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How Not To Load A Dishwasher—A Detailed Guide

There are plenty of guides on proper loading of the dishwasher, so it might be a bit cliché writing another one. This is the reason we have put together this detailed guide on how not to load a dishwasher.

Pre-rinse the dishes

You must have heard that to keep your dishwasher functioning optimally and keep away appliance repair professionals, you need to clear as many food particles from the dishes as possible.

While it’s true that removing most of the food particles will make the work easy for your dishwasher, you shouldn’t pre-rinse the dishes. This is because you will be wasting water and energy.

The dishwashing detergents are designed to cling to the food particles and separate them from the surfaces. This means that when you remove all the food from the dishes, there will be no place for the detergents to adhere to hence you might not get the clean dishes you are looking for.

The right thing to do is scrape off the large food particles instead of rinsing them.

You should only consider pre-rinsing the dishes if you aren’t planning to clean them immediately—you want to keep the dishes in the dishwasher until you have a full load.

By rinsing the dishes you prevent foul smells from emanating after the dishes have stayed in the dishwasher for a couple of days.

Load the pates in the top rack

The top rack looks great, and this is where you should put the plates, right? Wrong.

Dishes are meant to go to the bottom rack. This is why there are tines intended to hold the plates in place to maximize the number that fit and make sure that the hot water passes through for proper cleaning.

You can get away with having a plate or two on the top rack, but when you cram several of them there, you interfere with how other items fit and get cleaned.

Place glassware over the tines

The cups and glasses indeed belong on the top rack, but you shouldn’t place them over the tines. Instead, place them between the tines to prevent cracks and chips from occurring when they bump or rattle against each other during a cycle.

Place the dishwasher pieces facing the same direction

You should have all the dishwasher pieces facing one direction to maintain uniformity and have an easy time, right? Again, wrong.

For proper dish cleaning, you should place the dishes in opposite directions. This means that the dishes on the rear should face forward, and the ones in the front face towards the back.

The same thing applies to the spoons and forks—place them in varying positions in the utensil tray.

By doing this, you allow water to reach all the dishes and at the same time prevent the forks and spoons from nesting into each other.

For the best outcome, load the dishes so that they all face the center of the bottom rack.

Place the platters at the front.

Cutting boards, large platters, and casserole dishes belong at the back or sides of the bottom rack. This is not only to give you room to pack other dishes, but placing them in the front increases the chances of blocking the soap dispenser and preventing detergents from reaching the rest of the load.

Overfill the dishwasher

You might have the impression that when you put all the dirty dishes in one cycle, you save water and energy, but this isn’t the case.

Like the washing machine or refrigerator, cramming your dishwasher full makes it run inefficiently. The water and soap also don’t circulate freely; hence the dishes don’t get as clean as they should.

To be on the safe side, you should only stock what is required—don’t load your dishwasher more than it can carry.

Load even non-dishwasher safe items

I know it’s easy to throw all the dirty dishes and cutlery into the dishwasher and forget about it, but you shouldn’t do it as you will be damaging them.

According to dishwasher repair Northern VA professionals, when you throw plastic containers in the dishwasher, the hot water can melt or even warp that plastic. There is also the risk of cracking wooden spoons and gold flatware discoloring.

To protect your dishes, always confirm whether dishwasher safe before putting them in.

How to Use a Dishwasher for the First Time

Have you just bought a dishwasher or moved to a house with a dishwasher and you have never used it before? Here is a guide given by dishwasher repair professionals on how to use a dishwasher for the first time:

Load the dishwasher

Everything begins here. After all, there is no way your dishes will get clean if you don’t load them, right?

To give your appliance an easy time, scrape any extra food from the plates before placing them in the dishwasher. Evenly space the dishes with the dirty side angled down towards the water jets, taking not to overlap the dishes, as doing so will prevent the water jets from reaching the insides for thorough cleaning.

Place the right items in the top and bottom racks for pristine cleaning.

For the top rack, load items such as cups, mugs, bowls, wine glasses, and even water bottles. Position the small bowls and plates between the tines and place the plastic container and lids on the top rack to avoid warping.

As you are placing the plastic containers, note that not all plastics are dishwasher safe, so check the bottom of your plastic ware to ensure that it’s safe.

