Having a dishwasher in your home is a convenience that saves you time, energy, and effort when it comes to cleaning up after meals. However, if you are not practicing good dishwasher habits, your appliance may not be running as efficiently as it should be or might even break down on you. Read on to learn about bad dishwasher habits that you should avoid to keep your machine in tip-top shape.
Blocking Water Flow in Your Dishwasher
It’s tempting to cram all of your dishes into the dishwasher at once, but this is actually one of the worst things that you can do for your machine. When the dishwasher is overloaded with dishes, the water won’t be able to circulate properly and dishes won’t get clean. Make sure that there is enough space between each item so that water is able to move around freely during the wash cycle. For that same reason, overlapping is just as bad as overloading, even if the total number of dishes in the washer may not be that excessive. Be sure to evenly distribute dishes throughout the dishwasher to ensure adequate water flow, and be sure not to block the sprayer with any large pots or pans. Your dishwasher is engineered with certain expectations of how the water will flow in the machine, and poor dish placement causing it to behave in an unpredictable manner can very easily cause a breakdown.
Using the Wrong Amount or Type of Detergent
Detergent pods have become increasingly popular lately, but they can cause problems if you use too many of them at once. If more than one pod is used in a single cycle, it can lead to build-up on dishes and cause them to look cloudy or streaky after washing. Bear in mind that detergent pods are highly concentrated, so even though they look small, overloading on detergent for your load of dishes can be counterproductive and lead to more work and water usage than you were hoping for. Detergent pods also have supplementary ingredients that further speed the process along, such as degreasers, bleach, and rinse aids. On the other hand, if you do not have much stuck on food or residue on your dishes, or you have a small load, you may be able to save a pod and use a small amount of gel instead. Overloading your machine with more detergent than necessary is one of the fastest ways to introduce a flood or a nasty clog.
Pre-Rinsing Dishes Before Washing
This may seem counterintuitive since pre-rinsing gets rid of visible food particles on plates and silverware before loading them in the machine, but it can actually make it harder for the dishwasher to do its job effectively. For example, Procter & Gamble reports that their detergent Cascade has enzymes that are designed to attach themselves to food products. Washing away these food particles in this case actually makes it harder for the detergent to do its job. In most cases, modern machines are powerful enough that pre-rinsing isn’t necessary, so leave pre-washing for tough stuck-on items only!
Conclusion
By avoiding these bad habits, you can help ensure that your dishwasher will remain efficient for years to come. Of course, even with proper care and maintenance sometimes things happen or parts become worn out over time. If you find yourself with a broken or malfunctioning dishwasher or need help replacing an aging machine, Maffei Services provides trusted dishwasher installation services throughout the Essex County, MA area, so reach out today if services are needed! Whether it’s a mechanical breakdown, a water flow problem, or your dishes just aren’t getting as clean as they used to, Maffei can have your new or existing appliance up and running in no time at all so you don’t have to worry about tackling those dirty dishes manually.
