of the appliance. These are the places where the dust, sediments and dirt from dishes gather. How to clean the dishwasher so that it can wash the dishes for you for years to come.
Unused dishwasher will also get dirty
Although it may seem that your dishwasher cleans the dishes with special detergents regularly and it should not get dirty. The fact is that the situation is quite different. You have to remember that you do not put clean plates and cutlery into the dishwasher. The food leftovers, grease and various substances can be found inside the dishwasher because they are cleaned away from the dishes. The detergents used for cleaning also leave sediments, when they are for example not sufficiently rinsed away or dissolved. That is why your dishwasher is continuously exposed to dirt, lime scale and sediments more than it might seem. The dishwasher must be turned on at least once a week in order to prevent mould and stale food which form deposit on filter. Thus we debunk the myth that the lifespan of unused household appliances can be extended. That is why the dishwasher must be used regularly. You shouldn’t wait till you have the full load. Many dishwashers come equipped with the half load function and you should take advantage of it. Thanks to that you can turn on the dishwasher once a week even if you do not have enough dishes to fill the full load.
Cleaning of the dishwasher – how often?
The dishwasher must not only be turned on regularly but you also have to keep in mind that the interior of the dishwasher needs to be cleaned every now and then. It is enough if you look into the interior of the dishwasher once every three months. First of all you should clean the filters and spray nozzle. We recommend you disassemble those parts and take them out (please refer to the manual for further information on how to do that properly) and clean them with sponge and washing-up liquid. You can also use the brush which will remove the lime scale and dirt faster. You can also take advantage of toothpicks to clean the holes clogged by food leftovers. The cleaned parts should be carefully installed in the dishwasher. They must be placed exactly at the same place! After that you should also concentrate on cleaning the casing of the dishwasher, especially the door where the sediments settle quite easily. Finally, we recommend you check the gaskets and hardly accessible spaces inside the dishwasher. Here will be a toothbrush very helpful. Some dishwashers come equipped with self-cleaning filters. The food leftovers are in this case washed away by water. Unfortunately, this does not eliminate the problem of lime scale and sediments.
How to clean a dishwasher using homemade methods?
The cleaning of the dishwasher using vinegar and baking soda is one of the homemade methods which is most frequently used at our homes. This method consists in putting one whole package of baking soda into the detergent drawer which you will find in every dishwasher. Then pour a glass of vinegar into the bottom of an empty dishwasher. You usually have the afore mentioned ingredients at home so you can perform this type of cleaning at any moment. After that turn on the dishwasher and choose the warmest and longest cleaning cycle. The whole job will be done for you. The vinegar in combination with the baking soda and high temperature will disinfect the inside of the dishwasher, will remove grease and dissolve food leftovers. What is more, this a proven method for getting rid of lime scale in a dishwasher. Thanks to this solution your appliance will become clean and shiny. Besides, the vinegar makes the cleaned surface shine. In order to have the perfectly clean interior of your dishwasher you can also take advantage of a bleach or lemon juice. Shall you decide for the first cleaning agent we recommend you activate additional cleaning cycle, without adding any detergents, in order to wash the remnants of detergents away.
Chemical agents for cleaning of dishwashers
There are plenty of cleaning agents on the market nowadays which have been specially developed for cleaning of dishwashers. Among them you will find liquids or powders with special ingredients. They effectively remove sediments, lime scale, dirt and food leftovers.
