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Tricks to Make Your Dishwasher Function Optimally

When you purchase a dishwasher, you want it to function at its best, right? And it’s possible with these tricks given by dishwasher repair professionals:

Properly prepare the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher

You can do several things to prepare your dishwasher for proper functioning. These things include:

Secure all plastics. If you don’t, water blasts may force them to roll over and fill with water, or worse, fall into an exposed heating element (if your model has one) and melt them.  You don’t want this, do you?

Never stack items. The water spray will be unable to reach (or clean) the dish sitting on top. Remember that if water cannot reach the dishes, it will not be cleaned.

Always keep stainless steel and silver (or silver-plated) cutlery separate. If the two types come into contact in the wash, a reaction can occur, causing the silver to pit.

If you have not used your dishwasher in a while, turn on the hot water tap. Run it at the nearest sink to guarantee that hot water reaches your dishwasher.

Be cautious what you put in the dishwasher. Items made of wood, such as cutting boards and spoons, cast Iron, valuable carving tools (such as chef’s knives), jars, or containers with glued-on labels, as bits of the labels may fall off and become caught in the filter, and they don’t belong in the dishwasher.

Don’t pre-rinse the dishes.

You should avoid washing your dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. This is because modern detergent is engineered to adhere to the remaining food and clean the dishes properly.

While this is the case, it doesn’t imply you should put your plate in the dishwasher with a half-eaten sandwich on it—unless you want a mushy mess.

Instead, you should scrape large objects off your plate—into the trash or garbage disposal—and place the dish in without rinsing it.

This will not only clean your dishes, but also preserve them in good shape. If no food is adhered to, the detergent may gradually damage your dishware, carving little scratches and pits into the surface.

You also waste water—up to 27 gallons each load, compared to the three to six gallons used by a normal Energy Star-rated dishwasher.

There are certain exceptions to this, of course. With difficult foods such as eggs and oats, dishwashers can’t always perform the job perfectly on the first try.

If you have a casserole dish with very burned-on food residue, it probably makes sense to soak it a little before putting it in your dishwasher.

Place the cookware on the right rack.

You must place the right items on the rack for the best outcome. To help you out, here is a guide to follow:

Plates: Plates belong at the bottom. Lay them so that the dirty side faces the area where the water spray is heaviest, which is normally in the center of the rack. To achieve the best cleaning results, angle pots, pans, and casseroles down.

Place flat pans and platters on the bottom, snuggled along the sides and rear of the rack. Never set them in front of the door; they may prevent the dispenser from opening and the detergent from reaching the dishes.

Store utensils in the basket or lined neatly on the flatware tray. If you’re using a basket, make sure spoons don’t nest together, so arrange some handles higher, and others lower to ensure all surfaces are cleaned.

Forks go up to clean the tines, while knives should be positioned with the blade down for safety. When unloading, grip utensils by their handles to keep them clean.

Glasses and cups: These belong on the top rack. Remember to place glasses between the tines, never on top. The tip of the prong can leave a watermark, and glasses jammed between two tines can fracture.

Angle the cups as much as the rack design allows to prevent water from gathering at the base of the upside-down cups.

Still, got puddles? Unload the lowest rack first to prevent drip-down. And place the wine glasses with care.

To minimize breakage, keep them from bumping into each other or the dishwasher’s top, and ensure they sit securely in the rack. Thankfully, most modern dishwashers include unique stemware holders to keep glassware stable.

Use the proper cycle for the job.

You should be cautious of the cycle you use on your dishwasher. The rapid cycle may be okay if you’re pre-rinsing your dishes, but it wastes more water and time than simply letting the dishwasher do the work.

The shorter cycle is intended for dishes with light soil or those that have recently been soiled. For example, if you have freshly purchased crockery and want it washed for the first time.

Or perhaps you and your companion sit down to dinner and want the dishes cleaned.

For regular loads, you should use the usual cycle.

