How To Fix Dishwasher That Won’t Clean Properly

Once you own a dishwasher, it’s hard to go back to handwashing all of your dishes. Dishwashers were saving time over 100 years before the term ‘life hack’ was even uttered and have become an expectation rather than a luxury. So when a dishwasher suddenly stops cleaning dishes properly, it’s time to pull out the marigolds and utter expletives over your precious time being wasted.

While the right move would be to contact a dishwasher repair company, such as Repair Aid, there are things you may be able to do right now in order to get your dishwasher back to its best. Whether these tips help or not, it’s good to know the reasons behind unwashed dishes in a dishwasher and how you can prevent this from happening again.

Why Your Dishwasher Isn’t Cleaning Properly

Soap Drama

While you would hardly expect soap to be the problem behind your unwashed dishes, it’s possible that there is some blockage that is preventing your soap from reaching your dishes and cutlery. If the dishes have been rinsed, but there is still food on them, then examine the soap tray. Leftover soap can harden, causing blockages that stop the new soap from reaching your dishes.

Quis Washes Ipsos Dishwashers?

While we associate dishwashers with cleaning our dirty dishes, we seldom think of cleaning our dishwashers. Much like washing machines, we assume that these machines are cleaning themselves when they clean dirty items. However, dishwashers can end up being the semi-permanent home of leftover food and shattered dishes. Old food that can’t get through the filters can end up splatting back onto dishes.

To check for this being the problem, have a look at the bottom of the dishwasher, and the filters in particular, to see if there are any culprits.

Learning to Cycle

Sometimes, your dishes may not be fully cleaned, or end up damaged, because you’ve picked the wrong cycle. Here is everything you need to know about dishwasher cycles. If the cycle is too tough it may cause problems for sensitive items, such as glass. If the cycle is too tame, it won’t get rid of stains and food. For this reason, it can be a good idea to have two different wash routines for dirty, everyday items and special or glass items.

Rinse it for Everything its Got

It may be worth your while running another rinse cycle without any detergent, dishes or items. This is because, as aforementioned, detergent residue can cause issues. Pour some vinegar into the machine to clean the machine, put it on a ‘rinse-hold’ setting and this should help cancel out the negative effects of leftover detergent and hard water.

Keep Clogging at Arm’s Length

Whilst the spray arm is helpful 99.99% of the time during a wash, as it sprays all of your dirty dishes with water, there are times when it can cause problems. Newer, harsher detergents, as well as hard water, can cause spray arms to become clogged. To alleviate, simply remove your spray arms and give them a lovely warm water bath to get them back on your good side.

Just keep in mind that they prefer to be washed with vinegar than shampoo.

Blockage on the Drain Line

If all else fails, check to see if there is a problem or blockage with the drain line. You’ll find the drain line linked with either your disposal or sink. But before you do this, make sure that the dishwasher has been disconnected from its power source.

Scrub Up

When all else fails, you can try scrubbing the innards of the dishwasher. Imperfections, such as leftover food or cracks, can stop the dishwasher from sealing properly. While you’re at it, make sure to scrub the door seals. This is what old toothbrushes were destined to do.

Time to call in the professionals

These are just but a few of the ways in which you can easily fix your dishwasher right now. While the problem may require you to contact a repair firm, it’s still good to follow the above tips to ensure that your dishwasher is in good health.

And if your appliance is found to be beyond economical repair then this dishwasher buying guide can help you choose one that fits your needs.