Tag Archives: dishwasher cleaning

Does Hard Water Cause Dishwasher Problems?

If you live in an area with hard water, you must be wondering, does hard water cause dishwasher problems? Unfortunately, it does. Some of the common problems as given by dishwasher repair professionals include:

Residues on the dishes

Here the clear glassware and dishes have a strangely cloudy or chalky residue after removing them from the dishwasher. The cloudy appearance is usually from the mineral deposits in the water.

Although, the glasses and utensils coated with the residue are technically safe to eat with, they can send the wrong picture to the guests. The cloudy dishes also don’t look good sitting in your kitchen.

Residues coating the insides of your dishwasher.

Besides the minerals in the dishes, you are also bound to have the minerals coating the insides of your dishwasher so that you have a cloudy dishwasher.

While the residues on the dishes aren’t of much concern, you have a reason to worry when you have the minerals on your dishwasher, as it’s a matter of time before your dishwasher gets damaged when large deposits build up.

To prevent the minerals from building up too much, make it a habit to clean them with cleaning vinegar. Fill a dishwasher-safe bowl or grass with a cup of cleaning vinegar and place it in the dishwasher. Let the dishwasher run once on a short cycle, and the buildup will go away.

This works because vinegar contains acid that breaks down the minerals on your water and helps the dishwasher flush them out on its own.

Rusting of the dishwasher

When your dishwasher is exposed to hard water for too long, it’s bound to start developing rust patches. There is nothing good about a rusty dishwasher—it’s not sanitary to clean your dishes in the rusty water, and it’s a matter of time before the dishwasher becomes too rusty and breaks.

Hard water causes rust because some of the minerals in hard water are salts that begin corroding the dishwasher when exposed to water and oxygen.

The dishwasher fails to clean the dishes.

It’s one thing for the dishes to come out of the dishwasher with mineral residues on them and an entire ballgame for them to continually come out dirty with bits of food still stuck to them.

When you allow a lot of mineral deposits from the hard water to build up inside the water lines of your dishwasher, they restrict water flow, which significantly reduces the ability of the dishwasher to clean the dishes.

How do you deal with the hard water problem?

To avoid the problems that come with hard water, there are several things you can do. Some of these things include:

Soften the water

Softening the water takes care of the problem from the source. To soften the water, you need to install a water softener that will lower the levels of calcium and magnesium in the water and provide your entire house with softer water.

Use more detergent

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of installing a water softener, consider adding more detergent when running your dishwasher. To tell how much is more, refer to your user’s manual.

Run the dishwasher with vinegar

As mentioned above, vinegar does an excellent job at clearing out hard water stains in the dishwasher. As soon as you notice a calcium scale on the bottom of your dishwasher, fill a cup with vinegar and run a cycle with the cup on the top rack.

Add a rinse aid

The purpose of the rinse aid is to get rid of the spotty and streaky dishes. Upon adding the aid, the dishes come out clean—they aren’t cloudy. When using the detergent, consult your user’s manual to find out the amount of rinse aid you can add to your dishwasher without causing any damage.

There you go

As you can see, hard water is not only harmful to your dishes, but the dishwasher as well. While there are plenty of temporary solutions to the problems brought about by hard water, it’s better to fix the problem once and for all. Work with an appliance repair Springfield professional and find out the best way to go about it.

Dishwasher Repair: How Do I Get My Dishwasher To Clean Better?

dishwasher repair

A dishwasher is like an extra set of hands that makes your work easier, and your day a whole lot better.

If you have had your appliance for a long time, you must have noticed its efficiency dwindling, and you must be asking, how do I get my dishwasher to clean better?

Well, you are on the lucky side as dishwasher repair professionals report there are plenty of ways you can do it. Here are some of these ways:

Scrape off the leftovers

As much as you don’t want to touch the dishes when they get dirty, you should note that the efficiency of the appliance is significantly compromised when you deposit too much food residues into the system.

For your appliance to clean the dishes better, scrape off all the extra food from the plates before you put them in the dishwasher.

Some people go to the extent of pre-rinsing the dishes, but you shouldn’t. When you pre-rinse the dishes you not only give yourself extra work, you also reduce the efficiency of the appliance as the detergents don’t have enough space to adhere to in order to clean the dishes effectively.

Use hot water

Just like when cleaning the dishes by hand, hot water cleans the best, so ensure the water getting into the dishwasher is hot enough. Before you start running the appliance, check the temperature of the water at the kitchen faucet using a meat or candy thermometer.

For effective cleaning, the temperature should be 120 degrees. Adjust the setting accordingly.

Keep the dishwasher clean.

You should keep the dishwasher clean all the time. Regular cleaning eliminates stuck-on-food particles, mineral buildup, and residual detergents. To clean the dishwasher, run it on a normal cycle using two cups of white vinegar.

You should then wipe down the interior wall and racks with a solution of baking soda and vinegar. Once you are done, rinse thoroughly.