When it comes to the bottom rack, place large kitchenware such as serving platters, dinner plates, stainless steel pots, dishwasher-safe baking dishes, and other heavily soiled dishes.

Position the pots and pans along the sides of the dishwasher or towards the back and add utensils to the dishwasher’s utensil basket. When placing the items in the basket, ensure that the sharp objects such as knives face downward, to avoid injury.

Before closing the dishwasher door, ensure that nothing is blocking the wash arms.

Load the dishwasher detergent

Once the dishes are in place and in their right racks, the next thing you should do is to load the dishwasher detergent.

While detergent dispensers vary depending on the model, you should follow the same procedure regardless of the nature and placement of the dispenser in your appliance.

Begin placing the detergent in the detergent dispenser, then add rinse aid to the rinse aid dispenser up to the point where it says full.

You should then close the lid and press firmly until it clicks shut.

You should note that the detergent you use on the dishwasher significantly impacts the results you achieve, so ensure that you use the correct one. As a rule of thumb, use detergents formulated explicitly for automatic dishwashers.

There are plenty of detergents you can use. From liquids, gels, tablets, packs to powders, you will be spoilt of choice. There is no right or wrong detergent to use—you only need to find the one that works the best for your appliance and use it.

Select a wash cycle

Now you have your dishes and detergent in place, the next task is to choose a wash cycle. Most dishwashers have at least three cycles: quick, normal, and heavy.

Quick: This cycle uses a lot of water, energy, and high temperatures, giving you fast results. Use this cycle when you have lightly soiled dishes and are in a hurry.

Normal: The normal cycle is the most commonly used, and it allows you to clean everyday messes without using extra water. Use this cycle on the day-to-day loads that aren’t heavily soiled.

Heavy duty: This cycle works best for loads that include pots, pans, and other heavily soiled items. As you might be guessing, this cycle will use a lot of water and higher temperatures.

The cycle you choose depends on the size of your load and how dirty your dishes are.

Setting a cycle is easy as all you need to do is use the buttons located on the top or front of the appliance.

Start the dishwasher

After setting up everything, the next thing you should do is to start the dishwasher. Before you fire it on, appliance repair Northern VA recommends you double-check and ensure there is nothing blocking the wash arms.

For your appliance to function optimally, ensure that the water temperature is 120ºF as it enters the dishwasher. Remember that if the water is too cold, it won’t clean the dishes as well as they should. At the same time, if the water is too hot, it might make the baked-in food harder to remove from the dishes and pots.

Does A Dishwasher Save Water?

A study published in the international journal of consumer studies looked at 200 homes with and without a dishwasher in four European countries. The study was done over two weeks, and during this period, the participants had to record every dishwashing process.

The researchers would interview and observe the participants concerning their dishwashing habits, and after the two weeks, the results showed that homes with a dishwasher used on average 50% less water and 28% less energy than those without a dishwasher.

So to answer your questions, does a dishwasher save water? Yes, it does.

Did you know you can save even more water by doing the right things? Here are some of these things as given by appliance repair professionals:

Use the right dishwasher

Everything begins here. When you are looking for a dishwasher in the market, buy one rated for energy and water efficiency. If this is the first time purchasing the appliance, learn to read the yellow energy guide label.

In most cases, the best appliances are those with the highest energy rating. Unfortunately, they tend to be expensive to buy.

Run a full load

When it comes to cleaning the dishes, don’t put just a few of them in the dishwasher—you should wait until you have enough of them so that you run the unit at maximum capacity. As you can guess, when you run the dishwasher at full load, you spend less water as you don’t have to run another load any time soon.

Some modern dishwashers have half-load programs to encourage homeowners to run their appliances even if they don’t have enough dishes for a full load. While these programs use less water and energy than a normal cycle, the amount of water they save isn’t half of what you would have spent had you run a full load.

Due to this, you should avoid using this program.

To save money, wait to have enough dishes for a full cycle, then select the eco or water-saving cycle. This way you will save water and energy.

Don’t pre-rinse the dishes.

Some homeowners have the impression that they get cleaner dishes and give their appliances an easier time when they pre-rinse the dishes. Unfortunately, this isn’t necessary as you end up spending too much water.

