Maintain Your Dishwasher for Optimal Performance

By: Deshawn Agtarap


Keeping your dishwasher in good repair will help you to keep it running efficiently. You can follow several regular maintenance tips to make your dishwasher last longer, clean better, and cost less to use.

Clean the Interior

-The pump screen should be cleared at least every other week. Make sure that food and other debris have not collected on the pump screen. This should be in the center bottom of the dishwasher. Large particles can be removed by hand while finer debris can be loosened with white vinegar and brushed away with a toothbrush.

-Once a month you should clean the spray holes. If the spray holes are clogged, they will not deliver water efficiently. To clean these, you will need to remove the spay arms. Check your owner's manual to see if they pop off or screw on with a nut. Once you have the arm off, clear the holes with a thin wire. Make sure not to enlarge the hole as you pop the dirt through. After you clear the clogs, shake the debris out of the hollow arm so that the holes will not become clogged again from the same debris. You can loosen stubborn clogs by soaking the arm in white vinegar.

-Inside smooth surfaces also need to be wiped clean of soap build-up or stains. A cheap cleaning paste can be made of baking soda and water. Scrub difficult spots with this paste and scrubbing pad. Make sure the soap dispenser is clear of build-up so that it will open and shut easily. The seal can be cleaned with a mild soap and water.

Efficient Water Use

-Since the dishwasher needs hot water, you can save energy in a couple of ways. First, you set your home's water heater to 140 degrees to allow the water to be hot enough that the dishwasher does not have to work harder to heat it up enough. However, if children live in the home, beware of scalding potential with these hotter water settings. Second, run the hot water in the kitchen sink until it is hot. That several seconds to minutes of having to warm the water to its hottest can make the dishwasher work harder.

-Only run the dishwasher when it is full. If you run half-loads, you are still using the same amount of water and energy as if it was a full load but you will be doing it more often.

-Do not pre-rinse dishes unless something is burned or dried on. Just scraping the food off should be enough and will save the rinsing water.

Other Energy Saving Tips

-Let the dishes air dry instead of using the heating element. This will make the element last longer and save energy.

-Run the dishwasher at night at the off-peak time for hot water and electricity use.

-Keep the smaller dishes loaded toward the center and the larger ones to the outside. This way the water spray can reach all of the dishes and clean more efficiently.

-Check gaskets and seals for cracks or drying and replace as needed to prevent leaks.

If you regularly maintain your dishwasher, you will notice that it will use less energy and water and last longer. Use these tips to help you get cleaner dishes at a lower cost.


Deshawn has been a salesperson for automotive industry for more than 10 years and enjoys helping customers select the right atv according to their preferences. Come to www.atv-now.com to get free advice on different types of atv.