It's time to make your dishwasher a part of your normal cleaning routine. Cleaning it before big holidays and get togethers that will require a lot of wash cycles will be extremely helpful. Your dishwasher has filters that trap extra food and particles that will only collect over time. It's probably a good idea to clean it after those big holiday and get together washes too!
If you are having problems with your dishwasher working properly, call your apartment manager and they will have the on-site maintenance take a look. But if it works fine and you would like to give it a fresh smell and ensure that it is clean then check out these tips below!
Posted by TheKitchn.com
Written by Sarah Rae Smith
1. Don't confuse scraping with washing
No one wants to wash their dishes before they wash their dishes; it's just silly. But you wouldn't want to eat a Thanksgiving dinner and then go run a marathon right after. Well, neither does your dishwasher. Scrape food bits off before loading up to help reduce particles stuck on dishes once the cycle is over.
2. Don't overcrowd the dishwasher:
It's something that's easier said than done. It's quite tempting to layer in one more bowl or plate to avoid hand washing. Just remember, it's better to wash a few pieces by hand than it is to rerun an entire load because things were too tightly packed.
3. Run hot water before starting the dishwasher:
Before starting the cycle, turn on the faucet and run until the water is hot to the touch. This means your first dishwasher fill cycle will be hot, instead of cold, until it finally makes its way over from the hot water heater. This is an especially important tip in winter time, as it takes longer for the water to heat up.
4. Use the correct cycle:
It can be tempting to use a shorter, lighter setting to save on time and water bills, but make sure you’re washing all your super dirty dishes by hand if that’s the case. Just like doing your laundry, keep soil levels together when washing to end up with the best performance.
Now that you know the simple steps on how to keep your dishwasher in the best shape so you don't have to experience that strange smell, you can cross it off your cleaning list.
Some people love a good cleaning list, while others just see it as an even bigger chore list. No matter how you look at it, cleaning at least once a season is crucial if you don't want to spend hours upon hours scrubbing on your knees when the time to move comes up.
It's one of the reasons why we created our Seasonal Cleaning Checklist! You no longer have to figure out what really needs a cleaning when you are ready to tackle the "big apartment clean." We suggest going through the list at the end of every season, as a clean apartment at the beginning of a season is nicer than you'd think. When the day comes to moving out, clean up will be easer as you've been cleaning the hood range 4 times a year and there isn't a million and one things dried to it.
Download our Seasonal Cleaning Checklist for FREE and keep your apartment feeling brand new all year long!