Dishwasher maintenance: Do's and dont's
If you want your dishwasher to last longer and to do its job, there are certain things that should be done to prolong the life of the appliance.
Beyond loading, unloading and wanting them to actually clean our dishes, most people don't think much about their dishwashers.
But Consumer Reports recommends a more proactive approach to help the dishwashers last longer.
"There are many factors that can affect the life of your dishwasher but there's also a lot of things you can do to keep them running longer," said Haniya Rae Consumer Reports Home Editor. "The good news is these things are really easy to do."
Rae said it is important to only put items in the dishwasher that are supposed to be there.
"You might think it's simple and want to put that glass jar with the label on into your dishwasher to clean it but the label can come off and either clog the filter or jam the pump," she said.
She stresses the importance of making sure plastics are "dishwasher-safe" and loading them on the top rack. Plastics that are not "dishwasher-safe" can break and clog your filter, Rae said.
Owners should preforming regular cleanings on their dishwasher.
Rae suggests that you if you have a manual filter, you should take it out and rinse it regularly.
Owners should wipe down the space between the door and gasket often and only run the appliance when it has full loads.
"You should run full loads because this cuts down on the number of cycles it has to run," Rae said. "Dishwashers have mechanical parts and the more that you run the dishwasher the faster those parts wear out."
The final performance tip from the Consumer Reports is to stop rinsing your dishes. Dishes only need to be scraped before entering the dishwasher.
"Today's dishwashers have soil sensors," said Rae. "If you load your dishes and there's no detectable soil or debris your dishwasher might set itself to a lighter setting and it won't wash your dishes as well."
The best dishwashers according to the Consumer Reports are the Bosch and Thermador dishwashers. These brands received the highest ratings for reliability and owner satisfaction.
