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Home » Green Dishwasher Cleaning & Tune Up

Green Dishwasher Cleaning & Tune Up

Published September 4, 2015 15 comments >>

A thorough dishwasher cleaning will get your appliance into tip-top shape. It can also help solve many common dishwasher problems. Learn how to green clean your dishwasher today! 

 

dishwasher cleaning - Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!This post uses affiliate links. They don’t cost you a thing and help us bring you creative projects. Read more in Policies & Disclosures.

 

Your kitchen is harboring greasy, gunky, scaly muck in a place that is meant to clean your dishes. I am speaking of your handy-dandy dishwasher! This common kitchen appliance is full of dirty surfaces that go unnoticed because they are hidden deep inside the dishwasher.

I’m a dishwasher cleaning pro! We move every 2-3 years for my husband’s job and have never moved into a house with a new dishwasher. Each of our eight dishwashers has needed a little TLC to get back in top operating condition. I’ll teach you how to clean a dishwasher… the easy and green way!

Does Your Dishwasher Need Cleaning?

Does your dishwasher need cleaning? Ask yourself a few simple questions:

  • Are your dishes are not coming out as clean as they did when your dishwasher was new?
  • Does your dishwasher drain slowly or chug and chug while trying to drain?
  • Does your dishwasher have a bit of standing water in the bottom after running?
  • Do you notice tiny particles of grit stuck to your dishes after running your dishwasher?

If you’ve answered YES to any of these questions you are in need of a simple dishwasher cleaning and tune up.

dishwasher cleaning - Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

 

Why Dishwashers Need Cleaning

1 – Dishwasher lines can become clogged with food particles, grease, lime or calcium the same way that arteries can become clogged with cholesterol. The buildup makes the lines narrower and narrower until they clog completely. These problems make the machine wok worse and can shorten the life of you dishwasher!

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

2 – If you live in an area with hard water your dishwasher probably has lime deposits (calcium carbonate scale) due to constant exposure to large amounts of minerals such as calcium. Over time your dishwasher will drain more slowly and the motor will have to work harder and harder to get the water out of the machine.

3 – Grease and food particles can get trapped in the filters and washing arms after repeated use. This gunk is continuously circulated and sprayed over your dishes as the wash cycle runs. GROSS, GROSS, GROSS!

4 – In 2010, phosphates were removed from dishwasher detergents which can lead to more build up inside your machine, especially in areas with hard water.

 

How to Green Clean Your Dishwasher

You can call a repair man to fix your suffering dishwasher or use this easy cleaning tutorial to avoid a costly service call (most repair men charge $100 or more) and can make your dishwasher last years longer.

dishwasher cleaning - Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

Green Cleaning Supplies

I love this tutorial because it uses safe, green cleaning supplies. You only need a few items to clean your dishwasher:

  • CLR (Calcium, Lime, Rust Cleaner ) – CLR rates an A on the EWG scale and is recognized by the EPA’s Safer Choice Program as a safer alternative to chemicals. It is septic-safe and contains no phosphates.)
  • Baking Soda
  • Dish soap or Sal’s Suds
  • A toothbrush
  • A damp rag
  • Hot water

 

Dishwasher Cleaning Steps

1. Remove the lower rack of the dishwasher and set aside.Carefully remove the lower spray arm and filter from the bottom of the machine. These pieces can contain a lot of gross greasy build up, you may want to wear cleaning gloves.

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

*Tip: If you do not know how to remove these pieces consult your user’s manual or look up your brand of dishwasher online. You can usually find an operating manual that will help you remove the pieces.

2. Wash the spray arm and filter in your sink with hot soapy water with ¼ cup of CLR.  Use a rag and hot soapy water to clean the area inside where the filter and spray arm attached. (See all the gross build up? Yuck!)

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

3. Carefully remove the steam vent from the door of the dishwasher. This piece should easily pop out, I use a table knife to remove it.
*Tip: If you do not know how to remove the steam vent consult your owner’s manual.

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

The steam vent can be full of food particles, mold, and lime scale. Wash the vent cover then clean out the steam vent in the door of the machine with hot soapy water with ¼ cup of CLR.
*Tip: Make sure you put of towel on your floor under the door of the machine. The steam vent will drain out the front of the door onto your floor.

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

4. Scrub the outer seal of the dishwasher with a toothbrush dipped in baking soda then wipe it clean with a damp rag. The gentle abrasion of the baking soda helps to remove lime scale and dirt. (You can see the white build up from hard water on the upper seal.)

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

5. Scrub the heating coil in the bottom of your machine and any dirty spots on the inside of the tub with baking soda and a toothbrush. The heating coil is the black piece.

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

6. Use a rag dipped in hot soapy water with ¼ cup of CLR to clean the edges of the door. Lots of buildup and food drips can hide here. Make sure to get the hinges too!

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

7. Reassemble the lower spray arm and filter into the bottom of the machine. Run the rinse cycle briefly to make sure it is running correctly.
*Tip: I start the rinse cycle and then hit cancel to test the machine, you don’t need a full rinse cycle.

8. Replace the lower rack and start a full wash cycle, when the tub is partially filled with water pour in ½ cup of CLR into the bottom of the machine. Do not use more than ½ a cup.