You can scrape off as much food and grease from the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, but you don’t have to pre-rinse them.

Most modern dishwashers are powerful enough to remove as much dirt from the dishes, so you don’t need to do the pre-rinsing.

If you have heavily soiled dishes, pre-soak them instead of rinsing them under the tap.

Load the dishwasher efficiently.

Did you know how you load the dishwasher significantly impacts the amount of water the unit consumes? As much as you want to save as much water as possible, don’t overload the dishwasher as this might prevent some of the items from being thoroughly cleaned, and you are forced to redo it, which, as you can guess, means that you have to spend more water and energy.

The right way to go about it is to never load more items in the dishwasher than it’s designed to carry. When loading, load large items at the back and sides of the rack. Don’t place big plates at the front as they will stop the water from reaching the detergent dispenser.

Regularly tune up your appliance.

You will observe all of the above tips, but if your appliance is in bad shape, it will consume a lot more water than it should.

To avoid this, make it a habit to contact dishwasher repair Springfield professionals at least once a year to inspect the appliance and fix any issues it might be having,

To get the best service, ensure that the professional you hire is experienced and knows what they are doing. The last thing you want is to hire someone that comes to cause more problems than were originally there.

Besides hiring a professional once a year, make it a habit to fix the appliance whenever you notice even the most minor problems.

Do You Need To Clean A Dishwasher?

Since they use the dishwasher to clean their dishes, many homeowners think they don’t need to clean their dishwasher, so you will hear them asking, do you need to clean a dishwasher? After all, it’s clean all the time, right?

According to dishwasher repair professionals, you need to clean your appliance to get rid of any food and grime that might have built up and can seriously damage the appliance’s filter and pump, leading to expensive repairs.

Thankfully, you don’t need to clean the dishwasher too often (once or twice a year is enough) and doing so isn’t hard, and you can easily do it by yourself.

How to clean the dishwasher

For effective cleaning, you need to follow the cleaning procedure:

Begin emptying the dishwasher, then inspect the spinning arms to ensure that all the holes are open and water flows through them.

You should then clear any debris present using fine pointed or needle-nose pliers. If you don’t have these, use a toothpick or any other similar object. When doing the cleaning, take care not to scratch anything.

Follow it up with wiping around the edges of the door and the gasket using a damp cloth or mild spray cleaner. Use an old toothbrush or a soft household brush to remove debris in the corners and under the gasket.

Once you are done, clean under the bottom of the door. This is a dead spot in most dishwashers, and water doesn’t go here, so it tends to accumulate a lot of debris, so you need to be cautious and ensure you remove all of it.

Take a look at the bottom of the dishwasher around the drain. There will be a grate or grill under the arm, and this is where the wastewater exits.

Pay close attention to the contents here and remove as much solid matter present as possible. Of major importance, pay close attention to the bits of food, gravel, broken glasses, and dishes present and get rid of them.

Are there any hard water deposits or scales on the dishwasher? Get rid of them. To do this, you need to run one cycle of your dishwasher empty with mild, food acid of your choice.

Avoid using bleach and detergents containing bleach if your appliance has a stainless steel interior or door.

Spray the dishwasher’s front with a mild spray cleaner of your choice and wipe it with a sponge or soft cloth. When doing it, pay attention to the controls and the handle. Also, don’t miss the little ledge between the panels as they tend to collect dirt.

Once you are done, refill the dishwasher rinse aid dispenser.

Other ways to keep your dishwasher in top shape

Besides cleaning the dishwasher, there are plenty of other ways you can keep your appliance in top shape. Some of these ways include:

Get rid of the excess gunk

The dishwasher’s cleaning ability will be significantly compromised when you deposit too much food into the system. To avoid this, scrape off any leftover food from the plates before putting them in the dishwasher.

Some homeowners go to the extent of pre-rinsing the dishes to give the dishwasher an easy time, but you don’t have to. Getting rid of the excess food residues is enough.

Properly load the dishwasher.

How you load the dishwasher affects how clean the dishes become and impacts the lifespan of the appliance, so you should be cautious of how you load it.

The right way to go about it is to follow the manufacturer’s recommended loading recommendations. As a rule of thumb, avoid overloading or crowding the dishwasher as it can block the spray arms and prevent the water from reaching all the surfaces.

