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What Are The Three Most Important Rules When Using A Dishwasher?

You should follow plenty of rules to ensure that you properly clean your dishes using the dishwasher and keep the unit in top shape. While this is the case, you should follow a couple of more important rules.

If you are wondering which these rules are, here they are as given by appliance repair professionals:

Sort dishes properly

You need to sort the dishes properly to ensure that all of them are properly and there is enough room for the water to circulate.

If you are new to this, here is a guide you should follow:

Place large items on the bottom rack, such as pots, pans, and casserole dishes. When doing this, you allow the larger dishes to be closer to the water source and ensure that they get cleaned properly.

For medium-sized items, such as plates, bowls, and cups, place them on the middle rack. as you place them, take care not to stack them too closely together, as doing so will prevent the water from reaching all surfaces.

The small items, such as utensils, cutting boards, and small bowls, belong on the top rack. You can place these items in the utensil basket or on the top rack, depending on the size and shape of the dishwasher.

Avoid placing sharp or pointed items, such as knives, on the same rack as delicate items, such as wine glasses, as you will break them. The best way to do it is to place them separately to prevent damage.

Besides these tips, it’s also wise to consult the owner’s manual for specific instructions on loading your dishwasher. This is because some dishwashers have specific loading instructions or features that you should be aware of.

Don’t overcrowd the dishwasher.

Overcrowding the dishwasher prevents the dishes from getting clean and also damages the dishwasher itself. To be safe, leave enough space between the dishes to allow the water and detergent to reach all surfaces.

This calls for you to avoid stacking dishes too closely or placing them at odd angles.

You also should avoid filling the dishwasher to the point where it is overflowing or packed too tightly. This is because this can prevent the dishes from getting clean. It can also damage the dishwasher, and you are forced to repair it, which isn’t cheap.

As you arrange the dishes, always use the correct rack for each item: Be sure to place larger items on the bottom rack and smaller items on the top rack. The purpose of doing this is to ensure that all items are cleaned properly and that there is enough room for the water to circulate.

You also should be cautious of the detergent dispense and ensure you don’t block it. Leave the detergent dispenser clear to dispense the correct amount of detergent during the wash cycle.

Use the right detergent.

The detergent you use determines how well your dishes get and impacts the dishwasher’s durability. Of course, when you use the wrong detergent, you significantly increase the chances of damaging your unit.

To stay on the safe side, use a detergent specifically designed for use in your dishwasher.

You should avoid hand dishwashing detergents as they are not formulated for dishwashers and can create suds that can damage your appliance. Also, avoid detergents with bleach as the bleach can damage dishwasher parts and may be harmful to inhale.

Detergents with added enzymes are also a no go zone. While the enzymes can be effective at breaking down food particles, they can also be harsh on your dishwasher’s seals and gaskets, damaging the appliance.

While non-phosphate detergents are environmentally friendly, they may not be as effective at cleaning dishes as detergents that contain phosphate, so stay away from them.

As mentioned, find the detergents designed for your dishwasher and go for them. For a great experience, dishwasher repair Alexandria experts recommend using the correct amount of detergent as specified by the manufacturer.

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.