Many people fall into the trap that because the job of a dishwasher is to clean the dishes, this means it will too be clean. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Like the vacuum cleaner and the washing machine, dishwasher get themselves dirty in the course of making other things clean. This means that they need periodically cleaning themselves to continue their effectiveness. There are many homemade cleaning solutions about so why use a dishwasher cleaner?
All in one
There is no reason why you can’t manually strip apart the dishwasher, clean all the individual components with a variety of natural substances such as baking soda then put it all back together. The main problem with this idea is twofold; time and confidence. Do you have the time to do all of this? And are you confident you can put everything back together again? If the answer to these is yes, then you may not need to know about a dishwasher cleaner. If the answer is no, then please read on.
Dishwasher cleaners, like many modern cleaning products, do a range of jobs in one liquid or tablet. Take, for instance, Finish Dishwasher Cleaner. In one product, you have the ability to remove lime scale and grease that builds up inside the dishwasher from use. It can help to get rid of the lingering smells that come from cleaning up food related dishes and generally freshen the machine. It also helps the machine work to its best ability and even lengths the lifespan of the more delicate elements such as the sprayer arm by optimising performance.
How to use
Continuing with our Finish example, though every product will come its own instructions that are broadly similar, using the cleaner is simple. Make sure that your dishwasher is completely empty and that you have not removed the cap on the bottle of Finish. Remove the sticker from the top of the bottle and place it inside the silverware basket of the dishwasher upside down, or in another secure location if you prefer. Don’t add any soap or dishwasher detergent and close up the dishwasher. Set it away on the intensive high temperature wash cycle. Once the cycle has finished and the dishwasher turned off, remove the bottle. It is recommended that you do this process once a month for the best results.
Special checks
Once you have used your dishwasher cleaner, there are a few spot checks to perform on some of the odd spots in the dishwasher than can avoid cleaning. Areas such as the bottom of the door and the dishwasher grate can sometimes be missed in general cleaning or because water doesn’t get there but waste food and other debris can accumulate so a wipe with warm soapy water will do the job. Another tip is to wipe the door seal with a cloth damp with vinegar. Finally, if you are in a hard water area, it can pay to run an empty cycle with two cups of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher to help remove any deposits.
