A dishwasher isn't necessarily an appliance that you need to have in your home, however, it is a nice convenience to have, especially if you hate doing dishes by hand. Your dishes are done by a machine and you don't have the dish pan hands, or worse, a pile of dishes in your sink with dried on food that have been sitting for days on end (maybe a dish fairy will do them for you - probably not). Having a dishwasher may not be an appliance that you can't live without, but it sure is nice to have. If you have one in your home already, extend the life of this appliance by doing the following maintenance tasks.
Inspect The Gasket
Inspect the gasket surrounding your dishwasher door to be sure it still has a proper seal. A broken, loose or dried out gasket can lead to leaks, which you definitely don't want on your kitchen floor. If you notice any problems with your gasket, you can replace it yourself with a replacement part (found either on-line or at a local parts store). Simply remove the old gasket and replace it with the new one using the screws that came with it. If you aren't too keen on doing this, you can call an appliance repairman to have it replaced for you.
Clean The Tub
Clean the inside of your dishwasher tub using 2 cups of white vinegar. Pour the vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher tub and run it on a normal cycle. The vinegar will help to break up any hard water and remove hard water stains.
Remove Debris From Sprayer Arms
Those sprayer arms that spin around at the base of your dishwasher (or at the top if you have both), spray water from small nozzles onto your dishes helping to clean and rinse them properly. If the sprayer nozzles are filled with debris or even hard water, they won't be doing their job properly. This can leave your dishes a little less than clean. Remove the debris from these nozzles by using a toothpick or a needle. You can also remove the sprayer arms and soak them in a vinegar bath to help remove debris and to help dissolve hard water.
A dishwasher is a great appliance to have in your home. It makes cleaning up easier, faster and definitely more sanitary, while freeing up your time to do something else. Keep your dishwasher running properly for longer by following the maintenance tasks above. Call a contractor, like Goldman Appliances Inc, for more repair help.