Thank goodness for dishwashers! Unless your residence doesn’t come equipped with a dishwasher, or if yours is broken, you may not think twice about this appliance. Sometimes, we take for granted the modern amenities that were designed to make our lives easier. Washing dishes by hand can be a therapeutic, calming task. It is a mindless chore that doesn’t require much thought and helps calm your head at the end of a busy day.
If you do own a dishwasher and don’t enjoy the thought of washing all of your dishes by hand, then it is up to you to take care of the appliance. Dishwashers are a great investment. They can save your back from being sore as you labor over the sink and keep your hands from drying out. Simply load it up and turn on the machine. Sounds easy, right?
Right. However, if you don’t care for your appliance, you’ll end up replacing it sooner than you should. Here are 5 tips that we’ve accumulated over the years in order to keep your dishwasher in working condition.
- Start with hot water. Just like your shower, water takes a few seconds to warm up. Consider running your sink’s faucet for a couple seconds until the water is hot. This will ensure that the water that first starts up in your machine on the rinse cycle is hot.
- While your sink is running, turn on the disposal if you have one. This helps run any food through your pipes that may have been sitting there. The cleared lines will help your dishwasher drain more efficiently. Likewise, if you find your sink backs up during a drain cycle, this step will decrease the event of a sink full of crud.
- Scrape your dishes before placing them in the dishwasher but avoid rinsing. Your dishwasher doesn’t need chunks of food clogging up its nozzles, but all soaps today are designed to adhere to small food particles in order to activate their properties. Rinsing the plates off is just a waste of water.
- Avoid overcrowding plates, plans, bowls, and cups. We’ve all tried to cram in as many dishes as possible, but this will just leave you with dirty dishes as the water and soap can’t each every part of the item. For utensils, use the individual slots if your appliance comes with one, or mix utensils in each section to reduce the risk of pieces sticking together and not getting clean.
- Wipe down all rubber gaskets and seals often. Gunk and grime build up on these pieces of your machine often. With a soft, damp cloth or paper towel, carefully wipe down the seals. Pay attention to the seals in the corners. If these are covered with too much muck, they won’t do their job and leaks will be the result.
Of course, sometimes it’s time to replace your dishwasher. Rather than be stuck with an old, rusting appliance, give our team at ABH Services a call. We’ll haul away and properly dispose of your old appliance so you aren’t stuck with the old machine. Give us a call at 781-941-2422 or visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/abhservices.