Loading our dishwasher is a task we complete without even batting an eyelid. As long as the dishwasher keeps churning out reasonably clean dishes, we feel everything is fine. But that may not actually be the case. It's only when we deal with obvious consequences like dishes covered in residue or a strange smell coming from within the dishwasher do we think of checking the machine.
Over time, we’ve realized that there are quite a few dishwasher issues that we may encounter regularly that might adversely affect the dishwasher’s performance. Over time, we have been able to identify some common dishwasher issues and have also been able to come up with suitable solutions to fix them. Check them out below!
1. Soapy Overflow from the Dishwasher
Sometimes we run out of dishwasher detergent, and try to substitute it with regular dish detergent in our attempt to avoid a visit to the market and save time. Unfortunately, this isn’t the ideal solution to the problem. While both the detergents clean dishes, they are designed to do so in very different ways. We have seen that regular dish detergent creates a lot of soapy suds that overflow from the dishwasher, resulting in a huge mess.
In case this happens occasionally, it is only a headache dealing with the mess, but if it happens frequently, it could result in the building up of soap scum. In the worst case scenario, it might even lead to the complete breakdown of your dishwasher!
Hence, we always use Vim Matic Dishwasher All In One Tablets for our dishwasher. The sheer convenience it lends to our dishwashing experience is what makes it highly appealing to us. We follow a simple process of loading the utensils, then placing a tablet with dry hands without tampering with the film around it. We then choose the wash cycle and start the machine according to the instructions. At the end of the wash, we get utensils that are sparkling clean. Even stubborn stains like that of oil, grease, masala and boiled milk vanish effortlessly.
2. Water Spots and Hazy Film on Glassware
Rinse aid is also known as a drying aid that helps remove water from dishes. Skipping rinse aid has resulted in us dealing with extremely wet dishes that need a proper wipe with a towel. Our glassware would also end up with numerous water spots, and at times a hazy film would form on them once dry. Bottom line is that if you don’t use rinse aid, you might not get sparkling clean dishes (with minimal water spots) and there will be no guarantee that your glassware is protected against marks and etching.
It is for this reason that we started using Vim Matic Dishwasher All In One Tablets, which has all-in-one benefits of a detergent powder, rinse aid and salt in a single tablet, thus making it more convenient to use.
3. Dishwasher Parts Working Inefficiently
We can’t deny that we have all tried to pop in that last extra dish before starting a load and ended up regretting it. We have noticed that overloading not only leads to dirty dishes (which may need to be washed again), but the spray arm at the bottom of the dishwasher can’t do its job if the loading of the bottom rack is beyond its capacity. This overloading results in the water not reaching the dishes in the upper rack and, at times, even sprays leftover food from the bottom shelf to the top rack. Also, overloading might lead to a bigger issue of leakage in the appliance, something we definitely want to avoid.
We tackle this problem by loading the dishwasher according to the manufacturer’s instructions and resisting the urge to overload.
4. Clogging of the Dishwasher Filter
While there is no need to pre-rinse the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, scraping off all the excessive food on the plates is a practice we follow diligently. We have seen that too much food on the plates and other utensils can clog the filter. Also, particles of food can resettle on dishes after the cycle and we end up with an additional load of utensils that would require rewashing.
Besides dirty dishes, we may sometimes also notice some dirty water stuck at the dishwasher’s base if the filter is clogged. This is definitely a nuisance and can also lead to bacteria and mould that may cause further problems.
The only solution to this issue is to scrape off any solid particles from the surface of the dishes before loading. Many newer models of dishwashers have manual filters that require regular cleaning. Hence, we clean the dishwasher filter every week without fail. All we do is wash it by hand in the kitchen sink. If it is caked with food residue, we let it soak in warm, soapy water and then scrub gently with a soft brush to remove all food particles.