For years, my dishwasher drove me insane.No matter what settings I changed or how carefully I loaded it, some things always came out far from clean, and I had to wash them myself or run another cycle.The solution I discovered through a truly awesome YouTube video was incredibly simple: I just needed to add a little dishwasher powder.
My dishwasher was an endless source of frustration Dishes would come out dirty no matter what I did I've had my current dishwasher for nearly seven years, and even when it was brand new, it drove me crazy.Most items come out clean, but a few always have residue or even dried food still on them.I tried rinsing all the items completely clean before putting them in the dishwasher, which almost defeated the purpose of having one.
I tried all the different cycles on my dishwasher and went through carefully changing all the settings, such as water hardness and how much rinse aid was used.I made sure that the rinse aid was topped up and tried different brands of dishwasher tablets.Nothing worked.
I never had a single load where I was completely happy with every item that came out of the dishwasher.Something always needed further cleaning.Related My favorite kitchen upgrade proves that a real smart home is more than plugs and bulbs Adding internet access isn't the only way to make everyday objects smarter.
Posts By Bertel King One incredible YouTube video changed everything It's one of the most informative videos I've seen Everything changed when, after yet another disappointing result from my dishwasher, I decided to do some research to see if there was anything that would solve my problem.The first few suggestions I found were of little use.Then I came across a video on YouTube that had all the answers I needed.
It's from an account called Technology Connections, and in one video, the host describes himself as "apparently the internet's weird appliance guy," which is slightly unfair, because his content is insanely good.The video I watched was the original version from 2021, which breaks down exactly how a dishwasher works and some of the key reasons why your dishwasher may not be cleaning as well as it could.There was a follow-up video released a little later that corrected some issues.
The two videos in total are more than an hour long, so in 2024 another shorter video was released that covers the four main tips.The host of the channel is excellent.He provides a huge amount of information, and somehow makes talking for over an hour about dishwashers and dishwasher detergent genuinely entertaining.
There are even comments from people saying that they watched the whole thing and don't even own a dishwasher.Some of the suggestions wouldn't work for my dishwasher A key hack wasn't applicable There are essentially four tips in the shorter 2024 version of this video.First, clean your filters if you have them.
Some dishwashers have a macerator that grinds up food waste like a food waste disposal unit, but others have a filter that catches the excess food before it reaches the pump.Cleaning this filter is essential for getting the best performance out of your dishwasher.I was already cleaning this filter regularly in an effort to improve my dishwasher performance, so this tip wasn't going to make much difference.
The second tip was to run the hot water tap before starting a cycle.Some dishwashers pull water directly from the hot water supply at the sink, so the heating element doesn't have to heat completely cold water.When you first turn on a hot tap, your water may run cold at first, so your dishwasher may pull cold water into the system on the first fill.
Running your hot water until it comes out hot ensures the first water that enters your dishwasher is as hot as it can be.Unfortunately, my dishwasher uses the cold-water feed, so this tip wasn't of any use to me either.Putting dishwasher powder in the bottom of the door finally fixed my problems My dishes are so much cleaner Close The final two tips relate to dishwasher detergent, and they made a huge difference in my dishwasher results.
The first is something I was already doing: placing the detergent in the dispenser and closing the lid.Apparently, some people throw it directly into the tub, which may mean all the detergent is used up before the main wash cycle even begins.The last tip was the one that finally got my dishes properly clean.
Many dishwashers use pre-wash cycles to try to remove the worst of the grease and debris before the main clean.If you place a pod or detergent in the dispenser, it is held back until the main wash, so the pre-wash runs using water alone.Adding a small amount of detergent to the dishwasher itself rather than the dispenser means that this pre-wash gets the additional benefits of the detergent, which results in much cleaner dishes before the main wash cycle kicks in.
Effectively, you're using detergent in both the pre-wash and main wash, which yields far better results.Some dishwashers have a pre-wash compartment that opens during this first cycle, or a small recess where you're meant to place additional detergent powder for the pre-wash.Even if you don't have these options, you can just add a small amount of detergent powder to the bottom of the dishwasher before you run it to get the same benefit.
All I do now is add a small amount of detergent powder at the bottom of the dishwasher before I start it.It's made a huge difference to how clean my dishes come out.Give your dishwasher the best chance Following these tips gives your dishwasher the best chance to get your dishes completely clean.
The frustrating part is that dishwasher detergent powder is becoming increasingly hard to find, but it can work out far cheaper than pods.If you're skeptical, give it a try; I really wish I'd discovered this awesome YouTube video much, much sooner.
Read More
