Friday, November 2, 2012

Clean Inside my Dishwasher?

Ok, I'm not proud to tell you about my dishwasher issues but I love you guys and just in case this helps anyone with the same troubles, it will be worth it. I noticed my dishes were not getting as clean as they use to but I tend to over load it most of the time so I cut back a bit on piling it in there and my problems still continued, and got worse. There were little tiny pieces of food almost like cornmeal stuck on the insides and sometimes the outsides of everything on the top rack.(By the way, do you know how to properly load a dishwasher so everything gets cleaned as it should?)

I mentioned it to the man of the house a few times but he gave me no response, or help (which is what I was looking for) about what to do. I started thinking we would be calling in a repair man or buying a new dishwasher soon. Then I remembered about cleaning the filter on my vac, another post for another day, and how that one thing fixed my vacuum cleaner so that six years later I'm still using it. 


So, with the dishwasher empty I removed the lower rack and took a look at the bottom of my dishwasher. I noticed that while the insides are stainless steel there was a lot of white mineral build up in there that should not be there. I use vinegar instead of a rinse agent so this surprised me. Most people will tell you that at this point you should have your dishwasher unplugged and I totally agree with them! I started fiddling around with some of the removable plastic parts in the bottom and sure enough I found a filter. I suggest you photo everything you remove or take apart so you can remember how it goes back together. Also be very careful as there can be tiny pieces of broken glass that you didn't know were there. Go carefully here. 


Ahem....were was I..... oh, well I found the filter and OH MY GOSH! Look at it! It was so clogged with mineral deposits hard as rocks that water was not penetrated it at all. Bingo, I had found the problem. I was quit pleased with myself at this point and poured a bowlful of white vinegar to soak the filter in before I began to scrub and scrub.....well it turned into an all day process. I would scrub then soak, wait then repeat. I gave up at one point and got online to order a new one but I couldn't find a new one to order so I returned to the soaking, scrubbing routine. I used a butter knife to scrape it and that helped. I was worried I would break the thing then be in real trouble! 


After I had it as clean as I could get it, I put it back together (this is were some pics would have been handy) then cleaned out the holes in the spray arms (the things that spin around) while I was at it. Do you do this on occasion? You should, again beware of small pieces of glass stuck in there and I suggest you do not use your fingers for this job. How about cleaning around the outside edges were the rubber gasket meets the sides? All of this should be cleaned on occasion.  Rather than give you a whole long tutorial on how to clean and maintain your dishwasher since I AM NOT an expert but a home maker, I have included a couple of links for you that tell you how. 

My dishwasher is back to working like it did when it was brand new, didn't cost me a dime, did it my self too! Woo Hoo! You may find your dishwashers manual online if you have a model # and brand. A manual may help you with finding and cleaning your dish washers filter and other routine maintenance to keep it working at it's best.

How to clean and maintain your dishwasher links below.
wikiHow
HubPages
YouTube (cleaning the filter)
You Tube (how to load dishwasher)
I link at these parties. 

Update: I now use one tablespoon of citric acid every few weeks to keep my dishwasher in good shape. All the cloudy water deposits are done on the stainless steel and the filters stay in good shape. Use it in an empty dishwasher as it may cause pitting on some dishes. Below are a couple of links for citric acid through Amazon. Yes, it is an affiliate link and I may make a small commission if you purchase through that link. Thank you for supporting this blog. 



I have had a lot of content theft lately. If you are reading this post anywhere else but at Family Home and Life then it was used without permission! Copyright© Family Home and Life 2012 All Rights Reserved

46 comments:

  1. Who knew? Pinning this for future reference!

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    1. Good evening, Connie! I'm stopping by to let you know that your project will be featured at this week's All my Bloggy Friends. I can't wait to see what you share tomorrow. :)

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  2. I just cleaned my clothes dryer. I clear off the filter every time, but a lot of lint gets past that and becomes a fire hazard. You can buy citric acid in a hardware store and that might dissolve those deposits a bit faster than vinegar.

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  3. Wow. I'm thankful mineral deposits aren't an issue in Colorado. I have noticed my daughter (in AZ) has sort of the same issue as you with her dishwasher. Will have to let her know about this.

    Like Olga, the lint in the dryer scares the heck out of me as I've had friends who nearly lost their home because of it.

    Enjoy your Friday...and your now-clean dishes! :-D

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  4. I gave up using our dishwasher. With just the two of us it takes to long to get it filled -- it is easier to do them by hand but this was sure informative!

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  5. Oh, my. In my old house I had a dishwasher that would leave those little bits like cornmeal stuck to the dishes. I really could have used this post back then!

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  6. I've always suspected that the filter should be cleaned. Now I know. Next time it's empty, I'm going to take a look. Thanks for the tips.

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  7. Thanks for the suggestions. I pinned this. I am also following you now via GFC, Pinterest, & FB!

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    1. Thanks for linking up to Pin Me! I hope you come to tomorrow's party and see my new look!

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  8. Connie - Thanks so much for this! We haven't used our dishwasher (much to my grown daughter's chagrin) for about 4 years now due to this. A new one is not in the budget. Since it is just Hubby and me - and daughter makes three - we have been doing dishes the old fashioned way. Daughter will be married next week and have her own kitchen - and dishwasher. Perhaps we'll try to do this and get ours working again - now that she will be gone - she'll be furious that we didn't think to do this before. She is a big cook and uses so many pots, pans, and dishes and hates the clean-up by hand. Ah, well . . .
    Joy!
    Kathy

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  9. Great idea! I am so going to try this now. Our water is nasty and leaves this orange ring at the bottom, I bet if I can get the thing taken apart maybe hubby would stop yelling every time the glasses had junk stuck to the sides. :)

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  10. Wow, I never would have thought to do all that cleaning inside my dishwasher! Guess I should take a look in there - I'd probably be surprised at what I'd find.
    Thanks for linking up with at COURTSHIP CONNECTION!
    Kathie

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  11. Nasty! But REALLY helpful! I sometimes get weird sprayed crumby things too. I'll definitely have to check this out.

