How To Clean Your Dishwasher

I thought this was crazy when I thought about it.  Why in the world do I need to clean my dishwasher?  Well, you do and you don't.  I took for granted my dishwasher.  Imagine if you didn't have yours?  I grew up without one, why do I take it for granted now?  Because I'm so used to having it.  Give your dishwasher a little TLC and help it work better for you.

Your case might be different, but here's what I did.

Remove the lower rack.

C wanted to help take pictures, so this was his contribution.  Not bad.

Remove the lower blade/ spray jets.  Yes, I'm very technical here.  Take a look at your manual- it might help you here if you're unsure.  Mine did not, however right in the middle was a knob I needed to turn.  It came out and then the whole "blade" and round thing came off.

Feel around the top, edges, etc.  See if there are any pieces that don't belong.  I found this piece of masking tape.  I use masking tape on the top of some of my freezer meals that go into casserole dishes to label what it is and how to cook.  Apparently I missed removing it one time.

Also, one time we called a repair technician and paid him $75 to remove a piece of plastic that prevented the machine from draining properly.  I wish I knew it was this easy!

Reassemble and put the lower rack back into place.

 See that white gunk?  It's buildup on the rubber gasket.  It will seal better without that buildup.

See the one all black spot.  Yeah, that shows the small spot I cleaned.  

I had this all the way around my gasket.

This was one swipe using my Norwex microfiber cloth and water.  There was actually more on the cloth than this photo really shows.

I also wiped down the sides of the door.  They seem to collect random liquid spray.

 

I also wiped down the outside.

Other than that, my dishwasher was pretty clean.

Now, take a look at your machine- all over.  You may need to do more cleaning than I did.  However, most things can be completed with a simple wipe down.  Some people may have grime buildup by the rinse aid or soap dispenser.  You may also have buildup in other areas.  One suggestion is a vinegar wash (in place of soap) and then scrubbing.

I hope this helps you to have a cleaner dishwasher.

PS: Don't forget you can use vinegar in place of your regular rinse aid!  

If you don't like pure vinegar, simply dilute it.  Vinegar is the first ingredient in rinse aids.