Doing the dishes may be a dreaded chore for many, but that chore has been made much less difficult with modern dishwashers. If you are ready to make your dishwasher as effective as possible, there are a few tips you can use to make nightly clean-up a breeze.
Don’t Pre-Wash Your Dishes
You may think you are making the washing cycle easier for your dishwasher by rinsing or pre-washing your dishes. If you have a newer dishwasher though, this may not be the case. Guarantee the most optimum clean from your dishwasher by removing any large debris and allowing the soap to do the rest. Your dishwasher detergent has enzymes that can break down food, however, it may damage your dishes over time if there is no food to break down. Modern dishwashers will also sense the cleanliness of your dishes; if you pre-wash them, you’re not likely getting your dishwasher’s most powerful setting.
Make Sure Your Water is Hot
Your dishwasher relies on hot water to clean effectively. If your water heater is set too low or your water takes a long time to heat up, your dishwasher’s performance may suffer. Check your manual to make sure your water heater is set to the optimum setting for your dishwasher. Consider running your kitchen faucet on hot for a while to ensure that your dishwasher will be using hot water at the beginning of the cleaning cycle.
Change Your Cleaning Cycle
Your dishwasher likely has a standard dishwashing mode that you use often. If this is consistently the only setting you use, however, you may be missing out on extra cleaning power. Check your manufacturer recommendations for which setting to use for a particular load of dishes. You may find that your dishes can be cleaner and your dishwasher can be more efficient if you know what cleaning settings are available and when to use them.
Clean Your Dishwasher Regularly
Your dishwasher may be doing the hard work of cleaning your dishes, but it still needs a little help sometimes to stay clean and perform at its best. Be sure that you clean out the filter and check the spray arm for any clogs. To keep your dishwasher truly clean, use a commercial dishwasher cleaner once a month. Be sure to use the washer cleaning cycle and avoid putting dishes in while the cycle is going.
