How To Get The Most Out Of Your Dishwasher

6 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Dishwasher

Dishwashers are wonderful things – when they work properly. They save you from hours spent washing up after a dinner party and leave your dishes looking sparkling clean in no time. But while dishwashers do save us a lot of time and effort, they sometimes malfunction and leave our dishes looking worse than when they started. Within this guide, we will be taking you through how to get the most out of your dishwasher. These tips will help to ensure your dishwasher lives a long life without any disappointments.

1. Scrape Your Dishes Before Loading

Many people believe that dishwashers can tackle whatever grub is thrown at them. And although they do a pretty good job of wiping away last night’s dinner, they’re not always powerful enough to remove stubborn marks.

The above reason is what makes it all the more important to scrape off the food remains on your dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. You don’t need to give the dishes a full clean, but just ensure that no huge lumps of food are left sitting there. This will not only become difficult for the dishwasher to remove, but it also runs the risk of clogging up the drains and creating a very expensive issue.

2. Only Turn It On With A Full Load

Full dishwashers are far more energy-efficient, meaning you’ll be saving a whole lot of money on your bills if you only turn it on when there is a full load. If you only have a few plates that need cleaning, consider doing this manually to cut down on energy used.

Of course, loading your dishwasher too sparsely isn’t a wise move, but filling it to the brim isn’t either. The next step will take you through how to load your dishwasher for maximum benefits.

3. Keep Your Dishes Organised

It’s far too tempting to stack the dishes up in weird and wonderful ways so that they fit in the dishwasher. However, when you do this, you minimize the chances of getting a sparkling clean finish. The water in the cycle will struggle to reach every inch of a plate that has been jammed in, meaning you may end up having to repeat the wash. This, once again, isn’t very energy efficient and will cost you more money in the long run.

4. Never Go Overboard On The Soap

Whether you use dishwasher pods or dishwasher salt, never insert more than the recommended amount. Overloading on detergent won’t magically clean your dishes quicker – instead, you’ll end up with a soapy mess that may result in flooding. We all know how damaging floods can be, and in a worst-case scenario, you could be looking at a whole new kitchen installation. We don’t need to remind you how expensive those things are, let alone when there’s damage to fix.

5. Keep The Seals Clean

No matter the appliance, seals get extremely gunky when left unmaintained for long periods of time. This is particularly the case with the door seals on dishwashers as they live in a soaking breeding ground of old food. The longer you leave the seals, the more they’ll start to smell as the grime builds up. It’s likely that they’ll lose their strength too, causing all types of issues with the performance of the dishwasher.

To prevent the above nightmare from happening, regularly wipe the seals on your dishwasher door. You can even use limescale remover on the dishwasher for the stubborn bits of grime. When the seals are clean, it’s likely that you’ll notice the dishwasher performing better and smelling less.

6. Rinse With Vinegar Every Few Months

A dishwasher rinse is incredibly important when keeping up with the care for your dishwasher. And, by adding a small amount of vinegar into the equation, we can guarantee that you’ll be left blown away by the cleanliness of your dishwasher.

Adding vinegar to a dishwasher rinse helps to pick away at the stubborn food particles that have been left stuck to the interior. Utilizing a dishwasher rinse also eliminates the need to get on your hands and knees and scrub yourself; because who really wants to do that?

Carry out your vinegar dishwasher rinses every few months and you’ll start to notice the difference almost immediately. Don’t go overboard with this though as the vinegar may strip away at material if used too frequently.

Never Face Dishwasher Stress Again!

These six tips will be sure to help you get the most of your dishwasher for years to come. While dishwashers certainly do a lot of the work for us, we hope this guide has helped you to realize that they need a bit of love and care back. Combining all of these tips will soon become second nature and you’ll thank us for it. Enjoy getting sparkling clean dishes time and time again!