A dishwasher’s purpose is to clean your dishes. As such, it’s understandable if you might assume there’s no need to clean the dishwasher itself. However, there are actually several good reasons to add this task to your regular to-do list. For example, although a dishwasher typically shouldn’t smell badly if you’ve been using it properly, a thorough cleaning can fix the problem if a dishwasher does develop odors. On top of that, cleaning your dishwasher can remove mineral buildup and generally promote more reliable overall performance. You also don’t need any special equipment or materials for the job. Although you should always check the owner’s manual of your dishwasher to confirm the manufacturer doesn’t warn against certain cleaning methods, it’s generally possible to clean a dishwasher with some distilled white vinegar and baking soda.
Your first step is to clean out your dishwasher’s filter. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to determine how to do this, as it’s not always possible to remove a dishwasher’s filter, depending on the model you have.
Next, place one to two cups of distilled white vinegar in an upright, dishwasher-safe container in your dishwasher’s lower rack. Run a regular wash cycle without detergent, and turn off the drying cycle. This step helps to clear away grease.
After you’ve done that, sprinkle a cup of baking soda on the inside floor of the dishwasher and run a hot water rinse cycle. Again, you can skip the drying cycle. Open the door and let the interior air dry when the cycle is complete. The baking soda should remove odors.
Important information about cleaning your dishwasher with baking soda
It’s worth noting that you can buy cleaning tablets designed specifically to clean a dishwasher. The baking soda method might simply be more appealing because it involves using items you likely already have on hand.
Along with making your dishwasher smell more pleasant and potentially improving its performance, regular dishwasher cleaning could also save you money in the long run by guarding against the need for costly dishwasher repairs. Regular cleaning might even extend your dishwasher’s lifespan.
You also don’t necessarily need to clean your dishwasher that often. Cleaning it with vinegar and baking soda once a month should be sufficient to get the job done. In fact, overexposing your dishwasher to vinegar can cause damage due to vinegar’s acidity.
In the meantime, you might also wonder whether using a dishwasher is necessary when hand washing is always an option. If so, be aware that using a dishwasher is more sanitary than hand washing. A dishwasher can clean even more thoroughly when the unit itself is clean inside.