How to Clean Your Dishwasher

You work diligently and with an almost militant frenzy to keep your kitchen clean. After each meal, dishes are rinsed off and then placed in the dishwasher-even if you have a new fancy smancy one. After all, you desire for it to remain new and fancy smancy for a long while. You wipe down your countertops and deodorize your refrigerator. (You don't? You poor thing.) You sweep and mop daily. Kitchens are meant to be fresh and unsoiled. Kitchens are where some of the best memories can occur. How about making cookies with your children (oh, come on-you can always clean-CLEAN later). Helping with homework as you prepare a snack for them-seeing their eyes light up when they "get it." Having them make dinner for you--- again you can always clean CLEAN later. Your pantry is organized and your spices are alphabetized. You may not be a Monica, but face it, you like a clean kitchen. It is where you spend most of your time (all right, it is where I spend most of my time). However, something is still amiss. Something is not quite right. You have sterilized your entire kitchen, but a lingering odor remains. What can it be?

A dirty dishwasher creates lingering odors in your kitchen. So not only does a dirty dishwasher not clean your dishes effectively, it is now creating a problem throughout your entire kitchen. I do not know about you, but dirty kitchens to me, are the worst! Breeding grounds for germs and bacteria. So what can we do? Keep our kitchen clean for one, and clean our dishwasher for another.

Typical reasons for a dirty dishwasher are:

Mold
Rust
Discoloration
Food Build Up

For the most effective cleansing, you will want to use the right approach for the particular problem. I used to think that just pouring a cup of vinegar in the bottom and the running the washer would work, but I have since learned that other cleaning remedies may be needed in addition.

To clean mold run the dishwasher empty and add in one cup of bleach. The bleach will whiten the tub and kill any mold that may be growing--- because after all who really wants to clean mold when it is more effective to just KILL it.

To scour away rust, which is found in the water of many homes, run the dishwasher empty with one-half a container of Tang Orange Drink Mix. (It is not just for astronauts anymore!) If rust deposits are removed, but there is still a remaining stain, add a cup of bleach and run the washer empty a second time. Remember bleach not only KILLS mold, but it whitens the tub.

For discoloration, buildup, and general cleaning run the washer empty with one cup of vinegar and one cup of baking soda. This was news to me, as I only ever just used the vinegar. If the discoloration remains, (stubborn stains) then add one-cup bleach and one- cup vinegar and run the dishwasher on empty.
Not only will you have a clean odor free dishwasher, you will have more peace of mind.