YEP -- I'M A NEAT FREAK!

I am a self-diagnosed neat freak. I love to clean and I love to organize. (If I could have a container, holder and/or label for EVERYTHING, my life would be complete!) And this is my brand new blog for everything NEAT!
I have a toddler in perpetual motion, a packrat daughter, a dog and a disorganized husband... and I hope to share the challenges, trials, errors, rewards and insights of being a bit "too clean obsessive" in a family that's not so in love with neatness. And I am making a promise to clean, rearrange, organize and simplify my life... and help you along the way! SO stay tuned for my journey toward everything orderly and efficient!



Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Day 125: Washing the Dish Washer


We’ve broached the topic of washing the washing machine, which I never in all my life thought would be necessary.  So, of course, another device that doesn’t seem to need cleaning would be – the dishwasher.  I mean, it’s running all the time, cleaning dishes, so you’d think it would remain sparkling, sanitized and perfect.  Right!?!?  I suppose if we ran on that theory, then the shower and the tub would never need cleaning, either.  Yuck.  So, if your dishwasher looks or smells a little funky, just give these three simple steps a try!  You can get a cleaner, gunk-free dishwasher, and you may improve the overall life of this much-needed kitchen appliance, too!

FIRST: Remove the bottom rack and examine the drain area; make sure there are no nasty food bits or random chunks of stuff that could block the drain, cause damage to the pump or even scratch your dishes!  When I unscrewed the dishwasher spray arm (white thing in my hand) from the bottom of our dishwasher, I found a small, sharp (very clean) pairing knife lodged by the pump/motor (gray thing).  That's probably not a good thing... ;)

SECOND: Place a dishwasher-safe cup filled with plain white vinegar on the top rack of the dishwasher. Using the hottest water available, run the dishwasher through a cycle. (Except for the cup of vinegar, the dishwasher will be empty.) The vinegar will help sanitize your dishwasher and will help remove any musty odors.
 
THIRD: When the cycle is complete, sprinkle a cupful of baking soda around the bottom of your dishwasher, and run it through a short but complete cycle using the hottest water. The baking soda will help freshen the smell of your dishwasher and will brighten up the look of the inside of the appliance by removing stains.

Now you can use your dishwasher again, as normal... but hopefully it's much cleaner... and safer!


Now, THAT's neat!

3 comments:

  1. Your post is very useful!! I like the information given. It has earned a place in my bookmarks now. Thank you very much for the useful post. The contexts were very informative.

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  2. Thank you so much for the dishwasher cleaning post! I spotted it on Pinterest a couple months ago, and thankfully, pinned it. Our dishwasher started to stink to high heaven, and I suggested to my husband that we try the method you suggested to clean it. We were amazed with how easy and effective it was! Vinegar and baking soda to the rescue, again, and I would NEVER have thought to use it in the dishwasher.

    Thanks for your post!

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  3. Everything needs cleaning even your dishwasher - machine that cleans your dishes! You should be very attentive when cleaning your dishwasher. It's not an easy process. This post tells how to do it properly! Thanks for such great and helpful tips! Great job!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your neat comment!