Tag Archives: taking care of your dishwasher

Dishwasher Safety Tips

Dishwashers are a kitchen necessity, and they come in handy to help you save time and energy during dishwashing. They can, however, be dangerous if not used properly, just like any other device in your home.

Thousands of dishwasher-related incidents occur each year. These mishaps include everything from cuts and burns to flames and electrocutions.

Even though these are minor mishaps, they can be unpleasant and costly.

That is why taking basic safety precautions when using a dishwasher is critical. To help you out, here are dishwashing safety precautions given by dishwasher repair professionals that every homeowner should be aware of:

Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Most current dishwashers come with plenty of features and options that make them more effective and efficient than ever before. While this is the case, it is critical to read the manufacturer’s instructions before using a dishwasher. This will assist you in understanding how to use the dishwasher properly and avoid potential problems.

You also should ensure that you only use the appliance for its intended purpose, as indicated in the owner’s manual. Following the easy instructions given by the manufacturer will help ensure your dishwasher runs smoothly for many years.

Use the right detergent.

As much as detergents save time, they require maintenance to keep them in good working order. Use dishwasher-safe detergents or wetting agents to ensure that your appliance is in top working condition.

You should note that detergents can be hazardous if consumed, so keep them out of reach of children and pets.

Keep flammable products away from the dishwasher.

You can prevent fires in your kitchen by keeping flammable items away from the dishwasher. This calls for you to keep propane tanks, gasoline cans, and easily ignited wood materials away from your appliance.

You also should keep all electrical cords at a suitable distance to limit the risk of heat exposure.

When washing the dishes, always ensure that you are washing dishwasher-safe dishes. Dishwasher-safe dishes include hard plastic, stainless steel, glass, and ceramic; however, there may be exceptions, such as hollow-handled knives or wooden cutting boards, which may melt under the extreme temperatures and moisture present in a dishwasher, necessitating hand washing instead.

As much as they appear tough, Acrylic plates may break when subjected to high temperatures in a dishwasher, leaving hairline cracks evident even after being washed on an automatic cycle; this causes the dish to appear worn even after being properly cleansed.

To keep it in top condition, avoid placing it in the dishwasher.

Don’t overfill the dishwasher.

When you overfill the dishwasher, water tends to pour onto the floor. Not only is this a tripping hazard, but it also prevents your dishes from becoming as clean as they should.

This is due to the fact that dishwashers require a particular volume of water to function properly. The water has nowhere else to go but out when they are overfilled.

The dishwasher’s pump may also be unable to circulate the water, resulting in inadequate cleaning effectiveness.

So, the next time you’re tempted to throw another dish into the washing machine, remember that less is sometimes more.

Load your dishwasher with just enough dishes and always keep it manageable. Your dishes will appreciate it.

Be cautious when operating the dishwasher.

You should be aware of the potential hazards of the heating element when using a dishwasher. The element can be extremely hot and cause severe burns if you touch it.

As a result, it is advisable to avoid touching the element at all. If you must contact it, be cautious and protect your hands with thick gloves or a towel.

When loading the dishwasher, ensure that the surface you are standing on is dry and you won’t slip and fall.

When using the dishwasher, you should note that the water inside can become quite hot. To avoid steam burns, use caution when opening the door.

To avoid steam burns, cautiously open the dishwasher door and stand back while it runs. Use a dish towel to protect your hand from the steam if possible.

If you suffer steam burns, run cold water over the afflicted area for several minutes and apply a soothing lotion.

Keep pets and children away from the dishwasher.

Children and pets are highly curious. They enjoy exploring their environment and learning how things function. Unfortunately, this curiosity can also result in mishaps.

The dishwasher is one device that can cause problems. Children and pets close to the device while it is in use, are at risk of getting burned by the hot water and detergent.

You should keep kids away from the dishwasher to avoid mishaps. If possible, put a barrier between them and the appliance, such as a gate or locked door.

Before allowing children near the dishwasher, ensure it is turned off and the detergent dispenser is empty.

Treat the dishwasher with care.

It is critical to realize that dishwashers are not indestructible. You should handle them with care to perform properly.

Sitting or standing on the dishwasher door is one of the most common ways people damage their dishwashers. This can break or bend the hinges, making it difficult to open and close the door.

The dishwasher also won’t run properly.

Sitting or standing on the appliance exerts strain on the rack, which might cause it to break or bend. Doing so might also make the water and detergent easier to reach all the dishes, resulting in a less-than-satisfactory cleaning job.

As a result, it is critical to treat your dishwasher with caution to avoid damage and ensure that it continues to perform effectively.

Don’t try to fix the unit by yourself.

Many people feel that repairing or maintaining their dishwashers will save them money. This, however, is not the case.

Dishwashers are complicated machines, and attempting to repair them can sometimes cause more harm than good.

Most manufacturers cancel the warranty if a competent technician does not repair the dishwasher. As a result, if you are experiencing problems with your dishwasher, it is always better to contact a certified appliance repair Springfield specialist.

This not only ensures that your dishwasher is repaired properly, but it also protects your investment.

Should You Let Dishwasher Air Out?

When you are going on a holiday, or you will be out of the house for extended periods, you might have been tempted to leave the dishwasher open for moisture to evaporate and air to flow through the insides of the unit, but you aren’t sure whether this is a great decision.

Should you let the dishwasher air out? If you are wondering about this, you should know that it’s okay to do it. According to appliance repair professionals, airing out your dishwasher comes with plenty of benefits that include:

You allow heat and moisture to escape

Heat and moisture are usually a nightmare combination for most homeowners as they create unhealthy living conditions. When you let your unit air out, you get rid of this moisture, which leaves your unit in top working condition.

