Maintaining Your Dishwasher

by Murray Anderson

We all love the convenience a dishwasher gives us. Not having to run a sink full of soapy water and clean all those dishes after every meal is a real time saver, and once you've lived with the convenience of a dishwasher, it usually becomes a necessity in our kitchens. However, most of us quickly come to assume our dishwasher will always be there making our lives easier and sometimes we're disappointed. Remember, dishwashers are mechanical appliances and like everything mechanical they work better and last longer when you take a time to give them a little TLC (tender loving care).

How Dishwashers Work
The basic concept of a dishwasher is pretty straightforward and all dishwashers work essentially the same way. Your dishes are placed in sliding racks designed so there is some space between them. When you turn on the machine, water is sprayed out of small holes in spinning spray arms located on the top and sometimes bottom of the machine. The water washes food off the dishes and it's then collected in a "trap" in the bottom of the unit (on top of the drain).

What Can Go Wrong?
The "trap" or food drain can become clogged with food particles, preventing the machine from draining properly.
Gaskets and seals -particularly around the door of your dishwasher can dry out over time (keep in mind they're exposed to a lot of hot water that will tend to dry them out). Cracks in the seals will allow water to drain out of the machine.
The small holes in the spray arms can become clogged with food particles or even minerals from the soap or the water itself.
The rubber tips on the standing racks can get lost exposing bare metal or the interior finish of the dishwasher can get scratched and over time the exposed metal will rust.
The water supply hoses or the drain hose can dry out and crack causing leaks.

Fixing Your Problems
The food drain trap is removable (check your owner's manual or manufacturer's web site), so periodically take it out and give it a good cleaning in the sink.
Visually check the gaskets and seals around the door to see if there are any small cracks. If there are, the gasket can easily be replaced (replacement gaskets are available directly from your manufacturer or even at home stores).
The spray arms can be removed and cleaned in a mixture of warm water and vinegar (to remove mineral deposits). You can also use the point of a nail or an old fashioned pipe cleaner to clean the holes.
Replacement rubber tips and scratch repair kits are available at home stores. Cover any exposed metal before it rusts.
Check your supply and drain hoses annually. If you see any signs of deterioration replace them (again replacements are available at home stores or from the manufacturer), before they burst in use, giving you a major clean up problem.

Saving Money Using Your Dishwasher
Always follow the manufacturer's directions for loading dishes to ensure you get proper water circulation.
Try to run your dishwasher when it's filled. Running half loads wastes energy and water that costs you money.
You can save even more money by setting your dishwasher to air dry rather than heat dry.
With most modern dishwashers you don't need to pre rinse your dishes before putting them in your dishwasher. You can save money on your hot water bill by just scrapping leftover food off the plates.

Maintaining your dishwasher certainly isn't difficult and just taking that little bit of time will pay you back with years of service from your unit.

Murray Anderson is an experienced freelance writer with over 500 articles published on the web, as well as in print magazines and newspapers in both the United States and Canada. He writes on a wide range of topics, but specializes in home-related topics.

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