Things You'll Need:
- Baking Soda
- Bleach
- Sponge
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Step 1
Know your dishwasher....sure it sounds silly, but take a few minutes to read the manual and learn about your specific dishwashers various cycles, what you can opt to have it do or not, and the recommended manufacturer's maintenance and detergents.
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Step 2
Know your home water type. Hard water deems a bit more detergent that soft water homes.
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Step 3
Do not preclean your dishes. Scrape food particles and leftovers into a compost, but don't waste water or time with precleaning.
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Step 4
Load your dishwasher correctly: Do NOT overload as each jet of water needs room to wash each dish; face the dirtiest part of the dish towards the jet, separate identical dishes/utensils so they do not "nest" into each other, and don't place plastic items on the bottom rack - especially if using the washers heat cycle.
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Step 5
Use common sense and caution when washing crystal, wood or cast iron items. Most of these items are better washed by hand.
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Step 6
Do not mix steel and silver items in the dishwasher for the same wash. Various metal types plus a hot, humid environment can start and/or cause corrosion.
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Step 7
Once a week, shake baking soda on a damp sponge and wipe around the washer edges and racks to remove food particles and stains. When going on vacation, add a half cup of baking soda to the bottom of the washer to keep it fresh.
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Step 8
Once a month, check the bottom of the washer for items or food particles that may be blocking the water flow.
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Step 9
One a month, run the washer with an empty cycle plus a quarter cup of bleach to kill bacteria.
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Step 10
If using the drying cycle, consider adding a drying agent to help with water spots. A well dried and clean dish or glass won't need to have wasted water on a second rinsing.
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Step 11
To save money, always run the washer with a full load, consider hand drying instead of utilizing the heat cycle, and keep the maintenance schedule up to date.