Besides leaving the door open when you are leaving the house for extended periods, it’s also recommended that you leave it open regularly to ensure that the dishes are fully dry before you remove them.

A good rule of thumb is to leave the door ajar for at least 30 minutes after each cycle.

You get rid of limescale.

Limescale is the yacky white coating you see on units exposed to water for some time.

The coating results from excess calcium in the water, and while it’s not a hazard to your health, it can lead to many problems for your appliance, such as blocking the unit and restricting water flow.

As you can tell, when your appliance has excessive limescale depositions, it doesn’t run as well as it should.

When you air out the unit, you slow down or prevent the depositions from coming about as you eliminate most of the moisture.

Besides airing out your unit, it’s also highly recommended that you regularly clean the insides of your dishwasher.

You get rid of harmful bacteria.

Bacteria thrive in wet environments, and when your appliance has plenty of moisture in it, it’s bound to promote the growth of these bacteria.

When you air out your appliance, you keep the insides dry, which is handy in keeping the bacteria to a minimum.

Like when keeping the limescale at bay, you also need to regularly clean your appliance to prevent the bacteria from multiplying. When cleaning, pay close attention to the rubber seals, as this is where most bacteria love hanging out the most.

You get rid of standing water.

Even when your dishwasher is running at optimum levels, some water remains behind, which serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects.

When you leave the door ajar, you allow this water to evaporate, which leaves your unit dry and free from insect infestation.

You prevent mold growth.

The last thing you want is mold growing, where you clean the plates and forks you eat with.

Unfortunately, the moist and hot nature of the dishwasher makes it an excellent environment for mold to grow in. When mold grows in your unit, you have heightened incidences of asthma, allergies, and other complicated health issues.

When you air out your appliance, you make the insides of the dishwasher dry, which as you can guess, isn’t a great growing ground for mold.

Leaving the dishwasher door open also means that the dishwasher isn’t too hot on the inside, which impedes mold growth.

Remember to regularly clean the insides of the unit to keep the mold off.

Other dishwasher best practices

Besides airing out the dishwasher after a cycle or when you aren’t using it, also make it a habit to clean it regularly.

In most cases, cleaning the dishwasher involves running an empty cycle with hot water that eliminates most bacteria that can wreck havoc.

Dishwasher repair Springfield professionals also recommend that you move with haste and fix even the most minor issues as soon as it comes about. This prevents the problems from getting too big and complicated to fix.

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.

Tips to Getting The Best Results From Your Dishwasher?

If you have a dishwasher, you want to get the most from it, right? Are you asking, how do I get the best results from my dishwasher? There are plenty of ways to go about it, with the common ones as given by dishwasher repair professionals being:

Use hot water

To have an easy time cleaning the dishes, use hot water as it has been shown to clean better. It’s always wise to check the hot water temperature at the kitchen faucet using a candy or meat thermometer. For best results, the temperature should be 120 degrees.

If the water is colder than this, adjust the settings on your water heater.

To ensure you have hot water throughout the dishwasher, run hot water in the kitchen sink before you start your dishwasher. This way, you ensure that, the tub fills with all hot water, which ensures that you thoroughly clean your dishes.

Scrape the food off the dishes

You might have heard that you should remove as much food from the dishes as possible to give your dishwasher an easy time. Removing some of the food from the dishes before washing them is wise, but you should avoid overdoing it.

As a rule of thumb, don’t rinse the dishes as you will not only be wasting water, but also worsening the detergent’s performance.

The right way to go about it is to scrape the large food particles from the dishes and then put the dishes in the dishwasher.

Run a balanced load

You should run a balanced load to prevent your dishwasher from making noises as it’s working. This calls for you to ensure that your dishes are balanced in all areas.

To ensure this happens, follow the recommendations given by your manufacturer on the proper loading of the dishwasher. As a rule of thumb, don’t crowd or overload the dishwasher, as you not only risk your appliance not running smoothly, but also risk blocking the spray arm and preventing the water from reaching all the surfaces.

Use the right cleaning cycle.

Most modern dishwashers come with different cycle settings meant to clean different dishes. These cycles include: regular cycle for normal cleaning, the heavy-duty cycle for deep cleaning, and the light cycle for china and fragile items.

You should use the right cycle to get the most from your dishwasher. If you aren’t sure about the right cycle for your dishes, consult the owner’s manual or an experienced professional.

Go easy on the soap

Using a lot of soap will get you cleaner dishes, right? Well, no. As much as you would want spotless dishes, using too much soap than necessary doesn’t give you the best results.

Besides still having soap on your dishes after running a cycle, using too much soap can ruin your dishwasher.

When choosing a washing cycle, refer to the instruction manual for directions on the best soap to clean the dishes and the right amounts to use.

Keep your machine clean.

Since your washing machine is responsible for cleaning, you don’t need to clean it, right? Well, no. Like other appliances, you need to clean your washing machine.

By doing so, you not only always have clean dishes, but also have a properly functioning dishwasher that is beautiful to look at.

To clean your dishwasher, run the appliance on a normal cycle using two cups of white vinegar. As a rule of thumb, don’t use a detergent to do the cleaning. This way, you remove any materials in the appliance and eliminate awful smells.

If you want to go the extra mile, wipe down the interior walls and racks of the appliance with a solution of vinegar and baking soda. Remember to rinse the surfaces properly after going over them.

Regularly inspect the dishwasher.

The same way you should regularly clean the dishwasher is the same way you should regularly inspect it and fix any issues it might be having. You can do the inspection yourself or hire a commercial appliance repair Springfield professional to help.

When hiring professionals, ensure they are experienced and know what they are doing. Don’t hire a novice that will be a liability to have.