To never have cleaned my dishwasher

[Pavementworrier]

Is it true you're supposed to do it monthly???

We have a daughter who knows about these things from her work. This is her advice.
Dishwasher clean filter every week. Check your moddle and Google how to do it. If you do it every week it isn't really bad smelling and only takes a few minutes. It will increase cleanliness of glasses above just pouring in rinse aid.
Once a month poor a cup of white vinegar into the bottom and run on short hot cycle empty. This gets rid of any lingering grease in the water outlets and you will notice the difference with glasses and glassware.
Once a month clean the door seal making sure you separate the seal and clean between it.
In hard water areas you should use a softener. Calcium carbonate build up will cause issues very quickly.

I can say one thing. She never did this when she lived at home.😂

Need to clean filters regularly. Also need to do a hot cycle with no dishes with a proper cleaner. We didn’t and needed to get a man out when it wouldn’t start. He said it’s very common in older machines which aren’t cleaned regularly cos you get a build up further down where u can’t reach. Can’t remember full details but it worked a dream since he put some kind of steam clean tube thing down and sorted it. We use a cleaner every couple months now and no problem since.

As if!

Tumbler dryer filters need to be cleaned. There's a fire risk if you don't. The machine usually has a warning light. Shouldn't be ignored.

We use dishwasher cleaner, and it smells amazing, and you always know when it has been done. Filter though, where?!!

Edited to say I've never seen any warning lights, guessing dh must change or clean that.

I’m another one who’s never washed a skirting board but I treat my white goods well. I clean the filter, top up rinse aid and salt on the dishwasher once a week. I stick a dishwasher cleaner or a cup of vinegar in it on a hot cycle once a month.

I clean the washing machine with bio powder and a hot cycle once a month on the advice of my white goods man and stick a tea towel in the seal as soon as I take a wash out so the sealant doesn’t stay wet and go mouldy.

I descale the kettle with vinegar every couple of weeks.

Thinking about it, is all of this just due to having to because we live in a very limescaly area?

I do not love cleaning but this stuff all needs to be done or machinery would die.

Anybody else fed up with the tablets falling out during mid wash? Those compartments are useless.

Warning lights are on tumble dryers not dishwashers. Dishwashers you just end up with greasy residue. Tumble dryer have very dry and hot fabric residue that can catch fire. Terry Wogan was saved by his smoke detectors when his caught fire overnight in 2008.

I bought new sheets ( heavy brushed cotton) so decided to clean the WM filter , luckily just some hair caught in it ,
In the 1990s I'd bought a bale of new navy blue towels and the filter got so clogged it started throwing water out of the detergent drawer !

Fluff filter in the door emptied every other cycle and the one in the base ( condenser dryer ) needs sluiced under the tap every couple of weeks .

I clean the seals and under the door, filter and spray arms regularly. I also take the shelves out and clean them in the bath with the shower because they accumulate all sorts of gunk in the slider bits you can’t otherwise get to. Also the rinse aid door and the salt compartment lid get gunky. Mine has a heating element I think at the back that doesn’t come out but I poke around that too and pull out all sorts. Disgusting job but I always feel very virtuous when it’s done.

Re the washing machine. If you don't clean the drawer and the seals then you are likely to find there is mould in your machine. Its easily remedied with white vinegar or a washing machine cleaner.

🤣 you lucky duck

There's such a thing as taking things too far though.

First person to identify this quote wins the thread:

In this house, we wage a constant battle against the microbe

Replaced the dishwasher and somehow the filter slipped off the radar..Till it stopped draining. Omg it was truly disgusting. Never owned up IRL.

God, I knew my dishwasher was shit, but this thread has really highlighted how shit it is. I literally have to clean the filter twice a week, otherwise it leaves gritty deposits all over the dishes. Meanwhile other people are going for weeks or months without cleaning theirs

Have you tried white vinegar into a empty cycle?

Years, years!

Your spray arms may need rinsing out.

Omg! I cleaned mine for the first time in 8 years. Also didn’t know it needed cleaning. Well the filter was absolutely horrific.. look at this vileness.. 🤢🤢🤢🤢 I mean what even is that gunk? Needless to say, this WILL most definitely being cleaned monthly from now on..

Arghh here’s the pic..

And people are removing and cleaning these though?!?!!!! Are you?!?!! All of you?! I can’t be the only one not?!?!

Ffs… here IS the pic…

That's what it's supposed to do.

Rinse plates. Release tablet. Wash in soapy water. Rinse again. Dry.

Omg I'm on a roll. Don't put the tablets in the compartment just chuck em in the bottom of the dishwasher.