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CLEANING THE DISHWASHER

About this Tip:

3 Quick things to do to keep your DISHWASHER clean

3 Quick things to do to keep your dishwasher clean

First, clean the drain filter. Each brand of dishwasher is slightly different. There will probably be a cylindrical, detachable filter through which all of the water drains in the bottom of the dishwasher. Consult your owners manual if in doubt.
In order to access the filter, remove the bottom rack, then reach in and twist out the filter. Wash the filter with soap and hot water in your sink. It may be difficult to reach all of the interior sections of it with a rag, so you may want to use a bottle brush. Rinse and replace it in the dishwasher.
Place 1 cup of distilled white vinegar in a bowl and sit on the top rack of the dishwasher. Make sure the dishwasher is empty when you clean it in this way. If you don't like the smell of vinegar, add a few drops of an essential oil to the vinegar.
Run the dishwasher on the longest cycle. Stop it midway through the cycle and let the vinegar water sit for 30 minutes. Set a timer to remind you to go back.
Restart the cycle and let it finish
Next sprinkle a cup of baking soda over the bottom of the dishwasher. This time the dishwasher should be run one the shortest cycles available, and in order to dissolve all of the baking soda the water should be the hottest it can be.
Run an additional cycle.
After this, the dishwasher should be clean and fresh smelling.

Warnings & Cautions:

Dishwasher should be empty during cleaning Be sure you clean the dishwasher filter at least every other month. Food and debris will get trapped in it and you will be washing your dishes with dirty, smelly water.

Why It Works:

The vinegar works to remove greasy, and dirty film left behind by dirty dishes and the baking soda removes odors