Have you ever opened up your dishwasher to find that your plates, bowls, and utensils are still dirty—or even worse, dirtier than they were when you put them in? Malfunctioning dishwashers are a huge pain, especially given that the whole point of this device is to make your life easier and reduce the amount of time you have to spend doing dishes. Nine times out of ten, if your dishwasher isn’t doing its job, a clog is to blame. Keep reading for our guide to preventing dishwasher clogs in three easy steps, and make sure to contact our expert plumbers at All City Plumbing, Air & Electrical for other drain and sewer clog issues.
To Prevent Your Dishwasher from Clogging, Make Sure to:
- Rinse All Food Off Your Plate: One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding dishwashers (not to mention garbage disposals) is that it is okay to load them up with large chunks of food. In reality, all food should be thoroughly rinsed off your plates before they are put in the dishwasher. Keep in mind, there is a difference between food and food residue. Dishwashers are great for taking care of the grease, germs, and stains food leaves behind. However, larger pieces of food will just end up in your dishwasher’s filter, where they will clog the machine and prevent it from doing its job. Speaking of which…
- Remember to Empty Your Filter: Towards the back of your unit, you should be able to find your dishwasher’s filter basket, which collects food and prevents it from entering your drains. Ideally, water will usually move through the filter unobstructed, allowing your dishwasher to do its job without significant food buildup. However, if you ignore the above step, your filter basket can easily become clogged. Make sure to take the filter out occasionally even if you do consistently rinse your dishes, as it’s a good to empty and clean this component once in awhile just to keep it sanitary. Your dishwasher may also have an upper filter and a lower filter, in which case you will want to clean and rinse both components
- Clean Out Mineral Buildup: If you get hard, minerally water in your home, it is possible for sediment to build up in almost any water-related appliance, thus hindering its performance. To get rid of sediment build-up in your dishwasher, try cleaning it out with about a quart of distilled white wine vinegar in the bottom of the unit. The combination of the heat and the vinegar should go a long way to reducing mineral clogs. Sediment build-up can also occur in the hoses located in the back of your machine, so you may want to clean these as well (if you are having problems with your garbage disposal, food residue can accumulate in these hoses, too.) To reduce mineral build-up and sediment cogs throughout your home, consider installing a water softening system.
Call All City Plumbing, Air & Electrical Drain Cleaning & Rooter anytime at (909) 552-7550, or contact us online.