The dishwasher needs regular and proper care, otherwise the service life of household appliances will decrease significantly and it will cease to effectively cope with its functions. You need to clean the machine with gels and powders designed specifically for such devices, and at each wash use not ordinary means, but special tablets.
Basic Dishwasher Care
One of the main rules, compliance with which will ensure the long-term operation of the dishwasher, is the frequency of care. For daily use, the dishwasher must be cleaned with a damp cloth inside and out after each cycle. Dirt often accumulates on the doors, which subsequently provokes problems with closing and opening the equipment.
The control panel must be wiped with a dry cloth so as not to spoil the buttons. To wipe the rest of the parts, you can just use a damp cloth or soap solution. To care for a stainless steel dishwasher, you will need a special cleaning agent, which indicates that it is designed specifically for such kitchen appliances.
The strainer must be washed weekly. To do this, the lower basket is taken out, the screws are unscrewed, after which the filter is removed. The item can be washed under normal running water, that is, without the use of special cleaning agents for dishwashers. Soul blades are also washed, but this must be done after cleaning the device from scale and food debris. If the rotation of the blades is difficult, they need to be cleaned again.
The door seal must be cleaned every six months. For this, a special tool is used. The choice can be made in favor of Finish products. All products of this line (cleaners, tablets) effectively remove grease and scale that accumulate in hard-to-reach places, eliminate unpleasant odors and generally support the operation of the dishwasher.
Essential Care Detergents
All dishwasher care products can conditionally be divided into three groups: tablets, gel, powder. Special tablets are in greatest demand, each of which contains all the necessary components to ensure proper care for both the dishes and the device itself.
The powder is less convenient to use for caring for the dishwasher, because each time you need to independently measure the necessary dosage for one cycle. But in terms of total costs, this option is more economical.
The gel is identical in composition to the powder, but has a liquid consistency. There are gels that are sold in large packages, so you will also have to calculate the dose yourself. It is more convenient to use the product in capsules, designed for one cycle of the dishwasher.
Best Dishwasher Tablets: Ranking
The top 5 best tablets for dishwashers are represented by such products:
BioMio 7 in 1. Eco-friendly tablets with eucalyptus oil, which are produced in Denmark, are considered one of the highest quality. The tool is recommended for washing glass, because due to its composition it protects such dishes from mechanical damage. BioMio also softens water, removes unpleasant odors, dissolves perfectly, prevents the appearance of scale and can be used to wash vegetables, fruits, and children's dishes. The only drawback, judging by the reviews, is the high cost.
Finish Quantum. Polish tablets remove any impurities under all conditions and the required temperature. The packaging is soluble, the product is well washed off the dishes, but differs in considerable cost and high concentration, as for one dishwashing cycle.
Clean Fresh. The tablets consist of four layers: the first (in combination with active oxygen) carries out intensive cleaning, the second is designed to protect against scale, the third (with pearls) gives the dishware a microgloss, the fourth layer serves as a flavor and protects glassware from damage. Among the shortcomings, one can list the fact that the solution is often not completely removed and leaves white streaks.
Somat All in 1. Tablets are made in Germany. Effective for removing old dirt, protect the glass from darkening, but can cause an allergic reaction, have an unpleasant smell (according to many buyers) and are of high cost.
Filtero 7 in 1. The product is affordable and of high quality, it prevents the appearance of scale, protects the dishwasher from corrosion and scale, copes well with burnt and greasy stains, eliminates all types of dirt. But when using Filtero, stains may appear on silver objects.
Additional narrowly targeted tools
To ensure proper care of the dishwasher, additional narrow-focusing products may be required. For example, to avoid stains on dishes, a rinse aid is used, which begins to act at the final stage of washing. It is enough to add the product to a special department. Once a month you need to check the rinse aid indicator.
When an unpleasant odor appears, a special freshener is useful. Fresheners are attached to the upper basket. One is enough for 60–90 cycles. To prevent the formation of scale and soften water, salt is used for dishwashers. The product is poured into a special hole at the bottom of the machine. With high water hardness, you need to fill up about 1 kg, with medium and low, 0.5 kg will be enough.
How to deal with scale, mold and rust
Even with proper and regular maintenance of the dishwasher, the appearance of scale, rust and mold over time is almost inevitable. To get rid of scale, you need to turn on the equipment, but do not load the dishes. The dishwasher is pre-seasoned with citric acid, baking soda or table vinegar. After completing the cycle, you need to clean the machine and start again without any means.
If mold begins to form, then the problem is high humidity. To avoid this or to eliminate mold that has already appeared, after each cycle of the appliance you need to leave the door open for a while for the natural evaporation of moisture.
A large amount of mold can be removed using a special bleach. Such funds are very aggressive, therefore it is not recommended to use them too often or in large quantities at a time. For kitchen appliances made of stainless steel, bleaches should not be used.
Rust can be caused by a metal object forgotten in the dishwasher. To eliminate rust, you need to remove the cause of its appearance, that is, remove the object. In some cases, the appearance of rust is caused by inadequate care or long life of the device.
If rusty areas appeared on the cover of the baskets, you need to buy a sealant-paint designed specifically for dishwashers. In some cases, it is more advisable to replace the baskets with new ones. Sometimes rust is formed due to too high water hardness. In this case, you need to use a special salt or install filters.
Preventive measures: general operating rules
The most common problem with operating dishwashers is a blockage in the drainage system. To avoid this, after purchase you must first check how the device works by starting the cycle without dishes, but with a cleaning agent. Before each subsequent switching on of the dishwasher, you need to make sure that there are no food particles left from the previous washing inside, and the dishes are loaded correctly.