How to Clean Your Dishwasher

If you’re like me, you probably didn’t realize you need to clean your dishwasher on a regular basis! Learn how to clean your dishwasher. It’s an easy process and takes just minutes once a month.

*Today I’m partnering with Sharp Home USA ~ Sharp creates quality home appliances that make life easier!

The Best Way to Clean your Dishwasher

If you’re a heavy user of your kitchen like I am, then cleaning your dishwasher is a must.

If you’ve never done this, don’t worry! It’s a very simple process, and requires just 2 cleaning ingredients that you probably have on hand – baking soda and white vinegar.

Cleaning your dishwasher with baking soda and vinegar is a non toxic and highly effective combination. It will leave your dishwasher smelling fresh, stain-free, and working in tip-top shape.

Cleaning your dishwasher monthly helps extend the life of your dishwasher and also ensures it’s working to the best of its ability.

Meet my New Dishwasher – the Premium Quality Sharp Slide-in Stainless Steel Dishwasher

I didn’t realize that I needed a new dishwasher until the Sharp Slide-in Stainless Steel Dishwasher arrived. My contractor installed it in literally 20 minutes, and while I was excited to give it a whirl, I didn’t have high hopes for noticing any major differences between it and my old one.

I was definitely wrong! One of the things I noticed first was how easily the racks slid in and out, thanks to the smooth glide rails. They never come off the tracks, which was a big pain point with my old dishwasher.

This dishwasher also has an adjustable third rack, which is such a convenient spot for my spatulas, spoons, and other baking utensils. After a long day of recipe testing, it is a great feeling to be able to load up my Sharp dishwasher and feel confident that all of my utensils, dishes, and pans will come out spotless. 

The Half Load option has also been convenient for me to toss in a smaller load after lunch without feeling guilty, because I am reducing water and energy consumption.

I place my most soiled pots and pans near the third sprayer in my dishwasher for extra scrubbing power with Power Wash. This is a feature that I really wish I had in my last model because dirty pots and pans just didn’t come out fully clean.

I use it most often on the “Auto” setting, which allows the soil sensors to determine how long and what intensity to run on. This is a great feature, especially after I’ve hosted dinners here and am hurriedly loading the dishwasher after a great night — I don’t worry about having my dishes fully rinsed before I put them in, knowing they are going to come out spotless regardless.

But because I do put soiled dishes into my dishwasher, I make sure to routinely maintain my dishwasher with the following steps:

Step 1: Remove the bottom rack from your dishwasher

The bottom rack just slides out of the dishwasher. Pull it out so you can access the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher.

Step 2: Remove the Drain

Your dishwasher might not look the same as my Sharp Slide-in Stainless Steel dishwasher, but it will still have the same components.

On the bottom, there is a filter. In my dishwasher, there are 3 parts that come out – a stainless mesh plate, a filter holder, and the filter. By doing this, I realized I had the top of a mason jar sitting on the bottom and rusting the mesh plate, so I am glad I caught that before it got too bad.

I didn’t expect to find very much in the filter, since my dishwasher was only a month old, but the amount of build up in it was proof that I need to be diligent about this process once a month.

Once you have these components out of your dishwasher, rinse them or scrub off any residue. Use dish soap and a brush to gently remove the build up from the filter.

Once these items are clean, put them back in your dishwasher, and put the bottom rack back in.

Step 3: Use Vinegar to Remove Grease and Grime

Fill a 1-cup measuring cup with white vinegar, and place it on the top rack of an empty dishwasher.

Run the dishwasher on a the “normal” hot water cycle. The vinegar will work to remove any build up on the stainless steel.

Step 4: Use Baking Soda to Brighten and Refresh Dishwasher

The last step is to run the dishwasher with baking soda.

Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher. I pull out the bottom rack and sprinkle it over the filters.

Baking soda will remove any odors in the dishwasher, and also brighten the stainless steel.

Run the dishwasher on a hot-water express wash cycle.

When you’re done, the interior of your dishwasher will shine and smell like it’s a new machine. This will increase efficiency and extend the life of your appliance.

Hop on over to Sharp’s Website to learn more about the Slide-in Stainless Steel Dishwasher, and whether it’s the right fit for your dream kitchen.