Sustainable cleaning of your dishwasher
Your dishwasher consists of lots of different parts that can get quite dirty. That may seem like a lot of work, but with my step-by-step plan, you will have a shiny and clean machine again in no time. Use a soft cloth and a bowl of warm water. With a tub, you use much less hot water than with a running tap. I clean the dishwasher every month. To avoid forgetting, I often set a task in my online diary to remind myself.
Tools
- tub of hot water
- soft cloth
- couple of tablespoons baking soda
- optional: dash of natural vinegar
Instructions
- Make sure your dishwasher is empty and remove the racks from your machine. Most racks can be removed by lifting. Sometimes you need a little pall or button; check your machine's manual to check! I am bad at keeping all manuals, but have found that I always find them on Ecosia (sustainable alternative to Google) by typing in the serial number and brand. You can often find the serial number on a sticker on your machine. Then save the digital manuals in a ‘manuals’ folder on your phone or other device, and give them an easy-to-find name for quick retrieval.
- Check your dishwasher's spray arms for blockages. On most machines, you can remove the spray arms by loosening a screw or clip. Here, do it carefully and look for the manual if you're not sure. If you see a lot of scale on the spray arms; soak them for a while in a tub of warm water and a splash of (natural) vinegar. I also sometimes use a toothpick to prick the holes of the arms clean. Wash the spray arms with a washing-up brush in a bowl of warm water with a tablespoon of baking soda. Then replace them.
- Also remove the filters of the dishwasher. You can often take them completely apart so you can clean all the parts properly. Wash the parts off with a dish brush in your bowl of water with baking soda. Then rinse the parts with (cold) water and replace them.
- Next is the door's rubber seal. Dirt or food residues can remain on these. To avoid deterioration of your rubbers and leaks, keep them clean. Use a soft cloth and warm water to clean the rubbers thoroughly.
- To clean the inside of the dishwasher, run the machine's hottest programme with a teaspoon of baking soda (no more!) in the soap dish. It makes all grease deposits and any foul odours disappear. And after this, your machine will shine like new again. Put the racks back in your dishwasher so they get clean too. If you have a cleaning programme on your dishwasher, that's the best option for cleaning the machine.
- I immediately use the cleaning round of the dishwasher to check whether there is enough dishwasher salt and rinse aid left in the machine. If necessary, I top these up. As rinse agent, I have been using natural vinegar for years. It works just as well and saves me money and another plastic bottle in my sink cupboard.
- While the machine is running, clean the outside with a soft cloth. If there are a lot of dirty fingers on your door, you can sprinkle a little baking soda on your cloth to easily make the outside shiny again.
Notes
Bonus tip: half a dishwashing cube is often enough to get your dishes clean. Or use no more than a tablespoon of dishwashing powder. This way, you not only save money, but also halve the impact of dishwasher detergent production and avoid extra packaging.