Use hot water

Hot water cleans the best so ensure that your dishwasher is receiving the hottest water possible.

The best way to tell your appliance is getting enough hot water is to check the water temperature at the kitchen faucet using a meat or candy thermometer.

For proper cleaning, appliance repair Alexandria professionals advise that the temperature should be at least 120 degrees.

How Do I Get Rid Of Standing Water In My Dishwasher?

Water standing in your dishwasher is one of the most common dishwasher problems you will encounter as a homeowner. As you can tell, it’s annoying and unsanitary for the dishwasher to have standing water. Besides the water being a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, it also gives off smelly odors that are off-putting.

How do I get rid of standing water in my dishwasher? Well, there are plenty of ways to go about it without requiring special tools or skills. These ways, as given by dishwasher repair professionals, include:

Run the garbage disposal

Sometimes a full garbage disposal or an air gap in a connecting hose can prevent water from properly draining out of the dishwasher. To drain the stagnant water, run the disposal for about 30 seconds.

Clean or replace the filter

If you have gone without cleaning the dishwasher’s filter for a long time, the dirty filter might prevent the water from draining. Refer to the owner’s manual and see where the filter is located on your dishwasher and instructions on removing and cleaning it.

In most dishwashers, you will find the filter on the inside bottom of the appliance. Some will require you to unscrew them, while others won’t.

If the filter is too dirty or worn out, the best way out is to replace it. When getting a new unit, ensure that it’s the right size for your appliance. It also should have a high-energy star rating to function efficiently and last for a long time.

Check for blockages

If the filter is clean and functioning correctly, check the bottom of the dishwasher for items or pieces of food that might have fallen from the rack to block the water flow. If these items are present, get rid of them immediately.

Inspect the drain hose

Check the drain hose connecting to the sink and garbage disposal. If there are any kinks, straighten them, and hopefully, the problem will go away. Besides straightening the kinks, also blow through the hose or poke a wire hanger through to check for clogs. You also should ensure that the seal is tight enough.

Take a look at the supply line.

You need to locate the supply line under the sink and place a bucket underneath to catch any falling water. Then disconnect the plumbing line feeding into the main drain.

While allowing the water to drain into the bucket, inspect the line for clogs and run a snake through the pipe to dislodge it. After removing all the clogs, attach the plumbing line again and run an empty cycle through the dishwasher.

Try vinegar and baking soda.

Mix one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar and pour the mixture into the standing water at the bottom of your dishwasher. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes and see what happens.

If the water starts to drain, rinse it with hot water, then run the dishwasher’s rinse cycle. This will loosen the clogs or any debris that might be preventing the dishwasher from draining properly.

How do you prevent standing water in the future?

Prevention is always better than cure, so to avoid having to get rid of the water now and then, there are several things you should do. Some of these things include:

Always use the correct dishwashing detergent

As much as they look the same, different dishwashers require different detergents. Whether your dishwasher uses powder, pods, or liquid detergent, ensure that you use that specific detergent to avoid clogging the drains.

Load the dishwasher properly

According to appliance repair Alexandria professionals, improperly loading the dishwasher can make it hard to drain during a complete cycle so ensure that you properly load it. If you don’t know how to go about it, read the manufacturer’s manual.

Pay attention to your dishwasher.

Most appliances, including dishwashers, give you signs that they are about to malfunction. If there are buzzing, humming, or clicking sounds, these might indicate that your appliance has an underlying problem, and it’s time to look into it.

8 Dishwasher Hacks Every Homeowner Should Know

While dishwashers have been around for a long time, most homeowners know only their basic workings. As you can guess, this means that they always achieve mediocre results with their appliances.

What they don’t know is that there are plenty of dishwasher hacks they can use to get cleaner dishes and maintain their appliances for a long time. Wondering which hacks are these? Here they are as given by dishwasher repair professionals:

You don’t need to rinse the dishes

To make the work easy for the dishwashers, some homeowners rinse their dishes. This is unnecessary.

If you have been taking good care of your dishwasher, the appliance shouldn’t have a problem wiping off the chunks of extra food that could potentially clog your drains.

