Rinsing solids off your dishes helps minimize dishwasher smells.
Dishwashers are more than convenient. They hide our dirty dishes from guests, keep our counters clear of clutter and clean the messes our toddlers and teens leave behind. Dishwashers, using water hotter than our hands can handle, also help keep us healthy by sanitizing dishes, glassware and utensils. But sometimes things go awry and the appliance starts to stink, leaving a smelly residue on our clean dishes. Often the cause is food trapped in the dishwasher's drain, which is easy to remedy.
Instructions
1. Rinse dishes before they go in the dishwasher.
Scrape and rinse dishes before putting them in your appliance. Small food particles, grease, sauces and bones clog up the system, keeping the dishwasher from properly rinsing your dishes. You don't need to prewash the dishes but be sure to rinse off any solids.
2. Use a toothbrush to clean around the dishwasher door.
Clean around the seal and hinges of the dishwasher. This area often is forgotten and holds a good deal of bacteria and food splash. A tooth- or bottlebrush is the best way to get into the crevices.
3. Clean chunks of food out of the screen and drain at the bottom of your dishwasher, recommended The Family Handyman. If the drain is plugged, the dirty water can't be washed away and ends up back on your dishes. Nut, bean and seafood shells, bits of plastic and small dishes can lodge against the drain, keeping it from doing its job.
4. Unclog the holes in the sprayer arms. If the holes are blocked by food or soap, water cannot freely spray inside the dishwasher to thoroughly clean the dishes. Leftover food on the dishes can make the dishwasher smell.
5. Keep space around your dishes. Overloading a dishwasher keeps it from running efficiently, allowing gunk to build up around the drain and the spray arms.
6. Run your dishwasher as hot as possible to break down food and grease. The recommended temperature is 120 F.
7. White vinegar neutralizes dishwasher odors.
Run the dishwasher with vinegar added to neutralize odor. Empty the dishwasher, place a dishwasher-safe cup filled with white vinegar on the top rack, and run a cycle at the hottest setting. If you prefer, use unsweetened lemonade powder or baking soda in place of vinegar.
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