10 tips to take care of your dishwasher

In my house the dishwasher has become the best ally, since I dedicate myself professionally to the blog I cook more and I assure you that sometimes I get to put it more than 4 times a day.

Also I like to have the kitchen collected while I cook but I don’t focus on the main task, cooking. That is why I take care of this appliance properly, I have been with it for 7 years and not a single problem.

I am going to give you a series of tips that he used at home to guarantee the good performance of the dishwasher and that it lasts another 7 years.

In today’s post, I leave you with ten tips and recommendations to take care of this device and that will influence your life. If you have just bought one or want to take care of your appliance, these tips will be very useful.

Tips and recommendations to take care of your dishwasher

1. Before putting the dishes, cutlery and glassware in it we must remove the remains with a little water , under the tap. With this simple gesture, this device will last us for almost 2 more years according to the manufacturers, it is a logical question but one that sometimes passes us by. Help yourself with an already dirty fork or spoon or a soft rubber spatula to remove them.
2. The dishwasher does not remove the remains of food, grease, … it helps us to clean, it works dirty for us and those remains go through certain ducts and a filter. Those debris can accumulate and clog those parts of the system. With this simple step we help not to force the dishwasher, although we must help it, cleaning the filter every 2 months (depending on the use of it) will make us last longer.
3. Correctly load the dishwasher . You have to charge it to the maximum to save water and light, but with care that there is enough space for the water to reach all objects. To optimize the operation of the appliance, the correct placement of plates, glasses, cups, cutlery and other objects inside.
4. Always put the dirtiest or greasiest at the bottom. And do not cover a container with another, even if only in part, neither will be clean. Cutlery in your special tray, if you carry it, or in your basket always with the handle down, and do not put too many together so that they are not excessively tight.
5. Remove the dishes when the appliance has finished , since leaving them inside affects their materials. At the end of the wash, the entire interior of the appliance as well as its contents are very hot, so they will dry better and faster. If you leave them, you will only lose 10 minutes of your valuable time in drying the dishes again. This operation represents a significant energy saving.
6. Always hot water. It falls under its own weight, just as when we scrub by hand it is easier to remove the grease with hot water in the dishwasher the same thing happens. This will ensure that the appliance works from the first moment with high temperature water, in my case always at 55º or 65º C, which favors cleaning and therefore optimizes its performance.
7. For the correct operation of the dishwasher, products designed for this type of appliance must be used. That is, in no case can the normal detergent used to scrub dishes and utensils be used by hand, since its abundant foam would cause serious damage to the machine.
8. If necessary, use special salt to combat lime. If you live in a zone of hard water you must use special salt for a dishwasher, otherwise it is not necessary. It is convenient that you adjust the softener of the machine to the hardness of your water. If you don’t know it, look at google what kind of water is in your area.
9. Eliminate moisture . If mold is detected inside the dishwasher. Make sure that, after each washing cycle, the appliance is slightly open for a while, to avoid the concentration of moisture inside.
10. Perform a general cleaning with nothing inside with a specific product, you have several “universal machine cleaners” on the market. The manufacturers of these products recommend that it be done every 30 washes, but if the dishes are put in without residue, I think it can be done every 40, or at least in my case it works well. In the past, it was recommended to do a washing with the appliance empty and adding 1 liter of vinegar, but the current special products are much better, they clean and degrease all the internal ducts of the dishwasher up to the drainage itself much better.
11. Use it frequently . If you have a dishwasher at home use it, I know people who prefer to waste time washing dishes, they think they save water. I try to explain that the effect is the opposite, more water is usually spent and the dishes are worse.
12. Using the dishwasher helps the dishwasher to work properly, it contributes to cleaning the appliance itself. If it is left idle for some time (as it could happen due to a more or less long trip), you must do a pre-wash to remove all the accumulated dirt.