Your dishwasher is made for a simple purpose— to help you get your plates, bowls, cups, utensils, and cooking ware clean. This takes its toll on the unit over time, however, and you may even begin to notice some of your dishes coming through the cycle still looking a bit grubby or smudged. Not to worry, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need a new dishwasher. It just means you need to use your current one a bit more efficiently.
How do you do that? Consider some of these quick tips.
Get the Most Out of Your Dishwasher
Make sure you scrape off your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. This is a basic tip, but an important one to emphasize here: You don’t ever want to put plates or bowls into the dishwasher if they’re still covered in the remains of your lunch or dinner. Take a minute to give each one a quick wipe, scraping crumbs and debris into the trash can.
Don’t overload it! By all means, make use of all the space available in the dish racks, but don’t start layering them on top of each other. The additional ballast can be too taxing on your unit. Just wash those last two or three dishes by hand.
Run your faucet for a minute before you start the dishwasher. Just get some hot water going; that will mean that you’ll have hot water instantly when you start the dishwasher, as you won’t have to wait for the hot water to come down the pipes from your water heater.
Use white vinegar as your rinse aid. Not only will this save you from having to purchase a separate rinse aid product, but it’s quite effective in getting your dishes clean and clear!
Regularly clean your dishwasher. Remove whatever gunk you see in the dishwasher trap or in the rubber gaskets around the dishwasher door. This clean-up work can be done every month or so to make sure you’re not washing your dishes with contaminated water.
The bottom line: like any home plumbing appliance, your dishwasher needs to be cared for if you want it to function at its peak. Follow these tips to keep yours working well—and if any plumbing issues emerge along the way, don’t hesitate to book a service call from one of our Vancouver plumbers online today. 