That is, unless your new dishwasher includes an automatic cycle. The autocycle is intended for a daily mixed load. That’s where the machine’s intelligence comes into play: it analyzes the soil level, recognizes anything left in there, and modifies the cycle accordingly.

If your dishwasher has the intelligence to run an auto cycle efficiently, you can use it for most loads, except for exceptional cases like pots and pans or baby bottles that require the sanitary cycle.

Keep the food trap clean.

Many people don’t know that the dishwasher needs cleaning and maintenance. One area you should pay attention to is the food trap.

It’s in the dishwasher’s base and smells terrible, so people avoid taking it out and messing with it. Depending on how frequently you use your dishwasher, you should clean the trap once every three to six months.

The beauty is that it’s easy to clean even by yourself without involving the services of appliance repair Alexandria professionals.

Tricks to Get the Most from Your Dishwasher

Since dishwashers have been around for a long time, you might think you know everything about them, but this isn’t the case. According to appliance repair professionals, there are plenty of things you can do to your appliance to get the most from them. These things include:

Use the dishwasher to clean more dishes

You need to change how you think about your dishwasher to get more out of it. If you only use it to load dishes, you only use a small part of what it can do.

Your dishwasher can clean many things around the house, like makeup, plastic hair, nail clippers, razors, toothbrush holders, and soap dishes.

You can also use it to clean fake plants, flowers, and plastic toys for kids. With a quick cycle, it’s easy to clean dog leashes, plastic pet toys, and tools from the garage that are dirty or greasy.

The dishwasher can also clean many things in your closet, like baseball caps, flip-flops, and rubber rain boots.

Many things in your kitchen, like sponges and silicone oven mitts, could use a good cleaning. Even the plate from your microwave and the knobs from your stove can go in the dishwasher.

As you clean the various items, remember that whatever you put in the dishwasher will get wet and that whatever you put on the bottom rack will be closer to the heating element.

If you’re worried about fragile items, you can choose to run your dishwasher without soap or heated drying.

If you have small or light things like Legos or pacifiers that could fly away when hit by the water jets, put them in a mesh bag from your laundry room.

Understand the chemical reactions going on inside the dishwasher

Chemical reactions are happening in your dishwasher; if you understand how they work, you can get more out of them.

One reason is that modern detergent is made to react with food. Because of this, you shouldn’t rinse the plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Instead, you should leave the food on the plates.

When you put stainless steel and silver-plated flatware in the same bag, a chemical reaction can happen. Silver ions can leave pits and marks on your silver when they react with detergent and moisture. Even when washing silver by itself, use a detergent, rinse aid that doesn’t contain acid or phosphates, and a low heat setting.

Do you want your dishes to be clean and shiny? You can go with rinse aids, which speed up evaporation by changing the surface tension of water droplets. There are fewer spots and lines on the glass when there is less water.

Plastic takes longer to dry than glass, even with rinse aid, because it repels water. If you want a natural alternative to rinse aid, you might want to know what vinegar can do.

It can help dry dishes better and get rid of hard water spots. You need to pour a little in before you turn on the machine, fill the rinse aid compartment with it, or put a bowl of vinegar on the top rack.

You can also roll some aluminum foil into a ball and put it on the top rack of your dishwasher. It will cause an oxidizing reaction, letting your glasses and silverware dry to a sparkling shine.

Unload the dishes on autopilot.

Dishwashers make it easier to wash dishes, but every time you need to empty them, you have to jump through hoops.

Did you know you can set up your dishwasher to empty itself? The beauty of doing this is that you don’t have to think about it.

Start by emptying the section for flatware, then the bottom shelf, and finally, the top shelf. If you empty the top rack first, drips might fall on the dishes below, which is not good.

Dishwasher repair Alexandria advises that you make room above the dishwasher on the counter. You should spread out a dish towel and then spread the dishes there in piles that go together

With this method, you don’t have to move around your kitchen as much, and any dishes that are still wet can dry.

