Making The Most of Your Dishwasher

Ah, the dishwasher! One of the most beloved home appliances of our time. A quality appliance that gets pots, pans, dishes, glassware, and flatware sparkling clean and can wash a lot of dishes in a short amount of time. So how can you make sure you are giving it the love it deserves?

Here’s how to make the most of this nearly indispensable appliance:

• Only wash full loads. This saves time, energy and water.

• Only use a detergent that is made for the appliance. Don’t use the dishwashing liquid used to wash dishes by hand, regular soap or detergent made for the washing machine. They will simply clog the appliance with suds.

• Find the best type of detergent for the machine. Detergents are liquid or powder. Don’t allow detergent to get too old, for it deteriorates and won’t wash the dishes as well. Detergents should be stored in a cool, dry place.

• Give the appliance some help by using a rinse aid. These help the water rinse cleanly off of the dishes, prevents them from spotting and helps them dry faster. They are really useful if, like most places, the water coming into the machine is full of minerals.

• Though it may be tempting to turn up the temperature, dishes should be dried on the lowest setting. Blasting them with heat to get them to dry faster encourages spots.

There are some implements that can’t be put safely in your dishwasher They include pieces made out of aluminum, pewter, tin, brass, bronze iron or cast iron, fine crystal and china with metallic paint.

Acrylic, blown glass, flatware with attached handles, knives, nonstick cookware, tools made of rubber, wooden spoons and gold-plated spoons and forks should also be hand-washed.

Moreover, silver and stainless steel shouldn’t be washed together in the dishwasher, because they can damage each other.

Tri-City Heating and Cooling is your trusted expert for knowledgeable appliance repair as well as all of your plumbing or HVAC needs. Find out why we have earned our reputation for providing honest, prompt, reliable service to our valued customers since 1963.