1Run the kitchen sink before you use the dishwasher.
Carolyn Forte, director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute recommends doing this to help purge the cold water from your line: "This assures hot water is entering the dishwasher and you'll get the best clean."
2Run a cycle with vinegar to clean your machine.
Just like you descale a coffee pot, you need to de-gunk your dishwasher every now and then, too. Forte recommends placing a large glass measuring cup filled with two cups of vinegar on the top rack and then running the machine as usual — no detergent, no heat dry (here, the blog Tamillee Tips demonstrates). "The vinegar will mix with the water as it circulates," Forte says, which will help deep-clean your appliance.
3Clean out holes in the spray arms with a little wire.
The vinegar trick could help unclog these tiny openings, but stubborn debris might require an extra push. Use a sturdy wire — like one you might use to hang picture frames — to clear 'em out. Then remove any crud from you appliance that may be left on the bottom.
See more at Home Repair Tutor »
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4While you're at it, use a toothbrush to reach the nitty gritty gunk.
Don't toss that used toothbrush into the garbage — they're actually one the best cleaning tools for your dishwasher. Use the bristly end to scrub off build-up and navigate crevices in your filter.
See more at The Kitchn »
5Keep your family organized with magnetic labels.
End dishwasher confusion forever with these cute and nifty DIY labels. This way, the whole fam will know when the inside is dirty and when it's clean — and they can start unloading without you having to ask! (Well, in an ideal world, anyway.)
See more at Bright Nest »
6Give super grimy bakeware an extra dribble of dishwasher detergent.
Just like you pretreat laundry, you can pretreat dishes with a little gel dishwasher detergent. "Give crusty casseroles a little extra squirt of detergent before loading it onto the rack to help improve cleaning," Forte says. Use the detergent meant for dishwashers — not the handwashing (or you might end up with a sudsy mess).
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7Organize your silverware by type before you load them in the machine.
It might seem like common sense, but raise your hand if you don't do this? (Guilty.) Trust us, it'll make unloading (the worst part of the job) way easier.
See more at Burlap & Denim »
8But don't organize them too much.
No, we're not totally contradicting our last tip — just adding an important addendum. To prevent forks and spoons from nesting in each other (and not getting clean), you should flip half of them so they face upwards and half so they face downwards. But keep all your knives facing down for safety.
9Unload the bottom rack first.
Our home expert Heloise says this helps prevent water that's sitting in cups or saucers on the top rack from spilling down and getting your dried dishes wet again.
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10Don't forget about all the other things you can clean in your dishwasher.
You can use the "heated dry" setting to kill bacteria and mold on your sponges, toss your kid's plastic toys (like action figures, legos, or Barbies) in before a playdate to rid them of germs, and so much more.
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