This is how to clean your dishwasher properly

Today, having a dishwasher is no longer a luxury. Throw in the dishes and cutlery, top up the detergent and rinse aid, press the button and off you go. One to two hours later, the door snaps open and out come sparkling clean knives, plates and glasses. However, over time, lots of food scraps, small plastic pieces and other debris can collect in the dishwasher filters. As the debris collects, your dishwasher may start to stink, your cutlery and dishes may not get clean and the wash cycles may take longer. These are telltale signs it’s time to clean your machine thoroughly. When they show up, it's not just a matter of wiping the outside. You’ll need to dive into the depths of your dishwasher for solutions. In addition to various aids and products, there are also some tips and tricks to ensure that your dishwasher runs like clockwork again as soon as possible.

What you'll need

What you'll definitely need is dishwashing detergent – I recommend going for a powder or liquid for precise dosing – and rinse aid. Make sure to also have your dishwasher's instructions on hand. If you don't already have a hard copy of them, you can probably find them online, via Google search or the manufacturer's website. In addition, a microfibre cloth is useful for cleaning the outside of the machine. You may also need a few drops of hand dishwashing detergent to clean heavily soiled filters by hand. During cleaning, use disposable gloves to protect sensitive and dry skin from damage.

While not a must-have, vinegar cleaner, for example, is nice to have. It’ll help you fight stubborn stains in the dishwasher tub. Depending on the outside of your dishwasher, a glass cleaner might also help you get rid of streaks and smears. A fine bristle brush – such as a toothbrush – will help you scrub the filters without damaging them. Should all other cleaning attempts fail, you might be tempted to whip out a screwdriver. Do this at your own risk. You’re probably better off calling a technician. The same goes for using pliers, by the way. A paper clip, needle or other pointed utensils can help you gently pick stuck dirt out of nooks, crannies, and other small recesses.

How long it takes

For a surface cleaning, you won’t need more than five to ten minutes. That includes wiping down the outside as well as rinsing out the filter. If in addition you want to clean the inside using dishwasher cleaner, run the standard program. It usually runs for about two hours. If these measures aren't enough, you'll need to spend an extra hour or so to give the dishwasher an intensive deep clean, including picking out food debris or unscrewing individual parts.

How hard is your water?

The hardness of the water is decisive in deciding on the amount of detergent you need to put in the dishwasher. The harder the water, the more dishwashing detergent and rinse aid you’ll need. This will balance out the effects of the minerals in the hard water and ensure that your dishes and cutlery are clean again. If you don't know the local water hardness, you can find it on the Swiss drinking water homepage (link in German) or by doing a Google search. In Switzerland, water hardness is expressed either in millimoles per litre or in French degrees of hardness and is divided into six levels of hardness. If possible, you should also set your dishwasher to the corresponding level of water hardness. Refer to the dishwasher manual for the correct dosage and experiment with it as needed. Keep doing this until you’re satisfied with the result.

A clean filter is half the battle

How often you should take out your filter for intensive cleaning depends on many factors. The frequency can range from once a year to every few weeks. It depends on how often you use the dishwasher, how much starchy food ingredients you use and how hard your water is. If your dishwasher suddenly takes longer to run, or if an unpleasant odour starts seeping out, it's time to take a closer look at the filter. Filter design varies from dishwasher to dishwasher. But it’s usually a cylindrical instrument that sits on a flat mesh at the bottom of the dishwasher. This is the type of filter I’ll focus on in the following cleaning steps. You can use these steps for other filter shapes and types as well, though.

First, roll out the bottom dish rack and lay it on its side so you have more room to work. It's best to take care of cleaning the machine directly after a wash program. That way, it's empty and clean. Next, turn the filter attachment in the direction of the arrows printed on it and carefully lift it out. It usually doesn't take more than a quarter turn. Should you already find larger pieces of food residue such as bones, shells or seeds, carefully remove them from the filter. It’s often possible to take the unscrewed filter apart even further to get out any smaller pieces that are stuck. If you have sensitive skin or simply don’t relish the thought of touching all that gunk with your bare hands, I recommend using disposable gloves. Take extra care when rummaging around if there are sharp edges like shards or broken bone pieces among the food leftovers.

Clean the filter and the removable parts thoroughly under running water. If this doesn’t get out all the residue, you can add in a few drops of dish soap. If all else fails, use a fine-bristled brush as well. Just be very careful not to damage the fine structure of the filter. The manual will usually state whether you can scrub the filter with a soft brush. Rinse everything thoroughly and carefully reassemble the parts. Finally, place the complete filter back in the bottom of the dishwasher. Check that everything sits properly and that it’s installed in the correct place.

Keeping up appearances

Next, take care of the dishwasher door. Use a damp cloth to remove any grime between the rubber seals and the door. To do this, moisten the cloth itself. I advise against using spray bottles, because water could get behind the display and into the electronics. For stubborn dirt, use a few drops of dish soap in addition to the damp cloth. It seems unnecessary at first glance to clean the edges, but you really shouldn’t leave out this step. If a lot of dirt collects there, it may not close properly any more and water may start leaking out. Finish off by polishing the dishwasher with a microfibre cloth to get it shining again. For smooth doors, spray some glass cleaner on a cleaning cloth and wipe the surfaces clean.

The dishwasher also cleans itself

With intensive use and over time, food residue, dishwashing liquid and other deposits can also collect on the inside walls of the dishwasher. This can especially happen in corners, around screws or on plastic parts. Very hard water can also lead to residue forming after a few years. Most of this dirt can be removed by the dishwasher itself if necessary. It either has its own self-cleaning program or you can use the standard program. Simply add in a dishwasher cleaner and let the machine run empty. Otherwise, the sometimes aggressive cleaners can attack delicate dishes or cutlery. If you don't have a dishwasher cleaner at hand, you can also use vinegar cleaner or lemon juice. By the way, the self-cleaning cycle doesn’t work as a preventive measure, but only when there’s a problem.

A last look inside

Once you've cleaned all the filters, done a self-cleaning cycle and removed any other residue, your dishes and cutlery should come out of the dishwasher sparkling clean again. If this is still not the case, you should examine the rotating spray arms more closely for blocked openings. It is also worth taking a closer look at the dishwasher tub. That’s the area under the mesh cover at the bottom of the machine. Stubborn dirt may have collected there, obstructing the drain. After removing the dirt and putting all filters, inserts and attachments back in place, run a self-cleaning program again. Afterwards, the bad smell should be gone and your kitchen utensils should be shining like new again.