Are you fed up with dealing with the never-ending pile of dirty dishes? If yes, it’s time to bid farewell to those tedious chores and invest in a dishwasher. A dishwasher can be a valuable addition to your kitchen, sparing you the hassle of hand-washing each dish individually. However, to maintain the cleanliness and freshness of your dishwasher, it’s important to take proper care of it. One common issue that dishwasher owners may encounter is unpleasant odors. If you want to keep your dishwasher clean and free from odors, there are effective solutions available, such as dishwasher odor removers. In this article, we will explore the best practices for maintaining a clean dishwasher and recommend some of the top dishwasher odor remover products to help you keep your dishwasher smelling fresh and clean.
1. Use an Appropriate Amount of Detergent
One common mistake people make while using a dishwasher is too much detergent. This causes excess sudsing which leads to poor cleaning performance. So it is important to use only the recommended amount of detergent as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Also, always opt for quality detergents that are specially designed for dishwashers as they produce better results and leave no residue on dishes or inside the machine.
2. Run Hot Water Before Starting The Cycle
The water used for cleaning should be hot as cold water may not dissolve all the detergents properly leading to inefficient washing performance. So before starting the cycle, please turn on your tap and let it run till hot water comes out before filling up the machine with water for washing cycles
3. Rinse Your Dishes First
Before placing any items in the dishwasher, rinse them first to remove any food particles that may stick to them during the wash cycle, as these particles will become hard and difficult to remove from the dishes after drying. This also helps to reduce the risk of plumbing blockages caused by the build-up of food particles over time.
4. Ensure good ventilation around the machine
Good ventilation around your dishwasher will help prevent moisture problems such as mould growth and bad odours caused by bacterial activity due to a lack of air circulation in the machine cavity or around its installation location. Also, make sure there is adequate space between walls and cupboards near your machine so that hot steam from the washing cycle can easily escape.
5. Clean the seal and filter regularly
The gasket/rubber seal located at the front side edge helps to keep water inside when the door is closed, but this rubber seal needs to be cleaned regularly with soap solution to remove dirt residue build-up which can cause odour problems due to bacterial growth or bad odours coming out when the door is opened. The same applies to the filter in the base, which should be checked regularly and any dirt removed from the filter, as this tends to build up over time and affect efficient operation.
6. Use a dishwasher deodoriser
It goes without saying that any appliance left unclean or unused for long periods of time will develop unpleasant odours over time. To get rid of these odors you need to use special ‘dishwasher odour removers’ available on the market, alternatively, vinegar works well in neutralizing odours caused by bacterial build-up. Simply pour half a cup into an empty machine & run a normal cycle without a load & see the results the next day!
7. Avoid overloading the machine with dishes
Always check the manufacturer’s maximum capacity before loading too many items as this can reduce cleaning performance & damage components. Overloading reduces the space between items, allowing dirt particles to remain trapped even after a full wash cycle has been completed, resulting in unpleasant-smelling dishes.
8. Regular maintenance is key
For a long life & excellent running condition, carry out regular maintenance checks such as inspecting hoses/doors/valves etc. along with checking the level of salt/detergent added etc. whenever possible (ideally once every two months), this would help identify any potential problem well before it becomes a serious problem requiring costly repairs later on.
Taking care of a few simple things as mentioned above would go a long way to keeping your dishwasher working perfectly all year round! With these tips, you can say goodbye to those nasty odours and enjoy sparkling clean dishes without having to worry about doing them by hand ever again!