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.

Why Is It Better To Run Dishwasher At Night?

If you are new to dishwashers, you must have learned that you should run them at night, right? And this is true.

Why is it better to run your dishwasher at night? There are plenty of reasons. Here they are as given by dishwasher repair experts:

You save energy

This might come as a shock to you, but it’s true. Since most people aren’t using electricity at night, this time is regarded as off-peak, which means that the electricity consumed at this time attracts lower fees.

This means that when you run your dishwasher at night, you save money compared to running it during the day.

Set your dishwasher to run at the energy-efficient setting or cycle to save even more energy.

You reduce noise pollution.

Most old appliances are noisy, and this includes dishwashers. This means that when you run the appliance during the day when there are people running chores, you are bound to make plenty of noise that can be off-putting to them.

To cut on the noise, consider running the dishwasher when everyone is asleep and can’t hear the noise.

Place the dishwasher away from the bedrooms or behind a closed door to avoid disturbing anyone.

If the dishwasher still makes plenty of noise at night to the extent that some people wake up, consider getting a newer, quieter appliance.

It’s convenient

Let’s be honest. Daytimes are busy, even if you are a stay-at-home dad or mom. This is because you have plenty of chores to run.

Getting the dishes using the dishwasher isn’t a matter of throwing the dishes in and waiting for them to get clean—you need to load them properly and wait until they are thoroughly clean. This means that when you decide to clean them during the day, the task might come in the way of your daily activities.

On the other hand, when you decide to run the dishwasher during the night, you will have been done with your daily activities, which means that you won’t be disrupting anything.

As a result, you are more likely to be involved with the cleaning as you won’t be in a hurry to complete running the dishwasher so that you can run to other activities.

You have enough water to do the cleaning.

Like electricity, water is in high demand during the day. This means that even if you were to run your appliance at this time, you wouldn’t have enough water for optimal cleaning. When you do dishwashing at night, most people will be asleep, meaning there won’t be a high demand for water.

This means you will have all the water you need to clean your dishes properly.

Best practices when running the dishwasher

You need to do several things to get the most from your dishwasher. These things include:

Run the dishwasher at the right settings: Different dishwashers have different settings that vary depending on different models. You should always check your user manual and confirm that you are using the right cycle for the type of dishes you are cleaning.

Always sort the dishes: Before putting them in the dishwasher, always sort them out and place them in different compartments where they will be properly cleaned. This means the plates and cups shouldn’t sit in the same compartment.

Scrape the food off the dishes: To give your appliance an easy time to do cleaning, always scrape the food from the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. Some people will advise you to clean the dishes, but this isn’t wise as it removes the surface where the detergents are meant to adhere. Scrape the excess food, and you are good to go.

Load the dishes properly: As mentioned above, you need to sort your dishes to achieve ideal results. Sorting isn’t enough—you also need to load the dishes properly. This calls for you to place the glasses on the top rack and the pots and pans on the bottom rack.

Parting shot

These are some of the reasons you should run your dishwasher at night. To keep your appliance in top working condition, have it checked by a qualified appliance repair Springfield professional at least once a year.

Dishwasher Best Practises

Would you love to run your dishwasher at top performance? Here are tips that will guide you as given by dishwasher repair professionals:

Load your dishwasher upside down

This might sound obvious, but it’s not. Even when you have been using your dishwasher for a long time, you must have found yourself tossing cups and bowls right side up on more than one occasion, right?

You should always load everything upside down for your dishes to be clean. This way, the water gets into the insides of your glasses and bowls, removing any pieces of gunk sticking around, and as a consequence, you have sparkling clean dishes.

You should always remember to load all of your dishes upside down. The only things that are an exception are spoons and forks.

Place the bowls on the bottom rack, facing the center

Besides being cautious of the direction you place the bowls facing, you should also be cautious of the position you place them in.

