The Simple Step You Should Take After Every Dishwasher Use
A dishwasher is one of those appliances that likely gets used daily, though many of us are still learning the best practices to get the most out of it. You may have already learned that running your dishwasher at night is a possible money saver, but after putting your clean dishes away, you should be taking one last look into the empty appliance for any leftover pieces of food. Not every piece of food gets scraped or rinsed off prior to going into the dishwasher, and there's a high chance that after being cleaned off the dish, that food finds a home resting in the silverware basket or along the bottom of your dishwasher.
By taking a look inside and promptly removing any food items from your appliance after every use, you're preventing build-up, bacteria growth, and any unpleasant odors that would eventually arise. If running your dishwasher is a part of your nightly kitchen shutdown cleaning routine, make sure to take care of the debris in the morning. Removing soggy bits of food from your appliance is a great start down the road of odor prevention and dishwasher care, but it's not the end of the line. You should be cleaning your dishwasher regularly as well.
How often you should be cleaning your dishwasher?
How frequently you should clean your dishwasher depends on how much use it gets. If you use it daily, your appliance should be given a regular cleaning once per week. This includes wiping away any residue or spills that have accumulated on the door and handle, and wiping down the inside. Make sure to avoid the biggest mistake people make when cleaning their dishwasher by removing and cleaning the filter too. Not only will this help your dishwasher run better and get your dishes cleaner, but it will stop the appliance from making your whole kitchen stink.
Once every month, give your dishwasher a good, deep clean with vinegar and baking soda. Place a glass measuring cup filled with two cups of white vinegar on the top rack of an otherwise empty dishwasher and run a normal cycle without using any additional detergent. When that cycle is done, sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda along the bottom of the dishwasher and run a hot water cycle. Proper cleaning and care will keep your dishes cleaner and help extend the life of your dishwasher.