Used on a daily basis, our dishwashers are subjected to a near constant barrage of food, soap, and grease. Over time all this grime takes its toll in the form of mildew, hard-water stains, soap scum buildup, and those mysterious bits of goo wedged in crannies and floating on the bottom. Yuck! When that happens, it’s time to give this workhorse of a machine its own thorough cleaning. Here’s how.
Photography by Justine Hand for Remodelista.
Supplies
- White vinegar
- Baking soda or borax
- Small cleaning brush, such as a toothbrush
- Toothpick or wooden skewer
- Cloth rags
- Bowls large enough to soak dishwasher parts
- Screwdriver (only needed if you have parts with screws)
Directions
Step 1: Remove the trays and utensil holder so that you can access the inner workings of the dishwasher.
Step 2: Clean all removable parts by soaking them and scrubbing as needed.
Step 3: Clean the interior.
Note: In place of baking soda, you can use borax (sodium borate). A naturally occurring mineral powder commonly used in detergents—and sold on its own as a laundry booster—borax kills mold, deodorizes, and whitens.
Note: In place of baking soda, you can use borax (sodium borate). A naturally occurring mineral powder commonly used in detergents—and sold on its own as a laundry booster—borax kills mold, deodorizes, and whitens.
Step 4: Replace the parts you removed and run your machine using nothing but vinegar.
Important note! Never mix vinegar with bleach when cleaning your machine—or anything else. Doing so will release toxic chlorine and chloramine vapors. Also never use bleach or any cleaner containing chlorine (hydrochloric acid) in a stainless steel machine. It can stain and corrode the metal.
Step 5: As a final polish, give your machine a baking soda cycle.
Sodium hydrogen carbonate, or baking soda, is also a good cleaning agent, useful for getting rid of odors, removing grease, and whitening stains. (But don’t mix it with vinegar! As a base, baking soda will neutralize this acid and vice versa, canceling out the positive effects of both.)
You can also use borax to clean your machine. The beauty of borax is that it can be applied while there are dishes in the machine. Simply load your dishwasher as usual, add 1/4 cup of borax to the bottom, add normal detergent to the dispenser, and run as usual. Your glasses will sparkle.
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on July 16, 2015.
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