Soften the water

Do you live in areas with hard water? You should note that hard water tends to leave ugly residues on the glasses and plates. No amount of cleaning will leave the dishes sparkling unless you soften the water.

To soften the water, buy and install a water softener, and you will prevent stains and minerals from building up.

Load the dishes appropriately.

Sometimes the dishes will fail to clean properly if they aren’t correctly loaded in the dishwasher. For optimum results, follow the manufacturer recommendations for loading the appliance. As a rule of thumb, never overload the appliance as you will block the spray arm and prevent the water from reaching all the surfaces.

Use the right amount of soap.

Soap is necessary for clean dishes, but when you use too much of it, you end up with dirty dishes. For the cleanest clean, always pour the detergent into the built-in measuring cup inside the dishwasher. This way, you ensure that you are always using the appropriate amount.

Always ensure that you use the right soap for the work. As a rule of thumb never use dish soap designed for hand washing in the dishwasher.

Use the right cycle

Dishwashers come with different cycles aimed at different dishes. The regular cycle is for normal cleaning, the heavy-duty cycle for deep cleaning, and the light cycle for fragile items.

For effective cleaning, be aware of the items you are cleaning and ensure you are using the right cycle.

Inspect the dishwasher for clogs

It’s normal for clogs to develop in the spray arm and the drain, and as you might have guessed, they prevent the dishwasher from functioning optimally. Now and again, check the holes in the spray arm and ensure they aren’t clogged with food residues or hard water minerals.

To dislodge the particles, use a toothpick or needle. While you are at it, check the trap and drain to ensure that food scraps or other objects aren’t blocking the area.

You can do the work if you have the skills but for ideal results, let an appliance repair Northern VA handle it for you. When hiring the contractor, ensure they are experienced and certified to work in your local area. In addition to unclogging the appliance, they also should inspect other areas and fix them if problematic.

Dishwasher Repair: 4 Common Dishwasher Problems And How To Fix Them

dishwasher repair

According to dishwasher repair professionals, the dishwasher develops problems just like any other appliance you might be having in your property. The most common problems with the unit include:

Failure of the dishwasher to work

Have you tried turning on the dishwasher but it fails? This is a common problem in older dishwashers and the problem comes about due to many reasons. When you experience the problem, check whether the unit is receiving power.

Confirm that it’s plugged in. If it is, check the breaker. Sometimes the outlet is the problem. To confirm it, plug in the dishwasher into another power outlet.

The unit might also fail to turn on when the door isn’t closed tight. Close the door shut and keep hold of the latch as tightly as possible. While holding the latch, turn the dishwasher on.

Some dishwashers might fail to function when the temperature isn’t hot enough for washing. Before you hire an expert to come and inspect it, check the hot water in the sink and confirm that it’s hot enough. Most dishwashers require at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit for them to start working.

Dishes coming out of the dishwasher dirty or covered in residue

This is a frustrating problem as you have to keep on repeating the cleaning process. It can also make your restaurant grind to a halt as you won’t be having any clean dishes. The first thing you should do is to confirm whether you are doing anything that is bringing about the problem.

Are you overloading the machine? Could the utensils be restricting the spray arms from spinning? Are you loading the plates while still having a lot of food on them? If you aren’t doing any of these things, you should check problems with the machine.

Check whether there is grease, debris, or any other blockages in the strain screen and door gasket. The issue can also come about due to problems with the spray arms. Spin them with your arms and confirm that they spin easily. If they don’t, they might be covered in dirt or funk that you need to get rid of.

The best way of cleaning the spray arms is using a toothbrush and pipe-cleaner. After cleaning, run a clean cycle and see whether the machine will start working properly.

If the plates come out still dirty, you might be having hard water. Try using a water softener or detergent to fix the problem.

Leaking dishwasher

Are you finding a small pool of water around your unit? The dishwasher is leaking and needs your attention as soon as possible. The first place to pay attention to is the dishwasher door and door gasket. Look for cracks, damage, or any large debris that could be preventing the door from sealing properly.

Try cleaning the door gasket with a disinfectant. When you see any large cracks, you have no way out other than to replace the gasket.

In some cases, the dishwasher might be leaking due to problems with the float switch. This is the mechanism that indicates the dishwasher water level. The float switch might be stuck in the down position causing the dishwasher to overfill, leaking onto the floor.

Is the switch stuck? You have to clean it and remove any plastic, string, or anything else that might be preventing it from functioning properly.

Failure of the dishwasher to dry the plates

The machine might clean the dishes properly, but fail to dry them. This problem usually comes about due to failure of using the rinsing aid. The rinsing aid not only improves the drying process, it also prevents water droplets from forming thus preventing streaks or spots on dishes during the drying process.

Even if your detergent or tablet has a rinse air built into it, you should still consider having a liquid rinse aid in the dispenser. The dispenser will dole out the rinse aid at the right time thus giving you the best results.

Appliance repair Alexandria professionals report that this problem might also come about due to problems with the dishwasher heating element. If the element is working properly, take a look at the high-limit thermostat. This is a device that prevents the dishwasher from getting too hot.