6 Tips for Cleaning and Maintaining Your Dishwasher

Most people don’t think about cleaning their dishwashers. After all, the appliance is used to clean your dishes on a daily basis. It is easy to assume that your dishwasher will get cleaned at the same time as it is washing your dishes, but the reality is that food debris and other deposits can build up over many uses. That buildup can result in a poor performing dishwasher

Read on for some easy-to-follow tips that will keep your dishwasher looking and performing at its best.

1. Wash Regularly

One of the best ways to ensure that your dishwasher is free from excess buildup is by running it regularly. Using your dishwasher frequently will keep debris from settling in the bottom of the appliance.

2. Inspect and Clean the Spinning Arms

Dishwashers work by spraying water out of their spinning arms onto the dishes inside. When those arms aren’t spinning properly or the holes in them are full of buildup, your dishes won’t be getting thoroughly cleaned. When dishwasher is empty, check to make sure that the arms spin correctly and clean out any debris that has accumulated inside the holes with a small piece of wire, a toothpick, or small pliers.

3. Clean the Edges and Exterior

Many times offending smells that you may find coming from your dishwasher may actually be coming from outside areas around the appliance. The edges around the door do not get washed during a regular cycle and can end up with spills, pieces of food debris and mildew.

A bit of regular household cleaner and a damp cloth should be enough to wipe this up.

Other areas that can benefit from a wipe down:   Under the door, on the inside,  flatware basket, the gasket, the detergent dispenser.

4. Clear the Area Near the Drain

At the very bottom of your dishwasher is the drain and this area can be a common place where food debris, buildup, and other matter can end up.

Leaving these obstacles near the drain can result in a clog and a dishwasher that isn’t doing its job properly.

With it empty, you can start cleaning this area by collecting the biggest pieces by hand, but you may have to disassemble the drain to get to some of the smaller pieces.

You can do that by following these steps:

Unplug the dishwasher.

Take out the screws and remove the cover.

Protect the opening to keep debris out.

Clean out larger pieces by hand.

Clean out smaller deposits with a brush or cloth.

Reassemble in the reverse order.

5. Use an Acid to Remove Buildup

Getting rid of the water deposits and buildup in your dishwasher is an important step because it can result in dishes that are sparkly and not dingy after a cycle. Use White vinegar and run the dishwasher through a short cycle to get rid of excess scale:

6. Get Rid of Mildew

One last cycle using a  little bleach in the dishwasher can be helpful if you are dealing with a mold or mildew problem. Unless you have a stainless steel door or interior, bleach can be the finishing touch for a spotless dishwasher that will provide you with completely sanitized dishes every time you run the appliance.

• Brew a full pot of half vinegar and half water, using a clean coffee filter.
• Turn off the coffee maker about half way through the brewing cycle and let the solution sit for about an hour.
• Turn the coffeemaker back on to brew the rest of the vinegar solution.
• Replace the coffee filter and then rinse by running two cycles of clean water through the brewing cycle.

It’s summertime and with that comes casual get-togethers with friends and family. It helps to keep your patio furniture clean so you can use it for yourself to read the paper or for that last minute neighborhood party at your house. To save you time, I’ve put together a list of the best methods for cleaning all the various types of outdoor furnishing materials.

Iron and Metal Furniture

1. Mix warm water with a splash of dishwasher detergent. Use a scrub brush with this mixture on the furniture.
2. Rinse the furniture and let it dry completely.
Clearing up Rust Spots
1. Use sandpaper or a wire brush, rub away any rusted spots. Then wipe away the metal residue.
2. Using a primer made for metal (Rust-Oleum), spray the spots that were rusted and let them dry (make sure to follow instructions on the can and wear a respirator).
3. Lastly, spray the desired paint color specific for Iron/Metal furniture.

Plastic Furniture

1. Get a bucket of very warm water. Get a sponge wet and squeeze out excess water.
2. Add a few pinches of baking soda on the damp sponge. This will make it into a mild abrasive to help clean.
3. Scrub your plastic furniture with the sponge and a soft brush. Rinse the furniture by spraying it with a garden hose.

Wicker or Wood Furniture

1. Make a mixture of two tablespoons white vinegar and ¼ cup of ammonia and mix this into one quart of warm water.
2. With a clean sponge and/or soft brush, wipe the furniture with the water mixture.
3. Rinse the furniture with a garden hose and allow to dry in the sun.

The kitchen is an area that gets used more than any other area of your home. Having it well organized and simple to use will make your life much easier.

Follow these 9 tips:

1. Empty cabinets. Discard things that you don’t use, are broken or you have duplicates.
2. Group like items. Sort your baking items and pile them together. Sort your cooking items and pile them together. Group your everyday dishes from your glassware, and  seasonal items and entertaining pieces that you only use a few times a year. Do the same thing with the food in your pantry.
3. Organize your cabinets.  Cooking and baking pieces should be kept close to where you do food preparation. Utensils should be in the drawer nearest the prep area as well. Glassware might be best near the sink or refrigerator. Put items you rarely use on the high shelves or store.
4. Use Clear Containers to Store Items.  Group together things like packets of sauce mixes, gravy mixes, hot cocoa envelopes, etc. and put them into small plastic containers to avoid them being scattered all over the cabinet. Use larger containers for tiny boxes of pudding, etc. See through containers are good in the pantry too, so everyone can see what’s in there.
5. Store containers and lids together. Store plastic containers either with the lids on them, or store the lids in another larger container so they all stay together. For pots and pans, a large clear plastic box will keep the lids nicely together and on their sides. Another option is to store them on their sides on a wire or wooden rack.
6. Use Lazy Susans. These are great for holding oils, vinegars, spices, vitamins or medications.
7. Use Drawer Dividers. Drawer dividers are great for cooking utensil, cutlery and junk drawers.
8. Declutter Counters. Mount calendars, to-do lists, and a vertical rack to hold papers on the wall. Another alternative is a magnetic sorter box to hang on the side of the fridg.
9. Clean out the Refrigerator. Try to make a habit of cleaning out the refrigerator the night before the trash comes.

Your personal work style will determine how best to store your items. The goal is to get that room and it’s contents to most efficiently serve your needs.