You might have the impression that it doesn’t matter where you place your dishes as the water will reach them, but you should be cautious where you place them as placing them anyhow can easily lead to them missing the water spray, which isn’t the right way to go about it.

The best way to do it is to place the bowls in the bottom rack, facing the center. This way, you are sure that there is no way the water spray will miss them.

While at it, ensure that there is as little overlap between the bowls as possible. This is to ensure that your dishes receive the full force of the water stream, without leaving any smudgy spots.

Load the dishwasher from the back to the front

How you load your dishwasher is vital to how well it functions. As a rule of thumb, load your unit from the back to the front.

By doing this, you maximize the space in your appliance and, at the same time, reduce the risk of breaking anything during the loading process. The back-to-front procedure also makes it easy to unload the dishwasher once all the dishes are clean.

Keep similar silverware together.

You should put similar silverware such as spatula, whisk, and other awkwardly shaped items together. This way, you free up extra space down the unit, making the unloading and putting away the items easy.

While you should put silverware together, take care that some silverware, such as spoons, don’t nest together.

Don’t rinse food from your dishes.

To make the work easy from the dishwasher, some homeowners rinse the food from the dishes. This is wrong. As much as you will have almost clean dishes by the time you are putting them in the dishwasher, you often don’t get the results you deserve.

This is because the soap particles don’t have an adequate surface to adhere to, so the dishes don’t get as clean as they should. Instead of pre-rinsing the dishes, scrap off any leftover food and then place the dishes in the dishwasher.

When you leave some food on the dishes, you give the soap something to cling to, which is handy in giving you the spotless dishes you deserve.

Be cautious about the soap you use

You can use any soap to clean the dishes, right? As long as the soap can clean the dishes, you are good to go, right? Well, this isn’t the case. You need to be cautious of the one you go for.

As much as using plenty of soap with plenty of bubbles might seem like a great idea, it isn’t, as the excess soap often causes a buildup of moisture that takes a long time to air out.

Appliance repair Springfield professionals recommend you use the soap recommendations at the back of your appliance. If you aren’t sure about the right soap to go for, get the input of an expert.

Does It Matter Which Way Dishes Face In A Dishwasher?

Dishwashers have a spray arm that spins around and cleans all the dishes on its path. With this knowledge, you must be wondering whether it matters the direction you place the dishes facing, right?

Well, for proper cleaning, it matters the direction your dishes or bowls face. Bowls always go to the top rack. Those in the rear should face forward, while those in the front should face towards the back. This way, water will effectively reach them and give them the clean look you want.

For the plates to get clean, place them facing the center of the bottom rack.

Other valuable tips to get the most from your dishwasher

Besides strategically placing your dishes and bowls, you should consider plenty of other tips to get the most from your dishwasher. These tips as given by appliance repair professionals include:

Load the dishwasher properly

Everything begins here as there is no way you will get the most from your dishwasher if you don’t load it properly.

Before you do the loading, scrape off all large food pieces. Please note that you don’t have to pre-rinse the dishes—scraping them off is enough as they tend to come out much cleaner this way as they have some soil for the detergent to cling to and lift away.

When placing the bowls, angle them in such a way that the dirties surface faces downward, while leaving enough space for water to flow up and around each surface. There should be no nesting.

When it comes to the silverware, mix them up in the holder or alternate the spoons with one handle up and another down, to prevent the spoons from nesting against each other, covering the surfaces from detergents.

Before closing the dishwasher door, confirm that the spin arms are moving freely without hitting any surface. You also should check that you haven’t blocked the detergent dispenser with any large item.

Use hot water

The water you use to clean the dishes significantly determines the quality of your results. Dishwashers perform the best when the hot water is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. At these temperatures, the dishwasher will clean the dishes and remove any stains that might be present.

The best way to ensure that hot water always reaches your dishwasher is to use a water heater. Before cleaning the dishes, turn on the hot water tap in your kitchen sink and let the water get hot.

Use the right dishwasher detergent.

