When you rely on your dishwasher to do a lot of the heavy cleaning in your kitchen, it’s easy to forget that it too can get dirty! Dirty dishwashers not only lead to poor cleaning efficiency (like your dishes still being dirty after a cycle), but it also impacts the lifespan of your appliance, making it work harder to do what it was built to do and causing additional stress and damage to your machine.

Here are three tips to keep your dishwasher performing its best from the appliance repair and maintenance experts at Westside Appliance Repair:

Are you using the right dishwasher detergent?

If you are only using a gel detergent or a powder detergent, your dishwasher may be missing out on the mix of enzymes its needs to kill off all the bacteria from your food. Dishwasher pods provide a pre-measured tablet of a mixture of cleaning solutions to give your dinnerware the best of both worlds. For a well-rounded clean without streaks or lingering residue, specifically Finish Quantum Ultimate Clean and Shine.

There are some environmentally friendly dishwasher pod brands, however while they may be cleaner for the environment, they are not cleaner for your dishes. Overall, today’s detergents are better for the earth than they were in the past due to a 2010 law that eliminated phosphates as an ingredient. However, specific plant-based dishwasher detergent will not give your dishes the overall shine and optimal cleaning power that you’ll find in other detergents.

Are you using a rinse aid?

Spots of hard water stains on your dishes and glassware make it hard to feel like your newly washed dishes are clean. Using a rinse aid will assist in the drying process by reducing the water tension in your dishwasher so that it will sheen off of both your dishes and your dishwasher’s water tank. A rinse aid also helps your dishes dry faster, so you can shorten your dishwasher’s heat cycle to save energy.

Plastic items such as cups may still be damp when it is time to unload the dishwasher. Plastic does not hold the same amount of heat as stoneware or glass to cause the water to evaporate off them.

Do you clean your filters monthly?

To clean your filter, remove the bottom rack of your dishwasher and remove the cylindrical tube that twist-locks in place on the floor of your unit – that is your filter. It is a catch basin for all the larger food particles that are stuck to your dirty dishes. Some dishwashers have self-cleaning filters, or “hard food disposers” which work like a garbage disposal to help the larger food residue wash down the drain. These filters require less maintenance.

Manual filters and build up over time, leaving your dishes dirty with stray bits of food left behind or an unpleasant odor on your dishes or your machine. Luckily, manual filters are very easy to remove and clean. Once you remove the filter from your dishwasher, hand-wash it thoroughly in warm, soapy water, using a sponge or an old toothbrush to remove stubborn pieces of food. Place the filter back in place, locking it to secure.

If you are experiencing other dishwasher issues, don’t hesitate to call the experts at Westside Appliance Repair at 515-276-8899 or schedule your repair online.