Clean Your Dishwasher Effortlessly With The Magic Of One Pantry Ingredient

You clean dishes with your dishwasher, but what do you clean your dishwasher with? If you've never even considered this question before, don't worry — you're not alone. According to one survey, most people only clean their dishwasher three times a year, with one in every ten people not cleaning it even once. (It was me; I was that one in ten as a fresh-from-college young adult, unaware that dishwashers even needed maintenance). If you just leave your dishwasher be, you're inviting mold that can cause respiratory illness and allergy problems. A dirty dishwasher can't get the gunk off your dishes well either, but fortunately, there's an easy way to clean your dishwasher, and it's probably sitting in your pantry.

Vinegar shines as both an ingredient and an astringent cleaning supply. Its acidity is perfect for kitchen cleaning jobs like descaling coffee machines or obliterating the burnt mess stuck to your frying pan. Distilled white vinegar makes cleaning your dishwasher a breeze, too. First, pour one cup of vinegar into a cup or bowl. Place the container on the top rack of an empty dishwasher and run a cycle. Then, let your dishwasher air dry by leaving the door cracked. For a more vigorous cleaning, take out the racks, filters, and utensil holders. Pour baking soda and vinegar into the drain in equal parts (though you shouldn't need more than half a cup). Let it sit for 15 minutes, and then rinse it down and pop the filter back on.

Though this set-and-forget vinegar method is very straightforward, keep these tips in mind to get the most out of one cleaning session. Don't just use any old vinegar you have lying around. There's a notable difference between cooking and cleaning vinegar, and you want the latter, distilled white vinegar. Run more than one wash cycle and be sure to check the filter in between, removing any large food bits you find by hand. Run the wash cycle on a hotter setting for extra sanitation, and choose a container that can stand up to the heat.

Vinegar sometimes requires more babysitting than you might think, though. For one, you may want to run a rinse cycle first. Why? If there's any salt lingering in your dishwasher, it could react to the vinegar and discolor any metal inside. It's also important to remember that vinegar's acidity level is no joke. It can warp plastic and dry out the rubber on gaskets and seals, which could lead to leaks (and more mold). In short, don't go overboard with the cleaning. A little bit of vinegar every now and then will do your dishwasher just fine.