The Lance J. Technoweb

I love my dishwasher and I want it to last forever. Here is my non-obvious advice for getting a dishwasher to live a long life: Leave the door ajar at least a little, especially after a run. Yes, it looks perhaps a little sloppy to leave the door open a little, but it allows the air inside the dishwasher to dry out.  Leaving the door ajar greatly lowers the humidity inside the dishwasher, greatly slowing down the formation of rust within the racks and other internal components.   It also slows or stops any mold growth. Use a rinse agent This helps keep your dishwasher dry after a run.  Rinse agent is very inexpensive.  Definitely use it, it's very simple and not the nasty chemical some people pretend it is. Use good detergent I like the name-brand pods.  They prevent me from using too much detergent.  Detergent is caustic - just like soap.  Using too much soap isn't a great idea because then it can cake up. Make sure the filters and wash arms are free of debris