To clean a dishwasher, put 1 pack of orange Kool-Aid (unsweetened) in bottom and run through a full cycle. It will come out sparkling. Be sure it is empty of all dishes, etc.
By Jan Whiteis from Corvallis, OR
This page contains the following solutions.
I like to use a lot of natural cleaners. One I use fairly often is baking soda. I use it in my dishwasher. I add about 3 tablespoons to the dispenser. It helps prevent hard water lime and calcium buildup inside the dishwasher and keeps it fresh smelling. It also helps to clean the dishes.
It's very easy to clean your dishwasher and you should at least once a month. Recently I found a new way I hadn't been aware of.
For those who want to absolutely clean their dishwasher, mine was a mess. I sprayed the whole thing with Oxy Clean and let it sit for about 3 minutes. To be sure it comes out perfect, I added a bottle of coke to the bottom of the dishwasher.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
What can I use to clean the drain in my dishwasher? Also, what should I use on the inside of the dishwasher?
By Sam
I recently bought a house with a very old dishwasher. It wasn't washing all that well. I poured about a quart of white vinegar into the wash (as it was about to wash), along with the soap and it's been great since. As to your question about cleaning it, you can manually clean the inside of your dishwasher with just hot water and some dish soap (hand soap), I also had to do that.
I would clean the inside of dishwasher itself with a clean sponge and a bleach/water mixture (bleach is the only thing I've found that will kill any mold, but mix nothing stronger than a 50/50 ratio in a spray bottle or bucket, use tepid water, and wear clothes that you don't mind getting bleached, as this still happens when bleach is diluted with water), rinse well. Use a pitcher of hot water or a clean spray bottle if your sink sprayer won't reach.
If you use a spray bottle, empty it as soon as you're done so it won't expand with hot air. Vinegar mixes with bleach fine (not harmful), so don't worry about getting the liquid out before the next step, which is to then run the dishwasher empty, using white vinegar instead of soap in one of the reservoirs. Put a basic grainy /powder soap or some baking soda (not liquid, and nothing with any ammonia in it) into the second reservoir (I do not believe it matters which reservoir gets filled with which).
You can always run the vinegar with the soap (any soap, now that the bleach is gone) when you run the dishwasher (empty or full), which helps kill bacteria and give your dishes a natural spot-free finish! You will still have to get the "big stuff" off your dishes first if you have an older model.
Also, the Tang thing most likely works b/c of the acid in the orange and the grainy texture of the mix; same concept as the white vinegar with soap powder, but the vinegar is much cheaper and can be used for many other things, unless you happen to have the Tang. I hope this helps, and good luck!
Should I use bleach or vinegar to clean a dishwasher?
By phyllis from Home, NC
Personally, I would use anything other than bleach. Bleach is so toxic. White vinegar is a great cleaner and can be enhanced by using an essential oil (EO). I use a lot of peroxide and often times alcohol. You can also use vodka to clean with. Put in a splash of tea tree essential oil and you've got yourself a wonderful, non-toxic, amazing cleaner with ton's of benefits to kill germs. Do a quick Google search on tea tree oil. It's awesome! If you need something to clean counter's with you could add a splash of orange EO or lemon (EO), lemon (EO) kills odors and uplifts your mood..orange does about the same. It all depends on personal preference. I clean my hardwood floors with essential oil enhanced home made cleaners all of the time.
A little lavender spray for your bedding also makes you sleep like a baby. it can be made with equal parts of spring water and witch hazel with a splash of any EO of your choice. I also use a similar spray to iron our clothing with.
(*EO*) means essential oil
Usually the problem with a dishwasher is lime buildup, so vinegar is useful for that. Bleach will not remove limescale. If there was some type of bacteria or mold, than bleach would be the product to use. However, in general, the hot water that you use in the dishwasher is all the disinfectant that one needs.
Here is a great way to clean your dishwasher, get rid of bacteria etc. and clean your plastic and dishes, no metal!
Fill dishwasher with dishes, plastic etc. Place a glass dish at the bottom of the dishwasher and fill with 1 1/2 cup bleach, run for regular wash (no detergent) and no drying! Dump out the water left in. Then do again with vinegar 1 1/2 cup. Then the dishwasher and the glasses/plastic are super clean!
Ok my dishwasher is new after 10 months a smell was bad. I tried all types of cleaners. Turned out, it was garbage disposal. Used costly cleaners to no avail. What finally worked was a 5 pound bag of ice cubes put through the disposal with cold water. It cleaned the blades. My maintenance man told me and it was cheap and easy. Wished I had done that first. It took the sour smell out of dishwasher. Good luck.
Can I use OxiClean to clean my dishwasher? Also, I have a front loading (clothes) washing machine - how can I use OxiClean in it? I can't open it up when it's full of water.
I also have a front loading washing machine. I can open my washer when it is full of water. The water never goes above the bottom of the door. When I was shopping for my washer that was pretty standard for water level. I would verify that you really can't open the door. Anyway I sometimes just add the Oxiclean on top of my dry clothes after I put them in. Only once did I find any left over after the clothes were done washing. My washing machine has an option for a second rinse and now I always use choose that when using Oxiclean and haven't had anymore problems. If your washing machine doesn't have that as an option I would just manually set it for a second rinse if you have problems.
why not desolve the oxiclean in a cup of warm water then dump it on the clothes I imagine you can use liquid detergent in a front loader cant you?
