Wash Wednesday: Keeping the Dishwasher Clean

It's destined to happen. You're busy. You quickly empty the dishwasher and put the dishes away without even looking. You have company showing up in five minutes and you haven't even plated the snacks!

The company has arrived and you start to mingle. Someone asks for a drink and your husband offers to get it. You hear the ominous, "Honeeeyyy?" and start to worry. He's standing in the kitchen with a glass. Speckled. Spotted and crusty. Ew.

You frantically pull all of the glasses out of the dishwasher. Dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty. You explain to your husband that you JUST pulled them out of the dishwasher. They're clean, you know it. But they're all gross. Bits of last nights lasagna, maybe a leg of a giraffe from an animal cracker and some sort of apple sauce that has dried into a crust all over every glass.

You return to your thirsty guests with their water...in a Star Wars glass. No offense to Yoda, but his all knowing face really doesn't fit in with your dinner party theme.

So what's a girl to do?

1. Remove all of the food particles from your plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Sure, it should wash them off, but they've got to go somewhere. Be sure to clean the bottom of the dishwasher and make sure there are no food bits stuck in the drain trap. It's a yucky job, but one that must be done.

2. If your dishwasher has a Jet Dry rinse agent section, use it. It will help reduce water spots on your dishes. You don't need to fill it every load, but be sure to top it off every few weeks.

3. Helping your dishwasher run it's best by running warm water before starting a load. Think of it as priming the pump. You can catch the water in a jug and use it to water plants around the house. It doesn't take a lot of water to get it warm, but it will allow your dishes to get the warmest water and best clean.

4. Check the spinning arms before each load. They need to move freely in order to get a good clean. Often I find a fork or sippy cup lid stuck in mine.

5. Run the garbage disposal before starting the dishwasher. Dishwashers often drain into the same pipe as the sink, so it's important that the pipe be clear. If you don't have a garbage disposal, use a strainer in the sink drain to stop crumbs and debris from accumulating in the pipe. Remember, always run warm water before, during and after running the disposal.

6. Don't overload the dishwasher. While it's best for saving water and energy to run a full load, and overloaded dishwasher doesn't get as clean. Make sure the items are not touching each other and water can get to every nook and cranny of the dishes.

Follow these few tips and hopefully you won't have Yoda making an unwelcome appearance at your next dinner party.