I love my dishwasher; although it takes a lot of place in my apartment, I see it as a luxury that I’m lucky to have. The dishwasher alongside the garbage disposal are your best friends in the kitchen, and they are a luxury, but you need to take care of them as much as they help you in your daily life. So, people think because washer is in their name, they will automatically clean themselves, but just like the washing machine, you need to take care and clean them every once in a while. So give your dishwasher the TLC and spa day that it badly needs.
1. What you’ll need to watch it?
It is pretty easy to wash your dishwasher, and you most likely have everything you need to clean it in your kitchen or home. If not, you can easily get everything you need at your grocery store. First things first am the realest, but also get your cleaning products together; in the culinary world, this is known as mise en place, and it’s where you put everything you’ll need in front of you so that you don’t have to search for your things while doing the job. What you’ll need are:
-
- Baking soda
-
- Microfiber cloth
-
- Rubber gloves
-
- Toothpick
-
- Toothbrush
-
- Warm water
2. Remove everything
In order to get to the nitty-gritty, you need to remove everything inside the dishwasher prior to getting to the point and be able to clean it thoroughly and adequately. Remove the filters with some dishwashers, this could be a simple twist, or you’ll have to get your tools to unscrew them. You’ll also have to remove the utensil holders and the racks and remove everything removable from the dishwasher. To clean these, you need to take them out and let them soak in a mixture of warm water and distilled white vinegar (try a 2 to 1 ratio of water to vinegar for the best result). Leave them to soak in this mixture for 30 minutes to an hour.
3. Clear out all the visible debris
Now that you’ve removed all the things inside the dishwasher, you have a clear line of sight, and you can check for any lingering debris or food matter that has been hiding inside the dishwasher for some time. Wipe the inside of the dishwasher spot clean; remember to wipe and clean the sidewall, the spray arms, and all the corners from top to bottom. Look and clean at the dishwasher filter ad dispenser and, look inside all the tiny holes and crevices and spray them out with water. If you find any detritus lodged inside these tiny crevices, use a toothbrush or toothpick to remove them and rinse them out afterward.
4. Let it do a full empty run with vinegar
Get yourself a dishwasher-safe bowl and fill it with white vinegar and place it at the bottom of your empty dishwasher. Once you’ve done this, set your kitchen best friend to run on a hot water cycle; the vinegar will break down all the remaining grease, residue, food, soap sum, and any other leftover grime. This will leave your dishwasher spot clean.
5. Do another short run with baking soda
Once you’re done with the first cleaning cycle, remove the bowl from the dishwasher. Then, sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda along the bottom of the dishwasher and let it run for a short cycle. The baking soda will break down any remaining stains that the vinegar didn’t remove and leave you with a freshened dishwasher. You will end up with a bright and sparkling dishwasher that smells cleaner than ever.
6. Clean the outer door
Now, that you’re done with the dishwasher’s inside, you ought to clean the outside too. You have to clean it inside out. Grab a cleaner that will clean your dishwasher outdoor (the cleaner will depend on the material of the outer door). You can create your own mixture to clean the outer door; just mix dish soap, water, and white vinegar; this is the perfect homemade cleaner that is safe for all the dishwasher surfaces. Dip your microfiber cloth in the cleaner and swipe in the direction of the surface’s grain. Rinse your cloth and swipe it again on the surface, and this will leave you with a fingerprint-free finish. Also, don’t forget to wipe down the handle and control panel with a damp cloth.
Sound off in the comments section below and tell us if you’ve ever washed your dishwasher.
