Have you noticed an unpleasant smell coming from your dishwasher? Strange odors in a dishwasher can be a sign that your dishwasher needs a good cleaning. All appliances need regular cleaning and maintenance to continue working properly. This is particularly true for dishwashers, which remove food particles from your dishes almost every day. In the event that your Ojai rental has a smelly dishwasher, keep reading for some proven ways to clean those bad odors away and keep them from coming back.
There are several reasons why a dishwasher may begin to smell bad. However, the most common culprits are food particles and dirty water getting trapped in the drain hose, drain filter, spray arm, or other sections. On the off chance that your dishwasher isn’t draining entirely after each use, you could even have mold growing inside. This could lead to the dishwasher breaking down or even cause health issues for sensitive household members.
To clean your dishwasher, one of the best areas to start is with the drain filter. A clogged drain filter is the most common reason for a smelly dishwasher. Most dishwashers have a drain filter located in the bottom rear of the tub. To clean it, pull it out and cleanse it with hot soapy water and a bottle brush. Then check the drain itself to guarantee that it is clear.
In case your dishwasher has spray arms, they could likewise become clogged and start to create unpleasant odors. If you’ve cleaned the filter and still smell something funky, you can remove the spray arms and rinse them out. Utilize a toothpick to remove any food particles that have become lodged in the holes and then run water through the arm until it comes out clearly.
The same with drain filters and spray arms, the inside of your dishwasher can become dirty and coated with soap scum and grime. Therefore, it’s crucial to periodically scrub the interior surfaces of your dishwasher – including the racks and door gaskets – with hot soapy water. Another great way to clean your dishwasher’s interior is to run separate empty cycles with vinegar and baking soda. These two natural cleaners are excellent for removing bad smells and gunk.
To fully cleanse a smelly dishwasher properly, you’ll need to run it twice. The two cleaners create a chemical reaction when combined, so do not mix them in the dishwasher. In the first cycle, put a bowl filled with white vinegar on the dishwasher’s top rack and run it on a hot water cycle. If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, try putting in a few drops of essential oil like lavender, orange, or lemon. Then, run a second cycle after pouring a cup of baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher. As soon as that’s done, that should be all your dishwasher needs to remove any unwanted odors.
As soon as the odors are gone, your last step is to prevent them from coming back. Appliance experts recommend repeating the above steps as many as three or four times a year to keep your dishwasher running at maximum efficiency. However, there are other things you can do as well. Scraping and rinsing your dishes before loading them in the dishwasher can prevent food particles from being trapped in the first place. Likewise, avoid running other appliances in the home that use hot water at the same time. This will guarantee that your dishwasher has all the hot water it needs to dissolve the soap and food particles on your dishes and leave everything inside clean and residue-free.
Would you like more tips on how to keep your rental house clean and odor-free? Visit our blog today, or if you’re in the market for a new Ojai rental home, take a look at our current listings.
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