Cleaning the dishwasher

First of all empty the dishwasher. Take out the rack and inspect for damage. A rusty rack will just cause problems later so you may need to replace. Check all the wheels and clean with hydrogen Peroxide if needed.Take out the silverware holder and wash with hot soapy water.

Next check the spinning arms. Check they are rotating well. If not scrub around where they are attached to the dishwasher. Check the arms to make sure no food is encrusted on them and the holes are free of debris. If you find the holes blocked, remove the arm and rinse until the debris is removed.

Your dishwasher has two filters: an upper and a lower one. The upper filter is directly beneath the bottom spray arm and can be removed by gently turning it counter-clockwise. If you’ve never cleaned this filter before, be prepared to be disgusted: this is where soap scum, greasy residue, and mildew like to hide. Clean it by washing in hot, soapy water and scrubbing with a soft toothbrush if needed.

The lower filter is the screen-like mesh on the bottom of your dishwasher. Remove any food particles you find there, and give the screen a quick scrub. Be careful if you’ve ever broken or chipped a glass in the dishwasher, because this is where the shards will be.

Next the gasket, that’s the rubber that seals the door. Like cleaning a refrigerator gasket use hot soapy water and a toothbrush and scrub the gasket all around making sure you get into the folds of the gasket. The corners by the bottom of the door and along the hinge of the door are where a lot of mold and gunge can build up.

Clean the outside door.

Now you have got rid of any potential mold and germs you can run the dishwasher with a cup of vinegar. I do this once every 4 – 6 weeks. With an empty dishwasher with all the racks returned choose the longest and hottest cycle. I always run my hot faucet when I first switch on the dishwasher. Run the dishwasher for about a 2 minutes the open the door and pour a cup of vinegar into the machine. Run for 5 minutes then open the door and let it stand for 5 minutes. Repeat this 2-3 times then let the dishwasher run the cycle. When you are doing the run and stand cycle be prepared for the vinegar fumes!!. The reason I do it this way is so there is any build up in the machine it can soak and be fully removed.

A though cleaning of the dishwasher 3-4 times and year and using the vinegar every 4-6 week will keep you and you machine healthy. Using the correct amount of detergent…not too much and keeping the door slightly ajar when the machine ids not in use will help the build up and growth of mold.