Appliance Therapy: What to Do If Your Dishwasher Is Terrible at Cleaning Your Dishes
As kitchen appliances go, there are few loved more than the dishwasher. They can be a major time saver – that is, if your dishes are coming out clean. Let's take a quick look at a few steps you can take if your dishwasher is not doing its job.
Give It A Good Cleaning
It may seem a bit strange to think about having to clean the dishwasher, but they do require maintenance from time to time. Grease, bits of food and leftover detergent can all build up, leading to reduced performance.
Here's one cleaning recipe to try. On the top rack of the dishwasher, place a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container and run a cleaning cycle. Once it has finished, sprinkle about a cup of baking soda around the bottom of the dishwasher, and run it again.
Check That You're Loading It Correctly
You might be surprised to learn that there are 'right' and 'wrong' ways to load a dishwasher. And that loading instructions vary between different models. If your dishes are not coming out sparkling clean, see if you can track down the operator's manual. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for how to load the dishes in the dish racks. This is a simple step that might fix the problem.
Check That The Drainage Is Clear
Although you can't see anything clogging the inside of the drain filter, that does not mean that the drain itself is clear. Most dishwasher models allow you to take the internal drain assembly off so that you can get at the drain without having to pull out the dishwasher. If yours does, it is worth taking some time to get in there and clean out the gunk. A partially-blocked drain will lead to dirty dishes. A fully-blocked drain can lead to a messy catastrophe.
Still Not Working? Make The Call
If you have exhausted the list above and your dishwasher still isn't working correctly, it is time to call in an appliance repair professional. If you continue to use the dishwasher, it may end up failing and causing water damage to your kitchen flooring. If the dishwasher is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer as they will likely have a contract with a local repair shop.
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