How to clean a dishwasher – expert tips for sparkling dishes
Our dishwashers get a lot of action, and we often assume this hard-working kitchen appliance will look after itself. Sadly, that’s not usually the case, so knowing how to clean a dishwasher is essential.
These faithful machines will collect food debris and soap residue over time. Did you know, for example, that each month, 1kg of greasy residue passes through a dishwasher?
Giving it a monthly service with the best cleaning products will keep things working properly, preventing odours and cutlery and dishes that just don’t feel 100% clean.
How to clean a dishwasher
You’ll need to clean each area of your dishwasher meticulously to ensure that it continues to run efficiently. ‘Cleaning the filter in your dishwasher’s base regularly is crucial,’ comments Smeg‘s home economist, Clare Edwards.
‘This collects food particles and residue and can not only produce an odour if not cleaned but will also reduce the dishwasher’s performance.’ Clare also recommends removing the spray arms now and then to clean these separately. This will allow you to remove any fruit pips or small food particles that may have got caught in the jets during the cycle.
‘To give the dishwasher a thorough clean, you can purchase a dishwasher cleaner which removes both grease and odours. However, a few wedges of lemon added to the cutlery basket or tray will help to freshen it up.’
Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd / David Giles
What you’ll need
- Sheets of old newspaper
- White vinegar
- Hot, soapy water or a vinegar-water solution
- A pointed implement, such as a skewer, toothpick or tweezers
- Old toothbrush
- Microfibre cloth
Step-by-step
1. Run a hot wash with a cup of white vinegar
First, remove any dirty dishes. Fill one cup with white vinegar and place it in the dishwasher, and then run a hot wash cycle.
When it’s finished, open the dishwasher door fully. Lay down some old pieces of newspaper on the floor around the dishwasher to avoid drips.
2. Remove racks, filter and utensil holder
Remove the racks, all parts of the filter and the utensil holder. Leave them to soak in hot soapy water.
3. Clear out food debris
Put on some rubber gloves and have a good look inside your dishwasher for any food or other debris that could be hiding, says Mark Smithson, CEO of Marks Electrical. Scoop it out into the bin. Next, check the dishwasher filter and inside the small holes where the water sprays out from.
If there is anything stuck in these crevices, use a toothbrush to dislodge it. Then, use a clean microfibre cloth, available at Amazon, to give the spray arms and side walls a wipe down.
Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd / Colin Poole
4. Use baking soda
As an extra step, measure out a separate cup of baking soda and sprinkle it over the bottom of the machine. Once this is done, you can run the dishwasher again, but on a shorter cycle. Baking soda is great for removing stubborn residue left over by food waste.
5. Wipe the dishwasher door and around the seal
Clean around the rubber seal all the way around the door, and wipe away any fingerprints on the door’s exterior. Combine soap and white vinegar with warm water to make a gentle solution that will be safe for any dishwasher surface.
Use a microfibre cloth to wipe the solution over the surface of the door, the control panel and handles, then dry it with a separate cloth to avoid any streaks.
6. The final step
Place the clean removable racks back inside the dishwasher and pour a cupful of dishwasher salt into the filter and run it on a rinse cycle to finish the deep clean.
Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd / Lizzie Orme
‘Despite the hot water and detergent that runs through it, dishwashers will stop functioning as effectively and become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria in your home if neglected,’ says Mark Smithson from Marks Electrical. ‘To avoid any nasty smells and keep your plates sparkling, a routine clean every month will help to prevent food debris, soap scum and grease from building up inside the machine, and ultimately, extend the lifespan of this expensive appliance.’
How to clean a dishwasher drain
- Pull out the bottom rack and look at the dishwasher floor, especially the drain, and remove any build-up.
- Using a toothbrush and a multipurpose cleaner, scrub the drain well, then rinse.
If you aren’t putting the machine on immediately, rinse crockery before loading so that food doesn’t dry onto it. Cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie recommends giving the dishwasher a spray with vinegar when it’s empty.
Alternatively, pour a cup of vinegar into the bottom and run on a normal cycle every so often to clean out any food particles that have built up.
Best dishwasher cleaners
If donning a pair of marigolds isn’t up your street, these brilliant products will do the hard work for you. If your washing machine is also in need of some TLC, learn how to clean a washing machine so you can approach the task with confidence.
How to change the dishwasher salt – and why
Are your dishes not coming out as sparkling as you’d expect? The solution could be to add more dishwasher salt to the machine. Dishwasher salt softens the water running your machine and stops limescale – the cause of those pesky marks – from building up.
Even soft water contains calcium and magnesium, which can lead to limescale if allowed to build up, warns cleaning expert Kelly @mrs.ds.cleaning.reviews. Your machine may well have a light that comes on when your salt needs to be topped up, so look out for this.
Where do I put dishwasher salt?
Dishwasher salt can be added into the softener compartment. This is usually located next to the drain in the base of your dishwasher (rather than the door). It’s often accessed via a screw cap.
How to clean a dishwasher filter
Remove the cylindrical part of the filter and the flat metal surround and remove any larger pieces of food debris. Then soak in hot soapy water.
Use a toothbrush and/or toothpick to remove any food that has got stuck in the holes. Make sure it’s totally dry before putting it back in the dishwasher.
Image credit: Future PLC/Richard Gadsby
How much dishwasher salt do you need?
Some machines come with a special piece of paper that you can use to test the hardness of your water. From the results of that test, your instruction manual will recommend how much salt to add each time.
If not, simply add the right amount of salt as recommended on the salt packaging. Use a funnel to make the job easier.
Before your next wash, run a pre-wash to get rid of any salt that may have escaped the softener compartment. Now you’re ready to go!
How to change the dishwasher rinse aid – and why
While salt shifts limescale, rinse aid basically makes sure no water is left behind on your dishes and glassware. Any leftover water can leave marks, but rinse aid prevents this by stopping water droplets from ‘sticking’ to your crockery.
Where do I put dishwasher rinse aid?
You’ll usually find the compartment for rinse aid in the door of the machine, near to where you add your tablets. Slowly pour in the rinse aid until the compartment is full. And that’s it. Your machine will do the rest of the work, controlling how much rinse aid it adds to the wash depending on the cycle.
Sure, it takes some elbow grease, but put a little effort in and you’ll be rewarded with a dishwasher that will run efficiently for longer.
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