A well-maintained dishwasher should generate enough water pressure and heat to wash off even food that might have dried and stuck on the dishes.

Run a cycle with vinegar

If you have hard water and your dishwasher builds up mineral deposits, run a cycle with vinegar. The beauty of vinegar is natural, so you don’t have to worry about damaging your dishwasher. It’s also highly effective at getting rid of the musty smells, so you have a fresh-smelling appliance.

Once every few weeks, run a complete dishwasher cycle without any dishes or detergent. The vinegar will remove all the trapped particles, detergent residues, and minerals that might have built up in the appliance.

Load the dishes from the back to front

It’s definitely easier to pop a crack in the dishwasher and stick your dirty dishes there, but this isn’t the right way to go about it. This is because this leads to you having a problem keeping the dishes clean and unloading them.

For your dishes to be clean and easy to unload, pull the rack all the way out and load the dishwasher from the back to front.

Organize your flatware properly

If you don’t have a premium dishwasher with a horizontal silverware tray, place the forks and spoons pointing up and some pointing down. If your appliance doesn’t allow this, ensure that you don’t put all the forks together—mix them up with spoons.

When you mix them up, you allow the water to pass through each utensil more easily, so you have cleaner tines and spoon surfaces.

Arrange the plates facing inward

Most of the standard dishwasher models have sprayer arms that shoot water from the bottom center of the machine, stopping just a few inches short of the interior walls.

If you arrange the plates facing outward, the water jets might fail to reach the surfaces facing the wall, and you have unwashed dishes by the end of the cycle. To avoid this, arrange the plates facing inwards instead.

Put the bowls on the bottom rack, facing the center

Due to their shape, it’s tempting to place the bowls in the empty spots in the dishwasher, but don’t do this as they might damage the plates. They also might not get as clean as you want them.

To avoid this, place the bowls at the bottom rack, facing the center. When placing them, ensure there is a little overlap between them as much as possible. This is to ensure that the bowls receive the full force of the water stream and you don’t have smudgy spots.

Place the delicate items on the top rack.

The fragile items such as plastic storage containers, stemware, and glasses should go in the top rack, away from the jets. The reason for this is because the water pressure and temperature are a tad lower here. As a result, the items you place here are less likely to break or melt.

You can use the dishwasher to clean other items.

Besides the dishes, you can use the dishwasher to clean other items such as plastic kids’ toys, baseball caps, metal cabinet handles, and plastic combs. To ensure that these items get thoroughly clean, appliance repair Alexandria professionals recommend that you place them at their appropriate racks.

You also should run them on a separate cycle—don’t mix them with your dirty dishes. Before you put anything in the dishwasher, confirm that it’s dishwasher safe. You don’t want to damage it, do you?

How Do You Fit More In A Dishwasher?

Imagine this. You have a large load of dishes, and you don’t want to do it in two cycles. How do you fit more in a dishwasher? Are you asking this? You are in luck as there are plenty of tricks you can use to maximize the dishwasher space without overcrowding and breaking the dishwasher, and you have to hire an appliance repair professional to fix it.

Some of these tricks include:

Take out the forks, spoons, and knives

It’s recommended you clean the silverware from the bottom rack, and you can do it if you don’t have a lot of dishes to clean. But, if you have a large load like in our case, you don’t have this luxury, so you should free up space by removing the forks and knives from the bottom rack.

Luckily, the silverware is easy to clean. Put them in a sink full of warm, soapy water, and you are done in minutes.

Cleaning the bowls, salad spinners, pot liners, and other bulky items isn’t as easy, is it? So, you should let the bulkier, difficult to clean items take the space of the easier to clean items.

Hold the small items in a mesh bag.

Does your load have plenty of water bottle tops, lids, and other small items that won’t have a place in the dishwasher? You shouldn’t leave them out of the cycle. Throw them in a mesh laundry bag, then lay the bag on top of the items on the top rack and let the dishwasher do its work.

The bag keeps the small items from falling through the cracks and ensures that the dishwasher functions to its best.

Load glasses between the tines

This tip has been around for a long time, and it’s not only the best way to load your dishwasher, but also a great way to ensure that your dishwasher carries as many items as possible.

When loading the dishwasher, place glasses between the tines, and not on top of them.

