Cleaning Dishwasher with Vinegar

A dishwasher is very convenient especially, if one is a working woman who has to manage both work and home equally well. Instead of washing each and every utensil by hand separately, you can simply lodge them together in a dishwasher and within no time, they come out clean. But have you ever thought that the dishwasher too, just like any other over used appliance in your house, requires regular cleaning, considering the fact that most of us do not make an effort to remove bits of food and grease that stick to our plates and bowls before putting them in a dishwasher. What happens is that overtime, these pieces of food, oil and grease accumulate and can cause staining and infestation of bacteria in the dishwasher. So cleaning it at regular intervals is very essential. Many people recommend baking soda and vinegar to clean dishwasher for best results. If you too have a dishwasher, then here is a step wise guide to help you.

Dishwasher Cleaning with Vinegar and Baking Soda

Step 1
In order to clean the dishwasher, you will have to start by, first of all, removing the upper and the bottom rack. Once you have removed both these, take a flashlight and look around the drain, at the floor of the dishwasher. This way you will get a better idea about the kind of stains and grime that you have to get rid of.

Step 2
The other place where accumulation of dirt and grime mostly takes place is under the lower spray arm, on the floor. So that needs to be disassembled and removed too. You can consult the manual which comes with the dishwasher to know about its various parts and to know how to remove them appropriately.

Step 3
Make a solution of three cups white vinegar, one tablespoon baking soda and a few drops of soap in a bowl. Now, take a green scrubby mop, dip it into this solution and scrub the walls, floor and door of the dishwasher with it. Make sure that you scrub every nook and corner with special attention to the area around the drain.

Step 4
Once you are done scrubbing the insides of the dishwasher, clean the parts that you removed earlier by using the same solution and green scrubby.

Step 5
Now take some clean water and splash it on the insides of the dishwasher so that the extra solution, grime and dirt, that is still sticking to the walls can be dislodged and comes near the drain. Next, reattach the parts that you had taken out earlier.

Step 6
Once the components of the dishwasher have been put back, put a mixture made from one cup vinegar and one tablespoon baking soda in a dishwasher-safe bowl on the top rack and run it through a cycle. When doing this, make sure that the dishwasher is empty and that you are running it on the hottest water option. This will remove all the extra cleaning solution, stains, grime and dirt.

As you can see, cleaning a dishwasher is not only effective but is pretty easy too. Not only that, cleaning it from time to time is a good way to maintain hygiene in your kitchen.