Tag Archives: caring for your dishwasher

Signs that Your Dishwasher is Ready For Cleaning

For your dishwasher to continue cleaning your dishes as well as it should, you need to keep it clean. While some homeowners know the right time to clean their appliances, others don’t.

While this is the case, there are several things you can look out for to tell that it’s time to clean your unit. These things, as given by dishwasher repair professionals, include:

1: Your dishes are cloudy and dirty.

It’s annoying to wait for a dishwasher cycle to finish and then find that your dishes are still dirty or have a white, cloudy film. Dishes that are dirty and cloudy can be a sign that you need to clean your dishwasher more or that you need a dishwasher detergent made for hard water.

The residue left on dishes or other items can be a sign that your dishwasher needs cleaning. For peace of mind, check on your dishwasher and clean it at least once a month.

In addition to checking the filter and racks of your dishwasher once a week for buildup, take the racks and filter or screen out and clean them with warm water and dish soap.

While at it, look for a film or rough coating on the inside of the dishwasher, check to see if the holes in the spray arms are clogged. You also should give the arms a push by hand when the machine is off to see if they spin freely.

Sign 2: Your dishwasher smells weird.

If you don’t keep an eye on your dishwasher filter and clean it regularly, it’s easy to get full of food particles and smells that not only smell bad but can also cause bigger, more expensive problems.

To avoid these problems, you should check and clean the filter after each time you use the dishwasher. You also should commit to sanitizing it at least once a week.

You should fill a bowl with white vinegar, put it on the top or bottom rack, and run a standard clean cycle with hot water. When it’s done, use a simple mixture of water, dish soap, and white vinegar to clean the door seals and the inside of the dishwasher.

When you do this, you not only leave your dishwasher smelling fresh, but you also leave it sparkling clean.

Sign 3: Water backs up in your dishwasher or doesn’t drain properly.

If you’ve ever seen a pool of water at the bottom of your dishwasher or water overflowing into your sink, this could be a sign that you need to clear a clog or get a new dishwasher.

If you’ve cleaned out the filter basket and there’s still standing water or your dishwasher drains slowly, it might be time to call in the pros.

Best practices when cleaning the dishwasher

When cleaning the dishwasher, you must observe best practices to clean your unit properly. These practices include:

Don’t use bleach

Even though bleach can clean and disinfect some surfaces well, it is usually not a good idea to use it to clean the dishwasher. This is because bleach can be too harsh for the inside and parts of the dishwasher, and over time, it can cause damage.

Using bleach in the dishwasher can also leave dishes with a strong bleach smell and taste, which is unpleasant and could be dangerous if eaten. If you must use bleach to clean your dishwasher, do so in a well-ventilated area and small amounts.

Don’t use abrasive cleaners.

You might have the impression that using abrasive cleaners will make your unit cleaner, but this isn’t the case. In fact, it has been shown that cleaners and scorching pads often lead to more damage.

A good rule of thumb is to use a soft sponge or cloth, and you are good to go.

Parting shot

There are many safer ways to clean the dishwasher and make it work better. For example, you can get rid of buildup and smells by using a commercial dishwasher cleaner or a mixture of vinegar and baking soda.

Regular cleaning and maintenance, like wiping down the inside, cleaning the spray arm and filter, and running the dishwasher on a hot cycle with no dishes, can also help prevent buildup and keep the dishwasher working well.

You can clean the dishwasher yourself, but if you have problems, let an experienced appliance repair Alexandria professional help you.

What Can Damage A Dishwasher?

Are you wondering what can damage a dishwasher? There are plenty of things that can do it. Some of these things as given by dishwasher repair professionals include:

Placing dirty dishes and plates in the dishwasher

The dishwasher is meant to clean the dishes, so you should put the dirty dishes here, right? While this is true, placing excessively dirty dishes here can clog the drain lines, pump assembly, and spray arms.

This provides a breeding ground for bacteria and prevents the dishes from getting cleaned properly.

To avoid this, make it a habit to scrape all the food off the plates and dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.

Some people say that you should rinse the dishes. No, you don’t have to. Scrape them off is enough as it leaves some residues on them that make the detergent work better.

Abusing the door

It’s fun to play with the dishwasher door at the end of a cycle and watch as the steam comes billowing out, but you shouldn’t as this weakens it.

You also should stop your kids and pets from playing with it.

You should only open the door when placing the plates inside and removing them. If you notice any issue with the door, get in touch with a professional and have it fixed as soon as possible.

Overloading the dishwasher

The other thing that will significantly damage your machine is overloading it. As much as you want to save some money by running a cycle with as many dishes as possible, overfilling the machine isn’t the way to go.

This is because it often leads to damage to the machine. The dishes also don’t clean as well as they should, and you might be forced to rinse them twice, which doesn’t save you time or money.

Overloading the machine also increases the chances of it leaking as the water inside the machine is diverted from the bottom of the tank and splashes out, under the door.

