How to Clean a Dishwasher

This post is sponsored by Affresh.  As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Spring cleaning time is here and I have a bunch of posts lined up to help you get all of those forgotten areas of your home clean and fresh again!   I have a little plan that I will be sharing next week, but today I wanted to start with the dishwasher.  I actually wrote about how to clean a dishwasher way back when I first started blogging, but we have a new model now and I wanted to pass on some updates.  Cleaning the dishwasher may not be on the top of your cleaning radar, but cleaning inside your appliances is really important to help improve their performance, efficiency, and life span.   You might just be surprised at what you find!

I generally run some vinegar through our dishwasher about once every couple of months to give it a little extra cleaning, but there were definitely some neglected areas of our dishwasher that needed extra attention.  Ready to get cleaning?  It won’t take long and your dishwasher will thank you!

MATERIALS

• microfiber cloth
• toothbrush
• all-purpose spray or 50:50 water/vinegar spray
• 1-2 Affresh dishwasher tablets

TIME NEEDED: 10 minutes

HOW TO

• Start with an empty dishwasher that has just been run through its cleaning cycle.  Remove the silverware holder and clean in the sink with some warm water and dish soap.  The racks can also be removed and cleaned if needed {or to get them out of the way for the rest of the cleaning}, but mine looked fine.
• Spray your cloth with the all-purpose cleaner and wipe down the rubber seal along the sides of the dishwasher as well as the sides of the dishwasher door.  Use a cleaning toothbrush to get into all of the smaller areas that need a scrub {the hinges on our machine were really grungy}.  If you have labels stuck on the side or top of the door that are not needed {do NOT remove the label with the model number}, you might want to remove them as well.  Mine had a bunch of gunk trapped underneath them.  I just used some olive oil to remove the sticky residue and then cleaned the gunk as above.  If you can’t remove the label, just use your toothbrush to clean around the outside of it.

• Clean along the bottom of the inside of the dishwasher door.  I cannot tell you how much gunk I cleaned off from this area – so gross!!

 

• Check the spinning arm{s} to make sure that holes aren’t plugged.  If there is any debris, gently remove it using a toothpick or other thin instrument.  You should also do a quick check on your detergent holder {especially if you don’t actually use it!} to make sure it is clean and clear of any debris.

• Clean your filter or grate on the floor of the dishwasher.  I must admit, I haven’t actually cleaned mine and I was SO disgusted at all of the gunk that had built up on it as well as a few little clumps of hair.  Once I popped off the top piece, the filter below could easily be pulled up.

• I soaked mine in some vinegar and water for about 10 minutes and then used my toothbrush to clear off the remaining gunk.  For those of you that would like to see what the before looked like…

• Now that all of the little parts have been cleaned, it is time to move on to the rest of the dishwasher.  Affresh tablets can be used in your dishwasher to power away any hard water or mineral deposits and are actually the recommended cleaner for KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag, Jenn-Air, and Amana brands.  The tablets can be used on an empty cycle and are even safe to use with dishware.  You can use 1 or 2 tablets depending on the amount of build-up on your machine.  If you are running it on an empty cycle, place one tablet in the detergent dispenser and a second tablet {if needed} on the bottom of the dishwasher.  If you are running it through with dishware, you just place the tablet on the dishwasher floor and use your detergent as typical.
• If you don’t have the tabs, you can place 1-2 cups of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher and 1 cup of vinegar in a cup facing upwards in the top rack of the dishwasher and run your dishwasher through a cycle on the hottest wash.  If you have a rinse aid spout that you use, place some vinegar down there as well and let soak for 20-30 minutes prior to running the dishwasher.

The dishwasher came out bright and sparkling with a light, fresh scent!

If you have a stainless steel dishwasher and want to polish up the outside as well, you can head over here for instructions on the best way to clean stainless steel appliances.

Affresh can be purchased at all major grocery retailers.  To check out additional products that keep your appliances in top shape, just visit the Affresh website.

For more kitchen cleaning tips, check out these posts…

How to Remove Burnt on Food

How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal and DIY Garbage Disposal Bombs

How to Deep Clean the Kitchen