Have you ever fully deep cleaned your dishwasher?! I was truly shocked when I realized what a deep clean for this appliance really looked like but thankfully there are just a few easy steps to make it look and smell brand new!
OK let's talk dishwashers. Although it seems silly, I legit didn't know that they needed to be deep cleaned. Once I saw a few ways you could go about it, it definitely makes sense.
Food build up, filters, bad smells, hard water stains, etc. are all things that can happen when you haven't cleaned your dishwasher in a while.
This isn't something I do all of the time, but I can definitely tell when it needs to be done. Whether it smells, isn't cleaning the dishes properly or simply has visible grime, you can usually tell when it's time.
In a few easy steps, you can make your dishwasher feel brand new. When it is clean, it functions better, smells better and ultimately lasts longer. Who doesn't love that?
We will get into the basic steps to take your dishwasher to the next level and once you've done it once, you'll never go back.
This post is all about how to deep clean your dishwasher!
How to Deep Clean Your Dishwasher with Vinegar
As I mentioned previously, there are a few different ways you can go about cleaning your dishwasher. There are a ton of products out there that are helpful, but I tend to stick to the basics.
Vinegar and baking soda are such a powerful combo for sanitizing, breaking down grime and helping battle odors. There are a few other steps, but the main two ingredients you'll need for a good deep clean are baking soda and vinegar.
You will be surprised how much you can accomplish with these two items. They are extremely cheap and you can get them literally anywhere. Although they are great for this project, they are two items I recommend always having on hand. You can use them together to deep clean so many things.
There are so many models when it comes to dishwashers so the steps may vary slightly, but overall this post will cover the basics. You can always look up a video on YouTube or look in your manual for how to access some of the areas we are going to cover.
Steps & Products
The steps to deep clean your dishwasher are below. I will go into more detail later in this post, but these are the basics. I'll be sure to list what supplies you will need for a good deep clean.
- Remove and deep clean the filter
- Cover the bottom of the dishwasher in baking soda
- Clean the inside and sides of the door
- Place a glass bowl full of vinegar on the top rack
- Run the hottest cycle or clean cycle
- Wipe down the front of the dishwasher
There are only a few items/products that you may need for this project. My suggestions are below.
- Vinegar
- Glass Bowl
- Baking soda
- Dish Soap
- Multi-surface cleaner
- Microfiber towels
- Possibly a stainless steal cleaner
- Possibly a scrub brush or sponge for tough areas
Once you've gathered everything you need, you can get cleaning! Let's get into the details of some of these steps.
How to Clean Dishwasher Filter
Although models of dishwashers may differ, every dishwasher is going to have some type of filter to catch food debris. And trust me, when these are not cleaned for some time, they get too full and really start to smell.
The location of the filter may vary, but once you have located it, be sure to empty it and deep clean the filter and the area around it.
For most dishwashers, the filter is going to be located on the bottom under the spinner. You may have to remove the spinner and the screen that surrounds the filter. I suggest deep cleaning the screen while you deep clean the filter.
Once it is clean, you can replace any items you removed. Pay attention when you are taking everything out so you can put it back together correctly. We want to improve the functionality of the dishwasher, not break it haha.
To deep clean the filter, I start by emptying anything that might have gotten caught. Once it is empty, spray it with Dawn Power Wash or the dish soap of your choice. If it is really bad, I will let it soak in hot soapy water. If needed, give it a good scrub once you've soaked it. Repeat this process with the screen if you have one. Once it's ready, give everything a good rinse!
You may only need to soak it the first time you clean it. If you are doing regular monthly maintenance cleans, soap and a good rinse with hot water will usually do the trick.
Now you can move on to the baking soda.
How to Clean Dishwasher with Baking Soda
Now that you have cleaned the filter and screen, you can put them back and return the spinner. Before you put the bottom rack back in place, coat the bottom of the dishwasher in a good amount of baking soda.
As I mentioned before, baking soda fights a number of things including grime and odors. The reaction baking soda has with vinegar will give you dishwasher the best deep clean, trust me.
Once the baking soda is down you can put the bottom rack back in place. Fill a glass bowl with white or apple cider vinegar and place it in the center of the top rack.
Now check the inside of the door. This area gets really gross in my dishwasher. If I keep up with it, I usually don't need to do anything other than run the cycle. However, if its bad, I will use a multi-surface cleaner and a sponge to fight any built up grime before I start the cycle.
Lastly, I get the sides of the door that don't get touched by the water during the cycle. This may take some elbow grease but make sure you don't miss it.
Now you're ready to run the cycle. Most dishwashers have a cleaning or sanitizing cycle. If yours doesn't specify, just run it on the hottest cycle possible.
Final Steps
The hard part is over and now you can let the dishwasher do the majority of the cleaning for you.
The final step I take once the cycle has started, is to wipe down the outside. My dishwasher is stainless steel so I like to use a stainless steel cleaner and a microfiber towel to get off any finger prints, water stains or rust.
Make sure if you have stainless steel that you are going with the grain so that you don't cause any scratches.
A couple other notes! Some dishwashers have multiple filters or multiple areas that need to be scrubbed. Before starting, give your dishwasher a once over or consult the manual so you can make sure you aren't missing anything. If this process doesn't fully work the first time you try it, that could be why. Some of these filters or areas can be in sneaky places.
Lastly, this process is mainly hard or disgusting the first time you do it. I try to do this process monthly so that nothing really builds up. You'll thank yourself in the future!
Be sure to leave a comment with any questions or recommendations and as always, happy cleaning!
This post is all about how to deep clean your dishwasher!
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