By doing this, you will have a highly functioning dishwasher and get cleaner glasses and, at the same time, prevent the glasses from breaking.

Squeeze flat items around the dishwasher perimeter

Have you stocked the dishwasher to the brim, and it seems like it can’t take anymore? Not so fast. Is the perimeter full?

If it’s not, this is one of the best places to squeeze in flat items such as plastic cutting boards, sheet pans, and cooling racks.

When you put them here, you leave enough space for the bulkier items, and at the same time, you ensure they are in the spray arm’s line, so they are clean by the time you are removing them.

Place some top rack items in the bottom racks.

If you have been reading how to properly load your dishwasher, you know that each item has its place. Some items belong in the top rack and others in the bottom rack.

Most people begin with loading their top racks, so by the time they get to the bottom rack, they have fewer items.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have a few top rack items, and you have a few spaces in the bottom racks, you should go ahead and place them there. Some of the best items to put here are the mugs and cream bowls.

Since these items aren’t supposed to be cleaned here, give the racks a shake test before running the cycle.

Other valuable dishwasher loading tips

To get the most from the dishwasher, you need to load it properly. Some of the valuable dishwasher loading tips you should consider include:

Load the plates so that they face the center: The purpose of this is to ensure that they are in the spray arm’s line. Spray arms work from the middle out, so by placing the items such that they face the center, you ensure that they get the proper spray treatment they deserve.

Use a wire dish rack: Are you cleaning items that are too big for the mesh laundry bag and small that they won’t flip around during a cycle? Dishwasher repair Springfield recommend using a wire dish rack. Turn the rack upside down and use it to anchor your items down.

How Do I Get The Best Results From My Dishwasher?

Are you wondering how do I get the best results from my dishwasher? There are plenty of ways on how to go about it as given by dishwasher repair professionals. Some of these ways include:

Scrape the dishes

Dish detergents work with the food residues to activate the enzymes that get the dishes clean but at the same time, they make it hard for the dishwasher that the dishwasher doesn’t get the dishes clean on the first try.

To get over this, you should scrape the dishes and get rid of most of the food residues.

Some homeowners pre-rinse the dishes which isn’t wise. While it might seem like the right thing to do, pre-rinsing the dishes wastes a lot of water than you would have spent had you run the dishwasher twice.

As you can tell, this isn’t running the dishwasher in the most effective way, is it?

Before you put the dishes in the dishwasher, scrape off the food debris into the sink or trashcan to relieve the dishwasher from too much work cleaning the dishes.

If your dishes have a lot of grease or burnt-on food on them, select the sanitize feature on your washer. The higher temperatures in the machine will help create a more thorough rinse cycle, which gives the washing machine more cleaning power.

Load the dishwasher properly

Although, all you want is for the dishwasher to clean the dishes, you need to load it properly for it to clean the dishes properly. For the best results, here are tips on how to properly load the dishwasher:

Load the utensils so that the soiled end faces up

Place the large and bulky items on the bottom rack, taking care not to block the spray arms

For the small cups, items and plastics, place them on the top rack

Avoid overfilling the dishwasher as like the refrigerator, it won’t work effectively when too full.

If necessary, place the speciality items in the appropriate dishwasher accessory. For example, for the wine glasses and chopsticks, place them in the right cleaning areas.

Regularly do a double-check and ensure that the items you are cleaning are dishwasher safe and the spray arms are free from obstruction.

Use the right detergent

As much as you only need to get the dishes clean, the detergent you use has a significant impact on the results you get.

Many homeowners have the impression that using a lot of soap with plenty of bubbles gives the best results, but this isn’t the case. In fact, when you use a lot of soap you leave a pile of foamy bubbles that can erupt from the machine and get into your kitchen floor damaging it.

The excessive detergent can also create a buildup of moisture that can take a long time to air out, which can end up damaging the washing machine.

When it comes to your detergent of choice, you should use powder as it cleans better and it doesn’t get gummy around the parts so your dishwasher is less likely to break down.

Use hot water

Hot water always cleans better so before you start cleaning the dishes, ensure that your dishwasher is receiving enough hot water. You can check the temperature of the hot water at the kitchen faucet using a meat or candy thermometer.

For the best cleaning experience, ensure that the water is at least 120 degrees.