To avoid the dangers of overloading the machine, place just enough plates inside the dishwasher. Once full, close the door and run the cycle.

Using too much or wrong detergent

Did you know using too much detergent can damage your dishwasher? Using the wrong detergent builds up residue in the wash and rain pumps, clogging the appliance and creating a breeding ground for bacteria and other organisms.

To be on the safe side, be cautious about the detergent you use.

As a rule of thumb, use detergents specifically designed for your dishwasher. This means that handwashing dish detergent and other soaps shouldn’t find their way into your dishwasher.

When choosing the detergents, always go for powders instead of gels. This is because gels contain chlorine bleach known to dissolve gaskets and seals.

Gels don’t work well in hard water and clog the detergent dispenser, which can impede the appliance’s cleaning performance.

Even though you intend to clean the dishes, you shouldn’t use just any detergent—use a quality detergent that will give you excellent results. As a rule of thumb, avoid cheap, and no-name powders as chances are high they contain inferior cleansers that don’t clean the dishes as well as they should, and you are forced to run several cycles, which you can guess, leads to wastage of resources.

Other cheap cleaners contain sand, so they don’t offer any cleaning benefits.

To be safe, take time to research and find good quality cleaning products that will effectively clean your dishes and prevent the dishwasher from clogging up.

Hard water

Hard water causes the dishes to break and builds up mineral layers on the inside of the dishwasher and its pipes.

To prevent your dishwasher from getting damaged by hard water, soften the water using water filters, water softeners, water softening units, and conditioners.

Power surges

Rapid power fluctuations will also damage your dishwasher and other electrical items and appliances. To protect your appliances, get a surge protector.

Appliance repair Northern VA recommend that you go all the way out and invest in whole house surge protection that will protect your dishwasher and other appliances in the house.

Is It Worth Fixing A Dishwasher When It Breaks Down?

With so many cheaper and efficient dishwashers in the market, it’s normal to ask yourself, is it worth fixing a dishwasher when it breaks down?

The answer to this question isn’t a yes or a no, but more of a decision-making answer. To decide whether to fix or replace the appliance, you need to consider several things such as:

The amount charged by the service provider

When your appliance breaks down, you hire a dishwasher repair professional to fix it. Different professionals charge different rates depending on their experience, location, and nature of the problem.

To decide whether to fix the appliance, compare the contractor’s fee and the cost of a new appliance. Of course, you shouldn’t pay for a repair when the fees are higher than the cost of a new appliance.

The appliance repair market is full of unscrupulous contractors, so be cautious when comparing prices.

Don’t approach one contractor and think that is the amount charged by all contractors. Get quotes from 3 to 5 contractors from different locations, then compare them.

Avoid uptown based companies as they charge higher fees. The high fees aren’t because the contractors provide the best services, rather because they pay higher rents there.

If you do your comparison and find that the average price is higher or close to the price of a new appliance, simply get a new unit.

On the flip side, if you find the repair price lower than the machine’s price, fix the dishwasher. For best results, work with an experienced technician that understands what they are doing.

Age of the appliance

How long has the appliance been around? If your appliance is 8, 9, or 10 years, don’t bother fixing it—simply replace it.

The reason for this is because most of the modern appliances are designed to last for only 10 years. This means the closer your appliance is to 10 years, the better it is to replace it.

The problem the appliance has

Minor dishwasher problems are easy and cheap to fix, so it makes sense to fix your appliance if it has a minor problem. If your appliance is missing a seal, pressure switch, latch, drain pump, fill valve, or any other easy-to-find part, simply fix it.

On the other hand, if the appliance has a serious problem such as a malfunctioning motor or circulation pump, it’s more economical to replace the dishwasher as the cost of a new part and installing it will be much higher than the cost of a new dishwasher.

Warranty

If you have had your dishwasher for 1-2 years, you most likely have a warranty. This means when the appliance breaks down, you simply take it to a factory-authorized shop and have it fixed at no cost to you.

Due to this, it’s better to have the dishwasher fixed regardless of the problem’s nature. After all, the cost isn’t transferred to you.

If you never bothered with the warranty at the time of purchase or your appliance is old, you aren’t covered by the warranty, so you have to shoulder all the costs.

If the problem is minor, you can get money from your pocket and pay for it, but you are better off replacing the unit if the issue is complex.

Buying a new dishwasher

If you don’t have a warranty, your dishwasher is old, and/or the appliance has a complex problem, you shouldn’t bother with fixing it. Instead, buy a new one.

When buying a new appliance, take your time and ensure you buy the right one. One of the things to look at when buying is the efficiency rating of the unit.

Of course, you want a highly energy-efficient dishwasher that will consume little energy and function efficiently for a long time.

The price is another factor to consider. While expensive dishwashers function better and last for a long time, avoid the luxurious ones as they have too many features that you probably won’t need.

Go for moderately priced units within your budget.

After buying the appliance, take good care of it, so it lasts for a long time, and avoid hiring appliance repair Northern VA professionals now and then.