How to Clean Your Dishwasher, Remove Odors, Hard Water, Rust, Stains

The Importance of Cleaning Your Dishwasher

In college I lived in a house with nine other girls. While that was my first mistake, not instigating a dish cleaning policy was my second. They literally throw the dishes, cups, mugs, and silverware into the mouth of the open dishwasher. I would go to load my cereal bowls and find the there was a plate laying in the top rack and a huge soup pot taking up the entire bottom.

After a few months of living the way, I started doing the dishes out of pure annoyance. The dishwashers were disgusting, but I’m not a huge fan of plastic gloves. I’m lucky I didn’t pick up any diseases from their filth. I don’t want to think what the undersides and crevices of the washer looked like.

Dishwashers need a regular cleaning routine, whether you are a neat freak or one of my messy roommates. For all of you Monica Gellers out there, here are some tips to get you going on cleaning.

How To Remove Odors & Clean Your Dishwasher

Here’s the cleaning list run down. This should eliminate the smells and grime that you can really see in and around the dishwasher.

• Start by taking a toothbrush to the rubber seal around your dishwasher. Use some hot soapy water and pay attention to the bottom of the door and the hinges. 
• Scrub the built up grime and nastiness away with an abrasive cleaner.
• Use a sponge and hot soapy water to wipe away all the particles you just stirred up. The inside doors and corners of the dishwasher are where you need to pay attention.
• Here’s where you’re going to cringe. Pull out the bottom rack and investigate the drain area. Remove any chunks that have built up and wipe the area down.
• Once you’ve wiped everything down, put a cup of plain white vinegar in the top rack and run a cycle. This will wash away the last of the smells and hard stains. You should also do another cycle with baking soda sprinkled at the bottom of the dishwasher.

How To Use a Dishwasher

While it seems pretty straight forward, there are things you should do when loading and using your dishwasher to keep it running well.

• Scrape and rinse your dishes before your load the dishwasher.
• Put knives in with the tip down and other silverware in the proper compartments. 
• Don’t just throw the dishes in and expect a genie to clean every thing. Put things in so they do not block the water and will allow the water to circulate.
• Use the hottest water settings.