Tips to clean dishwasher effectively and get rid of bad odor

It is important that you take care of your dishwasher in order for it to work as well as possible. You avoid ugly grease and limescale deposits and that your dishes are shiny clean every time. Regular cleaning extends the life of the machine and makes it work more efficiently, it is often recommended that you do this carefully at least four times a year. In this article, we will address different cleaning tips and what it is that can cause bad odor in your dishwasher.

How to clean your dishwasher step by step

As I said, you should clean the dishwasher more thoroughly from time to time. Then you can, among other things, follow these steps:

1. Before you start, it is good to read the manual so that you know how your dishwasher works. There you will also see which parts inside the machine you can remove and clean.
2. Remove from all dishes and remove any old food scraps that you find and run the hottest program.
3. Then take out the cutlery basket and other loose parts, and pull out the baskets themselves and unhook them.
4. Lift out the strainer and filter and clean them thoroughly with a dish brush and detergent.
5. Remove the spool arms and wash them by hand. Make sure that nothing is stuck in the small holes where the water sprays out. One tip is to use toothpicks for easy access.
6. Then use a small brush, such as a toothbrush, to clean any small nooks and crannies inside the machine. Also clean the cover and compartments for detergent and rinse aid. It works well with detergent but you can also use vinegar or soap.
7. Clean the rubber strips with a sponge.
8. Then wipe the entire inside of the dishwasher with a damp cloth.
9. Clean the frame itself around the machine with a sponge or cloth. You can use a toothbrush to clean the hinges.
10. Finally, run a program along with citric acid, vinegar or bicarbonate to remove limescale deposits and dry out thoroughly afterwards. We have collected more housewife tips further down.

How often should you clean the dishwasher?

You should clean your dishwasher at regular intervals. It can also be an advantage to sometimes run an empty machine to properly flush out. If you are unsure if it is needed, there are some signs that indicate it is time for a cleaning. It could be that the dishes do not get really clean or that there is a bad smell in the dishwasher. Some dishwashers also indicate with a symbol when it is time to run a cleaning program and it is a perfect opportunity to do a more thorough cleaning. If you do not have time for your home cleaning, Freska offers you help with that.

Descale dishwasher

It is important that you descale your dishwasher regularly, otherwise it may stop washing clean. This can cause you to get limescale deposits, not only on plates and cutlery but also in the machine. Lime deposits in turn lower the water pressure, which leads to the dishwasher not being able to clean properly. If you live in an area with hard water, you need to descale more often. Otherwise, it is a good rule of thumb to whitewash your machine once or twice a year.

Use salt in the dishwasher

If you want to reduce the risk of limescale deposits, it is good to use salt in the dishwasher, especially if you have hard water where you live. Many dishwashers have a light that comes on when you need to add salt. The dishwasher salt container is located at the bottom of your machine and if you do not find it, you can read the manual. Also, make sure that no salt gets outside the container when refilling as it may scratch the glasses and in some cases cause rust.

Use descaler in the dishwasher

There are also many different products for you who have received lime in the dishwasher. Dishwashing detergent consists of a container that you place upside down in the washbasin, or tablets that you put in the detergent container. Just remember to run a program without detergent when descaling.

How to get rid of bad smell in the dishwasher

The best thing is of course to prevent bad smells from appearing from the beginning, which you do if you continuously clean the dishwasher and run it empty with cleaning fluid. But if the dishwasher starts to smell, there are some things you can do.

• First, it is good to see if there are old food leftovers in the machine that have rotted, which causes a bad smell. Start by cleaning the filter and wiping off the rubber strips, then run a program with an empty machine.
• Another reason can be a blockage in the drain, which usually occurs between the water trap and the hose from the dishwasher. It is almost always due to cooking fat that is stuck. Check that the coupling is free of grease.
• You can also pour a deciliter of vinegar into the bottom of the dishwasher and then run that program - vinegar is a well-known housewife trick to get rid of bad odors.

The dishwasher does not wash clean - what is the reason?

If your machine does not wash clean, it can be due to several reasons and it can be:

• If there is water left in the machine when you open it, the problem is that the water is not pumped out. This may be because a foreign object, such as food or something else, has clogged the dishwasher filter and / or the pump.
• The spool arms can be clogged. Take them out and clean them. If this does not help, you may need to replace them.
• The dishwasher can take in too little water. This means that the water pressure is low, which in turn means that the rinsing arms do not spin and distributes water throughout the program.

Problems with coating on dishes in the dishwasher

If you get coatings on the counter, it does not always have to be due to lime. It can also be caused by incorrect dosing of fabric softener or detergent. Too little fabric softener gives a poor drying result, but too much on the other hand can result in a gray-blue, greasy and nasty coating. Therefore, be sure to be careful about the dosage. Keep in mind that it may take two or three rounds of washing before your change in rinse aid volume is noticed on the counter.

Use detergent in the dishwasher

If you use too much detergent in the machine, it gives a nasty and white coating on the dishes. Keep in mind that the amount of detergent must match the soiling on your counter. You do not need to rinse the dishes before, it is enough that you scrape off leftover food. If you rinse the dishes, use less detergent.

Housewife tricks and tips for cleaning the dishwasher

You do not have to buy different special products to clean your dishwasher. It works really well with completely natural remedies such as vinegar, citric acid and bicarbonate as dishwasher cleaning. It is also better for the environment.

Clean the dishwasher with vinegar

If your counter has limescale and grease deposits, you can easily remove them with the help of vinegar. You then pour one to two deciliters into the detergent compartment or the bottom of the dishwasher and run a program with a high temperature. As I said, vinegar can also remove bad odors in the dishwasher. Feel free to set glass or other crockery that has already been stained and wash them at the same time. The vinegar effectively removes the stains.

Clean dishwasher with lemon

You can also use a few tablespoons of citric acid in the dishwasher for cleaning. You will find citric acid, like vinegar, in your regular grocery store. You simply take a bag of citric acid and pour it into the dishwasher compartment and then run a regular program. Then always run another washing program, without detergent and citric acid, to rinse the machine.

Bicarbonate in the dishwasher

Combining vinegar with bicarbonate is also a classic housewife tip. Bicarbonate has fat-dissolving properties, which makes it excellent as a cleaning agent. Pour a tablespoon of bicarbonate and a deciliter of vinegar into the dishwasher and run a short dishwashing program with an empty machine.