Clean my dishwasher? Isn't its whole purpose to clean things?Well, yes. Doesn't it clean itself? Well, not really. The majority of it should be clean but upon closer inspection you'll see a lot of dirty spots.
First check the bottom around the drain for loose debris or food. If you see some, it might be time to remove the drain (probably requires unscrewing) and clean it out. My dishwasher is only a year old so it is working fine- no draining issues.
Next check around the sides of the door- where it seals to the outside. Mine had lots of sticky spots that I got my trusty vinegar spray bottle and sprayed and scrubbed with a sponge.
Ahh! That's much better!! Next check the bottom of the door where it meats with the bottom of the dishwasher and around all the black rubber sealing.
Can you see the black goop- I was horrified!!! Where did that come from? This machine is not even a year old and I am a freak about pre-rinsing my dishes! So you can tell that is an area that doesn't get cleaned when the dishwasher runs, gross right?!
The gross goop after I removed it! That sponge is being trashed after this!!!!!
Once those areas have been taken care of, it is time to let the dishwasher join in the fun and clean itself!
Get out your glass measuring cup and measure 1 cup vinegar (or just pour 1 cup vinegar into any other dishwasher-safe bowl). Put it on the top rack of the dishwasher and run it on the hottest cycle to sanitize. When it is finished remove it and run through a quick rinse cycle.
Now to keep it clean- you may want to do this every few months- it's a good idea to do it during your spring and fall cleanings.
Did you know that vinegar is also good as a rinse agent. Instead of those chemical ones. Just let the rinse agent run out in your dishwasher and then fill with vinegar. You may not get the best results the first few cycles as the chemical on runs out, but once it is gone the vinegar will do its magic!
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