A dishwasher is one of the most useful appliances in any household, up there with your refrigerator and stove. It completes the set of wonderful tools to have when cooking. Cutting the time and labor you have to do after preparing a meal. The dishwasher also helps save water from being wasted and keep your cutlery, plates, and glasses looking good and proper.
The history of the dishwasher begins way back in 1850 when the first device of its kind was registered as a patent. These first attempts at what dishwasher eventually because were slow and unreliable. A breakthrough came in 1940, and it only became a popular household appliance by the 1970s. Currently, you can find the dishwasher all over the world and most homes in Canada.
So, with all this reliance homes have on this amazing appliance what can you do if your dishwasher stops working or is not cleaning your dishes and cutlery enough.
Switch detergents
Using the wrong kind of detergent can be behind the issue of your dishwasher not working properly. It could be causing debris to build up in the filter diminishing power. Not dissolving properly therefore not cleaning enough. Look up the best kind of dishwasher detergent for our specific model and switch it up for better results.
Don’t rinse dishes, scrape them
You might not believe us but leaving some food scraps on your plates can help the dishwasher clean more efficiently. Those bits of food work to clean off more stubborn messes on your dishes and leave them cleaner than before.
Clean the filter of your dishwasher
Cleaning all those dirty dishes leaves some nasty stuff behind and your dishwasher filter eats it all up. So, cleaning or clearing the filter of the appliance can give it an extra boost to get it back to top washing form. Remember to do this periodically.
Do a temperature check
You might not be choosing the right temperature to wash your dishes in, adjust it for better results. You can check if the water is getting hot enough by running your sink’s hot water and checking the temperature there.
Extra tip
Run the hot water in your skin for a few minutes before starting the dishwasher to help it warm up.
Take a look at your dishwasher’s spray tubes or arms
Your dishwasher is likely to have two spray hoses that deliver the water used for cleaning. If these are clogged or dirty it makes the dishwasher a lot less effective. Here’s what you need to do:
- Unplug or cut off power to the appliance.
- Get the lower rack of the dishwasher out and place it aside.
- Get your instruction manual and look for how to access the spray arms. Every model is different.
- Once the spry arms are out, use a wire or other long cleaning utensil to free up any debris in there.
- You can soak the tubes in vinegar or soap for a more thorough cleaning.
- If there is too much dirt just replace them.
- Install the arm again.
There you go! You are now armed with some of the best dishwasher tips and knowledge to get you started when your appliance won’t do the job.