How to Clean a Dishwasher - Get Rid of the Yukky and Extend it's Life

I know this probably has you yawning, but I just had to post about this cheap and easy way to clean a dishwasher and have it last longer or in my case... FIX IT.  (Not to mention the yukky stuff too!).

I was super impressed with this method, because last week my dishwasher stopped working properly, and I panicked!!

It is 10 years old and I assumed it was done.

Mine is the old basic style with a spray arm that pops up during the wash cycle.  It stopped popping up and the upper rack was not clean.

Hubby wanted to go shopping for a new one..  but the cheap part of me said.  "Lets try cleaning it".

I got that "yeah right" look... but guess what???    It totally fixed it!

They say "Clean Your Dishwasher Every 6 Months.."

... Well sorry to say, I don't remember ever doing this?  I sort of thought they were "self cleaning" but apparently NOT.  So try this:

What you will Need:

• Empty dishwasher
• 1 x cup of white vinegar
• 1 x cup of baking soda

Method:

Make sure there are no dishes inside your dishwasher.  Leave them in the sink until this is done.  Totally worth the aggro and extra time.

Step 1.  Place the cup of vinegar in a measuring cup and sit it carefully in the top rack.

(don't pour it in the washer, leave it upright in the cup)

Step 2.  Set the dishwasher to the hottest normal cycle, and let it run through.  Get on with your day for the next hour or however long yours takes.

Step 3.  Take the measure cup out, (which will just be filled with water after the cycle).  Now pull the bottom rack out enough to sprinkle the baking soda all over the bottom and the door.

Step 4.  Run the cycle again, but this can be a short one as it is simply to rinse away the baking soda.

THAT IS IT!!

I then loaded mine back up with dishes and later that night set it going and everything was working properly again.

The vinegar loosens the scale that can build up from day after day of use.  The scale was stopping the arm from popping up in my model.

The baking soda, simply washes away the scale and brightens up your machine and gets rid of any odors too!

Super Excited!

I know it is only a dishwasher and maybe I need to get a life, but this saved us money and I was right!!

So give this a try, especially if your dishwasher doesn't seem to be cleaning as well as it did.  Mine is 10 years old and now has a new lease on life.