We have a Maytag front loading washer. The door does lock while the machine runs, however, if you push the start/stop button the machine will stop & unlock after about 2 minutes. Then you can open the door & add what you need to the load. You can restart the machine by pushing the button to continue from where it stopped. The water level only reaches the bottom of the door as previously stated, the tub is on an angle & most of the water is below the drum so you don't see it when you open the door. The drum tumbles through the water, washing the clothes. Also, additives may be dissolved in water & put in the detergent dispenser on top of the machine with the detergent at the start of the cycle. They can also be put in the softener/bleach dispenser. The softener/bleach is only run through the machine for a short time, so be aware of this. If you want the Oxyclean with the detergent for the entire wash cycle, add it to the detergent area at the start of the cycle.
If Oxiclean, vinegar, bleach or ammonia don't work (don't mix them, a deadly gas can form) I would advise getting a cleaner called purewasher from a site called smellywasher.com. / All you'll need is one tablespoon to clean your washer. The same to get rid of odor or stink out of towels or clothing! The smell hasn't returned and it's been almost a year!
I have always used Soft Scrub to clean our stove top, and recently I spilled apple cider on the stove, it burned and I am unable to get it off. Does anyone have any ideas?
I am looking for something environmentally safe to clean my dishwasher. Suggestions?
By Brenda from Omaha, NE
Buy the jumbo canister of Tang! Once every 4-6 weeks fill your dishwasher with hot water and 1/2 cup of Tang. Let run a few minutes then stop it for at least 1/2 hour. Longer if you can. Allow the dishwasher to run a few minutes again then drain. The citric acid cleans and will leave your dishwasher pleasantly scented orange!
Dump 1 packet lemon Kool-Aid (no sugar needed) into the detergent cups and run the washer empty thru a cycle.
I use a cup or so of vinegar in the rinse cycle every once in awhile. If you have particularly hard water, this would be a good thing to do on a regular basis.
Totally agree with the TANG method. Girlfriend told me about this method about 15 years ago and have been using ever since.
My dishes come out with greasy film. What should I use to clean the dishwasher?
By Maere
Apple cider vinager. Pour one gallon into the bottom of the tub and run it empty (no dishes) this should help.
I use 'Tang'-the powdered drink mix. Just fill the detergent despensers with Tang instead of detergent and run the empty dishwasher through its cycle.
I have tried baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, etc. to clean my dishwashing machine like the store bought cleaners on the store shelves do, and nothing has worked. Any suggestions?
By dndfox1998
The bottom drain with holes is filled with mud like junk. I've scraped under and pulled out big chunks of black dirt and black junk under middle round thing that shoots up with water. How do I get it clean and what is the black junk?
By Ginny M
Would putting in Tang or a pack of lemon Kool-Aid to wash the dishwasher help get rid of food particles in a non removable food trap? I am getting a lot of food particles coming back on some dishes. I am now using Finish tablets and it is doing better, but I still get little bits on plates and such?
By sue from Cincinnati, OH
Take out the sprayer arms and clean them. make sure there is no food stuck in the little holes. The trap at the bottom should come out. Try twisting it and pulling up. Use a tooth brush or tooth pics to clean all the little spaces. Wipe out the interior and rubber door seals with white vinegar. You can even run a cycle with a cup of vinegar...dissolves the calcium deposits.
Can Home Hardware brand CLR be used to clean dishwashers? If yes, how much do I use and what type of dishwashers may be cleaned using this product?
By arlene from Saskatoon, SK, Canada
I am sure that this is one of the uses that CLR is advertised for. It is just a stronger acid than vinegar. I would put a cup in the machine, and run a regular cycle. Read the label of the container, or go online to the CLR product site (they must have one) to see what they say. On this site, people have advised vinegar and citric acid. CLR is just another kine, stronger than vinegar.
What do I use to clean dishwasher stains? Would baking soda and lemon be good? Thanks for your help.
By Vicki from OH
I have used a package of dry KoolAid Lemonade sprinkled onto the bottom of the dishwasher and then run a light cycle. Only the Lemonade will work as it contains citric acid but it does work. If you are a cheese maker and have citric acid, a couple of tablespoons in the bottom of the dishwasher will also work. If you do this regularly (I do mine every 6 months) you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.
Good luck, Banty
My friend put a burnt skillet in her dishwasher, now the inside is black and greasy. She tried vinegar and Clorox both, but it did not work. How can she clean this out?
By donna mcall
Contact the manufacturer of the appliance. They'll know everything about disasters like this one and will surely know what to do.
Good luck!
I have a Bosch dishwasher in my home. I found chalky/white deposits inside. How to clean that residue on the stainless steel interior?
By kanakadoss
Tang powdered orange drink can help remove the hard water spots inside your dishwasher. This is a page about clean your dishwasher with Tang.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I have hard water build-up and soap scum on the inside of dishwasher and the dishes do not get properly cleaned.
Will CLR clean the hard water deposits in a dishwasher so that it cleans the dishes better?
My dishwasher is full of soap scum or a white powder. It is even on dishes and pots. We are using Cascade.
I put a pan in my dishwasher that had been used on an outside gas grill open flame. It has turned the inside of my dishwasher a nasty, dirty, gray color. What can I do to clean it?
One of my kids washed a load of dishes and saw the rinse aid was empty.
Use one packet of Lemonade Kool Aide (and it can be this flavor only) Place in dishwasher soap cup and run dishwasher. Leaves your dishwasher sparkling clean and fresh.