If the temperature isn’t high enough, adjust it accordingly.

You can also ensure you have enough hot water in your dishwasher by running hot water in the kitchen sink before you start the dishwasher.

Select the right cycle

You can be using the right detergent and the right temperature but if you choose the wrong cycle, there is no way you are going to properly clean the dishes. To get the most from your dishwasher, choose the right cleaning cycle.

Most dishwashers have three cycles: regular cycle for normal cleaning, the heavy-duty cycle for deep cleaning heavy-duty materials such as pans and pots and the light cycle for cleaning china and fragile items.

Keep the dishwasher clean

The same way you should clean your car is the same way you should clean your dishwasher to remove stuck-on food particles, mineral buildup and residual detergent. You can do the cleaning by yourself or hire a professional appliance repair Alexandria professional to help out.

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.

How Many Years Should A Dishwasher Last?

When you get a new house, you want the appliances to last for as long as possible to minimize the amount of money you have to spend on appliance repair and replacement.

The dishwasher being an integral part of the kitchen, you must wonder, how many years should a dishwasher last? On average, dishwashers last between 9-10 years. Of course, several factors will influence the appliance’s lifespan such as:

Frequency of use: In an ordinary house, the dishwasher will cycle five times a week. If you have fewer people living in the house or you are rarely in the house, you will use the dishwasher less often, meaning the appliance will last for a much longer time.

Quality: Like other products in the market, dishwashers are of distinct qualities that vary depending on different brands. As you might guess, high-quality appliances from reputable manufacturers will last for a much longer time than poor-quality units from an unknown company.

Maintenance: How well do you take good care of your appliance? You should expect a well-maintained unit to have a much longer lifespan than a poorly maintained one.

Price: Although expensive doesn’t mean better, in most cases expensive appliances have longer lifespans. This is because they are often of better quality. Besides this, expensive appliances save you a lot of money as they operate more efficiently.

Can you expand the dishwasher lifespan?

Yes, you can definitely do that. Here are tips on how to do it:

Keep the appliance clean

Going for a long time without cleaning the dishwasher causes different parts to become grimy, which reduces the appliance’s cleaning power and efficiency.

Built-up residue can also cause the dishwasher to clog up and even breakdown.

To avoid this, make it a habit to routinely wipe down the door seals and food spills using warm water, mild soap, and a soft piece of cloth.

Every few months, open up the appliance and clean the food trap and filter.

Don’t overload the machine

You might have the impression you are saving money and time when you cram many dishes in the dishwasher, but this isn’t the case. Overloading the machine will restrict the water spray patterns, preventing proper cleaning.

Since the dishes won’t get clean enough, you have to rewash them. Running the machine unnecessarily reduces the appliance’s lifespan.

The mechanical parts also wear out more frequently, forcing you to keep on hiring a repair technician to repair and replace them.

To avoid all this from happening, load your dishwasher with just enough dishes. Remember, you are better off having two full cycles than many partial cycles.

Only use the dishwasher to clean the dishes

When you scour the internet, you will come across videos of people cleaning different things with their dishwashers. Don’t do this.

Don’t clean your car parts with the dishwasher as the parts are greasy and the dishwasher and detergent aren’t designed to handle that amount of grease.

When you frequently clean the car parts in your dishwasher, it’s a matter of time before you clog the filter and ruin the pump.

You also shouldn’t wash candlestick holders with the dishwasher as the hot wax embeds into the different crevices and you end up destroying the machine components.

A good rule of thumb is to never clean anything that isn’t dishes.

Rustproof the racks

The racks are covered in a plastic coating that prevents rust from coming about. When rust develops on the racks, it gets to the pump and since the pump is the heart of the dishwasher, the rust flakes can get to the pump and clog it.

To prevent this from happening, regularly inspect the racks, and if the plastic coating has worn off, repair it immediately.

Follow the owner’s manual

Every dishwasher comes with a playbook (also known as the owner’s manual) which contains valuable information on how to use and maintain the machine. To avoid issues, follow the manual’s wisdom.

Fix problems as soon as they come up

Even with the best care, it’s common for the dishwasher to develop problems. When this happens, hire dishwasher repair Springfield professionals to fix it as soon as possible.