We can all agree that no household appliance causes more trouble and conflicts than a dishwasher does. From fighting over what is the best way to lead it to whose turn it was to unload it, dishwashers cause trouble. That is why we have prepared some of the most important hacks that you might now know and help you avoid conflicts as well as prolong your dishwasher’s life.
Always Use Less Dishwasher Detergent Than You Think You Need
A lot of people use too much detergent when they are washing their dishes. What they don’t realize is that it will not only cost you more money but adding too much will harm your dishes. No matter if you use powder, liquid, or pods adding too much will scratch your dishes and even cause them to be cloudy.
Load Your Plates So They Face The Center
Another thing that people don’t realize is that you should load the plates so they are facing the center. That is because the sprayer works from the middle out. It is the only way you can ensure that your dishes will get cleaned properly.
Clean It With Vinegar Every Once In A While
Even if you think that you don’t have hard water, when you start noticing that your dishes are spotty or cloudy it is time that you clean them with vinegar. Basically, you are giving it a vinegar rinse. All you need to do is put a bowl that you have filled with vinegar and run it like you should run your dishes.
Use A Mesh Laundry Bag
Yes, a laundry mesh bag is not designed for a dishwasher, but that doesn’t mean that you can use it. If you keep losing small bits and pieces all you need to do is put them in a laundry bag, place them on the top rack and it will contain them.
Clean it Regularly
Even when you think that your dishwasher is clean it is probably not. That is because it collects all the food debris, gunk as well as soap residue really fast. It is not complicated and it should be done at least once a month.
Put It To Use Cleaning Some Other Things
It might sound surprising, but you can wash things that aren’t dishes in your dishwasher. The dishwasher is a great way to clean things such as light switch covers, cabinet hardware, and even fake plants.
Get A Wire Dish Rack
If you don’t want to put a laundry bag in your dishwasher you can get a wire dish rack to put your smaller things in. All you need to do is turn it upside down to anchor the things that would get lost in the wash. They are super easy to find all you need to do is look for LG dishwasher parts or whichever brand dishwasher you have.
Mix Up Your Silverware Basket
A lot of people will tell you that you need to categories your silverware. It is easier to unload as well as that it cleans them better. But that is actually a myth. If you put your spoons together it is very likely that they won’t get cleaned properly as they will be pressed against each other. That is why you should always mix them up as well as put some upwards and some downwards.
Stop Rinsing Your Dishes Before Putting Them In
Although you need to scrape off any pieces of leftover food off the dishes you put in the dishwasher, you don’t need to fully rinse them off. Doing so can also make the soap less effective.
Unload the Bottom First
To save you from any disagreements when you are unloading the dishwasher, it is supposed to be unloaded from the bottom up. That way you there won’t be any water from the top rack spilling over the dry dishes on the bottom. It is very important because you should never put wet dishes in the cabinets.
Keep Your Expensive Knives Out Of There
There are a lot of things that you just shouldn’t wash in the dishwasher and one of those is nice knives. Putting it in the dishwasher will cause more harm than good, so make sure that you wash them by hand.
Turn Your Dishwasher Into A Plate Warmer
A lot of people don’t realize that you can actually dry your dishes that haven’t been in the dishwasher. That is because there is a cycle that will dry the dishes only. You can even warm the dishes before serving fancy meals.
Save And Reuse Your Old Dishwasher Baskets
If you have bought a new dishwasher recently, instead of throwing away everything make sure that you salvage the baskets. You can use them to store things or they might even fit in your dishwasher so you can have two.
Run Your Sink’s Faucet Before You Start The Dishwasher
Even though this might sound odd, turn your faucet on and run the water until it gets really hot. That way your dishwasher cycle will be hot instead of cold and that is a very important thing especially during wintertime.
Use It As A Drying Rack
When you are washing dishes that just can’t fit in the dishwasher and you don’t have enough space on your countertops to store them while they dry, just pull out the racks and let your dishes dry there.
Don’t Run The Dishwasher When It’s Half Full
Even though it’s quite tempting to turn on your dishwasher when it’s not fully packed, that is actually the worst thing that you can do. It is very bad for the environment as you are wasting water, especially and using unnecessary amounts of chemicals.
But the best hack that anyone can possibly give you that will prolong your dishwasher’s life is not to overpack it. It will not only make it last longer it will also ensure that all your dishes get cleaned equally well.
