Town Appliance Official Blog

These appliances are almost always dark which makes them a perfect habitat for mold and bacteria. Even though your dishes might come out sparkling clean after every wash, those hidden germs might be preventing your tableware from coming out truly sanitized. By giving your dishwasher a little extra attention, you can keep the fungus at bay and make sure your dishes are coming out as clean as they can be.

Take a look at these preventive methods.

Filter Cleaning

What should be done regularly, is to check if the filter has debris or food particles stuck. Rotting food is a huge source of mold in the dishwasher, especially if it gets circulated around the wash tub during cycles. If you want to keep mold from taking hold, clean out the filter about once a week, and give the filter fixture a good scrub in soapy water at least once a month.

Dishwasher Dry Out

Advised prevention method is to let your dishes air dry after a wash cycle. This can be energy efficient and really eco-friendly. Yet, if you choose this option, you need to make sure your dishwasher is getting completely dry between cycles. Keep the dishwasher door open while air-drying dishes and maybe even after if you still see moisture in the tub. 

Gasket Sanitizing

A place that collects the most of bacteria and mold in your dishwasher is a rubber seal on the inside of the door. Therefore, make sure to give it a thorough clean every few weeks. A toothbrush and some soapy water are all you need to get the worst of the grime, but mixing some white vinegar into the water can help punch up the sanitizing power. Be sure to dry it off thoroughly with a paper towel when you're done, or the germs will just start collecting all over again.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar are the two very well-known cleansers. And to prevent fungus in your dishwasher, these two are just the way to go. They're food safe, so they're perfect for use around dishes, and they're gentle enough so as not to damage the sensors and machinery in the appliance. Bleach and harsh chemicals can break the heat sensors in your dishwasher, and you definitely don't want that.

Spraying down the interior of your dishwasher with a mixture of baking soda, vinegar and water will stop the mold and keep your dishwasher fresh and clean. Then, run a hot wash cycle with nothing but a bowl of vinegar in the top rack and some baking soda sprinkled on the bottom of the dishwasher. You might even want to remove the racks from your dishwasher and wash them separately, to remove any caked-on debris or water scale. If you give your dishwasher a thorough clean at least once a month, mold won't stand a chance.