Silly as it may sound, this is a reminder that your dishwasher needs to be cleaned now and then.
It's so fast and Lazy, you'll want to do this! Check and clean the food trap at the bottom. Then just run a regular cycle without adding any dishes. About 10 minutes after it's started, throw in 1-2 cups of cheap white vinegar. (If you put in the vinegar at the beginning, it just drains away. If you add vinegar with soap, they neutralize because one is acid and one is alkaline so the vinegar doesn't do the best job it can)
The vinegar freshens and cleans the dishwasher. Done!
Like the live dangerously? Do the following disinfecting clean with caution... since these chemicals cause a reaction and a potentially deadly gas if mixed. Since the bottom of your dishwasher sees so much food drips and remnants, before starting the cleaning cycle, splash about 1/4 cup bleach mixed with 2 cups water into the bottom and let it enter the drain. Start the dishwasher, and 10 minutes in, add the vinegar. Since the dishwasher should drain the bleach away, the bleach and vinegar should not have had contact. If your dishwasher does not drain before starting, this is dangerous... don't do it.
And at least once a week take your dish rag (or sponge, whatever) and wipe all the edges around the door. I put vinegar on the rag and wipe the crud off the gaskets (the door FRAME) and across the bottom of the door (inside). It's astonishing how much disgusting gunk builds up there.
ReplyDeleteOh, and if your DW is near a corner spot like mine, you'll want to wipe splatters off the cabinets on a regular basis as well. It starts to look really grody after awhile.