Like water, the detergent you use on your dishes goes a long way in determining your results. As a rule of thumb, use the right amount of detergent and choose one that provides the necessary ingredients for a deep clean.

If you have hard water in your system, use more detergent for every load or a booster.

Ensure that the detergent you use is fresh and not clumping for the best outcome. If using liquids, give them a good shake before using. Also, break up any lumps in the powdered formulas.

Don’t overload

While the dishwasher saves you time and effort, don’t try to overdo it by cramming all the dirty dishes in the appliance, as it won’t do proper cleaning, and you will have to redo the cleaning, which beats the whole purpose of owning the dishwasher in the first place.

If your dishwasher is overcrowded, the detergent and water can’t effectively circulate to clean the dishes thoroughly. In some cases, the situation is even dire as the dishes don’t clean at all.

If you have large loads that need cleaning, don’t try to clean all of them at once—separate them into smaller loads. You can also roll up your sleeves and hand wash some items.

Use the right cycle settings.

Thanks to advances in water and energy usage, dishwashers have different settings ideal for different dishes. To tell which setting you should use for your dishes, refer to your manual.

Dishwasher repair Northern VA professionals highly discourage against using the standard setting for all your washing as it’s a recipe for disaster. For example, if you use the standard-setting on fragile wine glasses, there are chances of the glasses cracking and don’t want this, do you?

How Long Do Dishwashers Last?

Are you wondering how long do dishwashers last? According to appliance repair professionals, they last an average of 9.5 years.

The appliance’s lifespan is hugely dependent on how frequently you use the unit.

An average household runs its dishwasher five times a week. This means that if you run yours more than this, it’s bound to have a much shorter lifespan and vice versa.

For example, if you run your unit more than five cycles a week, it will last for seven years, and if you run it fewer than five cycles a week, it will last for even 15 years.

How do you extend the life of your dishwasher?

Would you love your dishwasher to last for as long as possible? There are several things you can do. These things include:

Always load your dishwasher correctly

How you load your unit goes a long way towards determining how long it lasts. As a rule of thumb, you should never overload the unit, as you will inhibit its ability to clean the dishes properly. Overloading the dishwasher also creates unnecessary strain, which prevents the dishes from cleaning properly and makes the dishwasher overwork, which drives it to an early grave.

To be safe, learn how to load the dishwasher properly. This calls for you to place the different items in the right places.

Throw away the bones and food scraps before loading the dishwasher

While some powerful modern dishwashers in the market can handle food scraps, it’s still not safe to throw filthy food scraps and bones in the dishwasher as they prevent the dishes from cleaning as well as they should, so you should always remove dirty dishes.

There is also the risk of food getting stuck in the filters and causing significant damage over time.

Clean dishwasher safe items

Dishwasher companies will advertise that you can clean anything on the dishwasher, but this isn’t the case. There are some items that are hand wash only, and it’s for a good reason. This is because some of these items can damage your dishwasher.

To protect your unit from damage, take your time to analyze anything you put in the dishwasher. As a rule of thumb, don’t put anything there that doesn’t belong.

Keep the dishwasher clean.

The dishwasher is always clean as there is water flowing through it, right? Wrong. Like the other units in your home, you need to clean the dishwasher.

One of the parts you should ensure that is clean is the food trap. All dishwashers have a rubber trap at the bottom of the drain that prevents the drain from clogging. Every few months, remove the trap and clean it to keep it in top working condition.

You also should clean the dishwasher filters and door seals.

When doing the cleaning, always use vinegar as it not only removes the built-up gunk, but also gets rid of awful odors. To clean using vinegar, pour a cup of white distilled vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher, then run an empty cycle. The vinegar will clean out any debris stuck in the crevices and throughout the machine’s interior.

Wash the dishes with hot water

When it comes to the water you use when washing the dishes, always use hot water. Hot water cleans the dishes and kills bacteria, so you have clean and safe-to-eat dishes. Hot water also prevents debris and residues from building up in the dishwasher, so you have an easy time cleaning it.

