You probably already know that you should clean your appliances as part of their regular maintenance. But sometimes it’s just too hard to add one more task to the to-do list – especially cleaning your dishwasher.
What if there were some easy ways to clean a smelly dishwasher? The good news is, there are, and we can tell you how!
Cleaning your Dishwasher the Easy Way
When your dishwasher smells bad, cleaning it doesn’t have to be a daylong project. Implement these four simple tips for cleaning your dishwasher into your regular maintenance routine.
#1. Clean Inside Your Dishwasher
The nooks and crannies of your dishwasher tub are a favorite hideout for grime, mold, food buildup, and soap scum. While we recommend wiping down the tub and gaskets often, the inside of your dishwasher benefits from a deeper clean once a month.
Place Affresh dishwasher cleaner inside the unit and run a normal clean cycle to rid your dishwasher of offensive odor.
#2. Clean Your Dishwasher Filter
Your dishwasher filter catches food particles to prevent clogs. When you perform your monthly deep clean of the inside of your dishwasher, clean the filter as well.
How to clean a dishwasher filter doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can be accomplished in five easy steps:
- Locate the filter by removing the dishwasher’s bottom rack. The filter is typically a cylinder-shaped tube in the base of the tub.
- Remove the filter by twisting and gently pulling upward. If there is a lower secondary filter, remove that as well.
- Wash the filter in warm soapy water; scrub gently with a toothbrush for any hard-to-remove particles.
- Inspect the area around the filter’s location and remove any food particles with a paper towel.
- Replace the filter and twist to lock it in place.
#3. Clean the Spray Arms
Wash the spray arms next when cleaning your dishwasher. These rotating arms dispense water to clean your dishes and glassware. The small openings in the arms can become clogged over time, but some easy dishwasher cleaning tips will have them back in working order in no time:
- Gently twist to remove the top and bottom spray arms.
- Rinse them in warm soapy water; scrub gently with a sponge.
- Scrub the holes in the spray arms gently with a toothbrush to remove clogs.
- Reinstall arms and twist to lock them in place.
Even after cleaning your dishwasher spray arms you may notice hard water spots on your glassware. Fortunately, the citric acid in natural-based detergents can break up the minerals in hard water to eliminate these spots.
#4. Clear Dishwasher Clogs
A possible sign of a clogged dishwasher is standing water in the bottom of the dishwasher tub after a wash cycle. While this can be alarming, you can learn how to clean a clogged dishwasher easily with vinegar, baking soda, and hot water:
- Remove your dishwasher’s filter and pour a 1:1 solution of baking soda and vinegar directly down the drain.
- Allow it to stand for 10-15mins.
- Pour two cups of hot water down the drain to cleanse it of any cleaning residue, replace the filter, and run a normal empty wash cycle.
Cleaning your dishwasher can be made simple with these four easy tips for regular maintenance. If you feel your dishwasher still isn’t operating like it should after a thorough cleaning, you may need professional dishwasher repair services.
Bonus Tip: Learn what to do when you use too much soap in your dishwasher here.
