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How to clean your dishwasher — because yes, that's something you should be doing
If your dishes are coming out a little stinky, you need to clean your dishwasher ASAP.
Have you ever opened your dishwasher and it smells... not clean? It might smell musty or like rotten food. Yes, it's gross, but there's a simple solution: Give your dishwasher a clean! You clean the rest of your house and plenty of other appliances like your microwave, coffee maker, washer and dryer — so don't forget to clean your dishwasher. It's a simple process that will make it smell fresher, run more efficiently and, of course, make your dishes sparkle.
Here's how to clean your dishwasher, step by step
If you suspect your dishwasher could use a deep clean, first things first, locate your appliances' manual. If you don't have it, you can usually find one online. The manual can tell you the nitty gritty about your specific model so you can clean it properly. Can't find it? No problem, start here:
Step 1: Empty the dishwasher completely
This may seem like a no brainer, but just make sure you've taken all the dishes, cutlery and cups out of your dishwasher, and if you can, remove the bottom rack. This will make it easier to get in there to clean.
Step 2: Remove the filter
The filter is located on the bottom of the machine. Gently unscrew it, and take the filter completely out.
Step 3: Wash the filter
Start by soaking the filter in hot, soapy water, then scrub it clean with a brush. This should go without saying, but make sure all of the food particles are gone and there isn't any mold or buildup in any of the small crevices.
Step 4: Wipe down the seals and interior
Using a damp cloth, wipe off the dishwasher's gasket or seals (the part around the frame that seals it shut) and the interior walls.
Step 5: Run a hot water cycle with a cup of white vinegar
Put the filter back in its place, roll the bottom rack back in and place a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container on the top or bottom rack. Then, run a hot water cycle, and when it's done, it's clean!
Why does my dishwasher smell?
First of all, if you have a stinky dishwasher, that smell is most likely coming from a clogged drain, a dirty filter, mold and mildew buildup in the seals or food particles trapped in soap scum buildup. Yuck! But most of the time, it's a dirty filter. Food particles can get trapped in there and start to smell, and they can cause dirty water to recirculate. This is why it's important to clean that filter regularly.
How often should you clean your dishwasher?
After each cycle, you should take a quick peek in the unit; if you see any loose food particles, definitely remove them and wipe things down. Otherwise, you should aim to clean your dishwasher once a week by removing and cleaning the filter, and wiping down the door edges and seals. Then give it a deep clean (as explained above) with a vinegar cycle once a month.
You can also try using Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner Tablets. These little babies can get rid of limescale and mineral buildup to keep your machine in tip-top shape. The tablets clean those hard-to-reach places like the tub, the internal hoses and the pump and valve, and they're safe enough to use once a month or more if needed.
Toss an Affresh tablet in the detergent tray and run a normal dish cycle. If you suspect your dishwasher is extra grimy, you can toss a second one in the bottom of the unit as well.
Six tablets come in a pack, so if you use one every month, that's enough to clean your dishwasher for six months.
One of over 55,000 five-star Amazon reviewers said: "I have a new KitchenAid dishwasher and I couldn't understand why there was a foul, cheesy odor. I rinse everything before I load it into the washer and clean out the basket too. I went to the manufacturer's website and they recommended this product... . I just cleaned the empty machine this time and WOW, this stuff worked perfectly! No more odor. Such an inexpensive product that works so well!"
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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