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

Resist the urge to peak in the machine while it is running. The CL can cause quite a bit of foam that will leak out if you open the door (I learned the hard way!)

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

Whoops, I peaked and the foam overflowed!

9. Once the cycle is complete fill the soap dispenser with your favorite dishwasher detergent (try my homemade version) and run another full cycle to make sure the CLR is completely rinsed from the machine. While the machine runs clean and polish the foot (the small indented area under the door).

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

10. Clean and polish the front of the dishwasher. Use your toothbrush to get into any cracks.  If you have a stainless steel dishwasher, polish it with my Wonder Dressing polish. It makes stainless steel appliance gleam!

Green clean your dishwasher with this simple tutorial to remove build up, solve drainage problems and keep it sparking clean, and running like new!

Results

This cleaning tutorial will leave your dishwasher sparking clean and running like new! I love know that our dishes are getting clean and are not being soaked with dirty water.

When we moved into our current rental the machine drained very S-L-O-W-L-Y and often had a inch of standing water in the bottom. The noises it produced made us think it was on its last legs.

After one good cleaning it drains so fast and with such force that you can see the water rushing through the garbage disposal drain. It cleans as well as a new machine and never leaves gunk on the dishes!

 

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BrenDId

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelli

    August 30, 2020 at 11:57 am

    Tired your deep-clean dishwasher tutorial.
    Haven’t used my dishwasher in three years, just as a drying rack. It is working so well!! Thank you! I will try the natural detergent soon.

    Reply
  2. Patty

    February 6, 2020 at 8:34 am

    Good post Bren..I’m trying to figure out a recipe using oxiclean and dawn…but making it a liquid…the dollar store oxiclean works wonders along with a squirt of dawn…I tried using the dyi tabs and that was a disaster…once every week I run some vinegar with a full cycle…no problems so far..its been a year now I’ve been using dyi products and love it! Thank you so much for this post!

    Reply
  3. April

    July 22, 2019 at 8:39 pm

    So after this, how do you keep it clean??

    Reply
    • Bren

      September 30, 2019 at 3:57 pm

      Just washing the dishes will keep it clean!

      Reply
  4. Stephanie

    May 24, 2018 at 10:32 am

    Oh, my….I initially thought, my dishwasher is fine! Then I thought, well, if I am going to make my own detergent, let’s give the dishwasher a cleaning. It had a slight odor (but Bosch’s are known to) and sometimes I see a glass with grit, but nothing else. OMG. I nearly vomited when I pulled out the filter. That was the most disgusting clogged thing I had ever seen. I also had standing water in the base (under the filter so I couldn’t see it). It makes me wonder if I have a clog. I am not about to disconnect the hoses without my husband home, but I am running the rinse cycle to see if I can figure out what is going on. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction!

    Reply
    • Bren

      May 31, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      I’m glad the article was helpful! I agree, the filter can be GROSS!

      Reply
  5. Lesley

    December 27, 2017 at 8:10 pm

    You are heaven sent! I am so glad I found your blog. I started doing research on natural, homemade, household, cleaning products. I jumped the gun and made a clothes softener that back fired. I am impressed and thankful that you give the pros and cons, as well as your fails. I am not suppose to use or be around any chemicals due to health issues. Your labor of love is much appreciated by this old dog learning new tricks.

    Reply
    • Bren

      December 28, 2017 at 9:22 am

      Thanks, Lesley!

      Reply
  6. Suzy

    August 14, 2017 at 8:16 am

    Thank you for all your recipes. I just wanted to share that I am in love with cleaning vinegar. It’s 6% acidity, versus 5 of regular vinegar but it works wonders. I’ve stopped using CLR and use cleaning vinegar instead. And the other day I found a vinegar from Poland with 10% acidity, wow!! I poured a few drops on a heavy duty hard water deposit and calcium build up spot , let it sit for les than minute and it was gone!

    Reply
    • Bren

      August 16, 2017 at 8:04 am

      Thanks for the tip, Suzy!

      Reply
  7. Emily

    September 17, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    Thank you. In the 8 years I have owned my dishwasher, I have never done such a thorough cleaning. I have used the dishwasher magic and vinegar. Imagine my happy surprise that there was very little buildup in the vent and almost none in the filter or spray arm. I didn’t have CLR nor did I need it. Finally, I just added vinegar and set it to Pots and Pans wash. Thank you again.

    Reply
    • Bren

      September 18, 2016 at 3:02 pm

      I’m glad it’s nice and clean. I’m not familiar with Dishwasher Magic so I looked it up but could not find the full ingredient list. It sounds like it is a CLR type product.

      Reply
  8. Lisa (@retrohousewife5)

    September 7, 2015 at 4:21 pm

    I do clean my dishwasher, with vinegar most of the time. This does remind me I need to do it again! Thanks!

    Reply
  9. vmorgan456

    September 5, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    I did not know about the vent when I cleaned a couple of weeks ago. I’ll remember that for the next time. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty

    Reply
    • Bren

      September 7, 2015 at 8:17 am

      Thanks for commenting! My steam vent was hiding some gunk, hope yours is easy to clean.

      Reply

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