Your dishwasher is a lifesaver. Instead of spending all your free time at the kitchen sink with sponge and silverware in hand, you can while it away on Instagram. There are right and wrong ways to use it though.
For instance, you should wash your dishwasher-safe materials in a hot washing and drying cycle. If you notice your ‘washed’ dishes are speckled, cloudy, or crusted with dried food, you could be making these common mistakes.
Letting Spoons ‘Spoon’
Nestling your silverware together, especially your spoons, seems like a good idea because you save space. It’s not. ‘Spooned’ spoons don’t allow water and detergent to get in between them. That means, you’ll be unloading dirty spoons and forks when the dishwater’s done its work. If your dishwasher has an open basket, load some of your silverware pointing up, and some pointing down. If the basket has a grid, use the slots to separate each piece.
Unloading the Top First
As a rule, you should always unload the bottom rack first when using your dishwasher. The upturned cups on the top rack collect dirty dish water and will spill it all over your clean dishes if given the chance. Save yourself a repeat wash by unloading the bottom first.
Not Cleaning the Filter
Cleaning your dishwasher’s filter according to the manufacturer’s recommendations is important if you want clean dishes. Failing to do so results in dishes that end up covered with small food particles. To clean your filter, simply soak it in warm water for a few minutes, brush it over with a toothbrush, then rinse. The kind of filter you have also matters.
Blocking the Spray
While you should be cleaning out any junk on the jets of the spray arm anyway, you should also make sure no dishes block it when in use. A large dish like a cookie sheet or a platter can easily block the jets. All you’ll be getting is a clean cookie sheet while the rest of your dishes remain dirty. The larger dishes go to the sides.
Leaving Food to Dry on Plates
Starting a rinse cycle when you have to step away will go a long way in keeping food to dry on your plates. It will also prevent any bad odors from escaping. If you’ve got a whole meal’s worth of dishes left, you’ll be sorry to see dried food on the washed ones.
Your kitchen is one of the most common places where plumbing emergencies can take place. If you require professional plumbing services in Fort Worth, drop Pro Serve Plumbing a message to get an estimate. We have been providing the people of Fort Worth with affordable plumbing services for 15 years! Call 817-244-0614.