    I'm starting a new link party today and would love for you to come link up. http://www.gingerlymade.com/2012/11/show-and-tell-1.html

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  12. Must pin this! Thank you for the know how now on how to clean my dishwasher out!

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  13. Saw you today over at A Sheltering Tree today. Wow! I am glad to know this! Thank you for showing us! Blessings to you!

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  14. I am not looking forward to trying this, but I know it must be done! Thanks for showing us all how. Pinning! If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll visit "One Creative Weekend" on OneCreativeMommy.com (open every Fri-Wed) and link up this idea and anything else you’d like to share.

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  15. So, I mean like, umm, can you come over? ;-) My dishwasher will probably require someone with experience! Gee, I've never looked in the bottom before. It sounds like I should! Thank you for the tips! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

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  16. Ew! I don't even want to look down there. I will have to rope the hubby into doing it :) Thanks for sharing at Mom's Library!

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  17. You have the best tips ever for cleaning things we all forget about cleaning on a regular basis.

    Thank you for linking up your favorite post to Raising Imperfection Sunday Link Up!
    Come back Friday to see if you were featured!!

    Lanaya
    www.raising-reagan.com

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  18. You know, I don't think I would have thought about looking at and cleaning the filter. What great tips!

    Thank you for linking up to Raising Imperfection!
    www.violetimperfection.com

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  19. Wow, Thanks for the info. I NEVER even knew they had filters. I'm going to check mine now. Thanks so much for linking up to Creative Thursday. Can’t wait to see what you share this week! Have a wonderful week.
    Michelle

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  20. Oh Boy! You are NOT alone it seems. That's pretty grungy. I'm afraid to look at mine :(. Thank you for the tip!

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  21. Great information! Thanks so much. Peggy PJH Designs

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  22. Awesome! And I totally agree w/the easy step of taking pictures to remember what goes where...that could save you a lot of time and aggravation when putting it back together!

    Glad your dishwasher is up and running like it should. :)

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  23. Thank you. My head will be inside my dishwasher soon!!!!

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  24. This is great, I am going to show this to my husband. ;) I appreciate you sharing this on "I Gotta Try That Monday"
    Marcie

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  25. How clever are you? Mine are working fine. Yes, I have two in my kitchen. No, I didn't choose to have two. When we bought this home I thought that was CRAZY! It's only hubby and I. Although we have the kids over often. But by golly, I use both of them all the time! I'm thinking I should pull mine out and clean it before it gets real bad. Been thinking the fridge needs a good filter cleaning also. Thanks for sharing with Share Your Cup.
    Hugs,
    Jann

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  26. Great post! Thank you for the great tips. My dishwasher has often given me grief and now I know some new tricks!

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  27. My last dishwasher was a bad dishwasher for not getting the dishes cleaned. Didn't think to look for a filter but went the other way and tried cleaning with chemicals. Don't use CLR, vinegar, and bleach all together at the same time was my lesson learned. My dishwasher (old) ended up pouring water everywhere. I guess I had used to much of everything and burnt all the gaskets and seals, and well wrecked my own dishwasher. It sure was clean when I was done, but not in a good way. I did get a new dishwasher but not till after my husband felt the need to punish me for a year and not let me purchase.

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  28. Thanks for sharing at Submarine Sunday!!!

    T'onna @ Navy Wifey Peters Aboard the USS Crafty

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  29. I definitely need to do this - thanks for posting about it!! I'm so glad you linked up at Romance on a dime. Pinning this.

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  30. Good for you for reminding us that maintenance is necessary on everything we use. It's easy to overlook a dishwasher.

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  31. Great post! I need to do the same to my dishwasher! Who knew there was a filter in there! I am featuring you tomorrow!
    Kim

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  32. Hmmm...I never thought about cleaning out my dishwasher...cuz you know...it get soap run through it all the time! :) I didn't think about the hard water deposits and stuff. Now I've got to take a look.
    Kelly

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  33. Oh so interesting...I think I might have a look-see at mine. Not having problems at the moment but I may prevent a few. How sweet of you to share.

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  34. Wow, I had no idea! My husband and I were just talking about our dishes not getting clean. I am putting this on my to do list this weekend!! Thank you so much for sharing again this week at A Bouquet of Talent!! I really needed this tip. :)

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  35. Thanks for this helpful information, and for linking up last week, love to have you back!
    http://www.joyfulhomemaking.com/2012/11/welcome-to-think-tank-thursday-5.html

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  36. Great post! I have been having bits of food and dirty dishes as well, never considered the fact that there might be a filter needing some cleaning. Thanks! Pinning for future reference.

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  37. Totally need to try this! Thanks for sharing this, I can't wait to try it! You are a featured favorite this week on Saturday Show & Tell on Cheerios and Lattes! We love having you, and can't wait to see you this weekend!
    Mackenzie :)
    cheeriosandlattes.com

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  38. Thanks for linking up! Hope to see some of your great ideas again this week on 'Or so she says ...' www.oneshetwoshe.com

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  39. Great information -- pinned! Thanks so much for sharing on Busy Monday!

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  40. Wow!! I never would have thought of that. Thank you so much for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!

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  41. just found your blog ... (big smile) ... thanks for the raft of information !!!

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