How to Deodorize Your Dishwasher and Other Tips

I was just looking at the inside of my dishwasher the other day, thinking it needed a good cleaning, so it was fortuitous to come across Renee Loux’s suggestions in Easy Green Living for deodorizing and cleaning this appliance.

If your dishwasher is looking or smelling funky, first clean the filer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Then, use white distilled vinegar to deodorize the inside and dissolve water spots. Pour 2 cups white vinegar into a bowl and sit it upright in the bottom rack. Run the machine through a short wash cycle and it will be clean, deodorized, and ready to run!

Here are some more tips for automatic dish washing:

Less is more in terms of detergent. Contrary to popular belief, using more detergent doesn’t wash the dishes better, it just makes them dingy with residue. One tablespoon of detergent is enough to clean a full load in an efficient dishwasher, and use 2 tablespoons maximum in older models. If you use powdered detergent, try mixing 1 teaspoon of baking soda with your detergent to boost its action (but don’t wash aluminum pans when you’ve mixed in baking soda because it may discolor them.)

Use white distilled vinegar as a rinse aid. If your dishes suffer from a hard-water spotting, pour white vinegar into the rinse compartment for shiny, spotless glasses, flatware, and china.

Don’t wash plastic or wooden items in the dishwasher. Hot water and detergent will wear out plastic and may increase the leaching of plastic into food.

Turn off the “heat dry” option. A machine full of dishes will dry more quickly with heat, but it won’t sterilize the dishes and is a big energy hog.

Adapted from Easy Green Living by Renee Loux (Rodale, 2008).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Rosie L.

2:43PM PST on Dec 6, 2011

thanks!!

send a green star

Michele W.

3:17AM PST on Dec 6, 2011

Thank you

Cheryl B.

7:22PM PST on Nov 17, 2011

great info... thanks

Jon H.

6:51AM PDT on Apr 8, 2011

Vinegar can be used as an airpurifier as well. and rid of bacteria in the air. Place in small cups around the house and enjoy clean fresh air. It helps when your sick as well. :-)

6:47AM PDT on Apr 8, 2011

Wonderful hints to deodorize your dish washer. I used to at least once a month put baking soda and hot water in my dishwasher, run a cycle, let it soak, then run a full cycle. Always worked wonders for me.

John T.

4:49PM PST on Jan 31, 2011

I love the ideas! Thanks.

Bon L.

4:25AM PST on Jan 25, 2011

Thanks for the info.

Tom R.

2:55PM PDT on Jul 17, 2010

Great suggestions! The vinegar works wonders.

NO EMAILS P.

12:49AM PST on Feb 5, 2010

thankyou

Lisa T.

9:13AM PST on Dec 11, 2008

Annie, a friend told me she pours Washing Soda and White Vinegar in the dishwasher cup and I've been doing that for several months and it works great. I just recently started wondering if Washing Soda is safe to use for washing dishes. And advice about that?