Use the right detergents.

Besides using hot water, you also should use the right dishwashing detergent. Dishwasher repair Alexandria professionals recommend you only use detergent meant for the dishwasher. And when using the detergent, don’t use a detergent that is more than the manufacturer recommended amount.

As much as a detergent might appear harmless, note that using the wrong one can lead to pipe, filter, and even drainage damage.

If you aren’t sure about the right detergent to use, get the input of a professional.

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.

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?

Five Most Common Problems with Dishwashers

Having a dishwasher comes with plenty of perks: you save time, protect your hands and forearms from the water, you get sanitized dishes and utensils, among many other benefits. The unfortunate thing is that, like other appliances in your home, the dishwasher develops problems that not only reduce its efficiency, but also bring it to a stop.

Want to know about these problems?

Here are the five most common problems with dishwashers as given by dishwasher repair experts:

Leaking dishwasher

This is probably the most common dishwasher problem you can have. The unique thing with this problem is that the dishwasher will leak due to plenty of reasons, and it will present itself in different ways. Some of the reasons the dishwasher will leak include:

  • An ineffective water pump seal
  • A water inlet valve that has spoilt due to hard water or corrosion
  • Cracks in the drain hose or recirculation hose
  • A float switch is stuck or has gone bad

With the help of your owner’s manual, try diagnosing the problem and fix it. If you are having challenges, stop putting your appliance at more risk and hire a contractor to help you fix it.

Failure of the dishwasher to start

You have dirty dishes that you should clean but on starting the appliance, it won’t start. This is a clear sign you have a problem with your unit, and you should move with haste and fix it.

Begin with checking the power sources and ensure the fuse hasn’t blown. You also should ensure the outlet isn’t malfunctioning. To be certain of the problem, try power cycling the appliance.

If the problem is due to a blown fuse, replace it, and you will have an optimally functioning appliance.

Your appliance will also fail to start if the door has a problem. For example, if the door hasn’t latched closed, the dishwasher won’t start. You should also check for problems with the latch and fix them before proceeding with the other troubleshooting steps.

Does your appliance sound like it’s trying to work, but it doesn’t run correctly? The motor might be stuck. If this is the case, try spinning the fan motor by hand and see if it will move. When doing it, remember to turn off the power from the main panel to avoid getting electrocuted.

Failure of the dishwasher to dry the dishes

Besides cleaning the dishes, a properly functioning dishwasher should also dry the dishes, so you get them out clean and dry, and all you have to do is store them. Since drying the dishes is a primary role of the appliance, it means that if it’s not drying them, it has a problem, right?

The unit will fail to dry the dishes due to plenty of reasons. One of the reasons is the heating element malfunctioning. If you do the troubleshooting and the heating element is fine, you might be having a problem with the high limit thermostat or the rinse aid dispenser.

The high limit thermostat keeps the dishwasher from getting too hot, but when the thermostat isn’t functioning properly, it might cause the heat to switch off prematurely, and the dishes don’t dry.

The high limit thermostat is often located at the bottom of the dishwasher tub, directly behind the access panel. You should access it and use a multimeter to check whether it’s functioning properly.

If you are having a problem with the rinse aid dispenser, the dishes won’t dry properly.  First, ensure the dispenser is empty, then troubleshoot the source of the problem.

The dishwasher is leaving a film, spots, or residue on the glassware

A properly functioning dishwasher should give you clean glasses at all times. This means that if you have a residue or spot, you have a problem with the dishwasher.

In most cases, the spots and residues are due to hard water. Thankfully, you can lessen the hard water effects by adding a dish detergent booster or rinse aid to the dishwasher.

The dishwasher making odd noises

If your dishwasher is making unusual sounds, check the internal parts and figure out what is wrong. If you have the skills, you can do it yourself, but for the best results, let a reputable and experienced appliance repair Springfield professional help.