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Getting your dishwasher to last longer

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

Some dishwashers have a food grinder, which is VERY AWESOME and worth every penny.  However, most dishwashers instead have filters that need to be cleaned periodically.  And who does that yukky job?  Usually it's NOBODY!

If you have a dishwasher with a filter, you MUST clean it periodically.  Also, look for and remove any debris in the washer arm holes.  The bottom pan of your dishwasher should have NO debris!

If your washer does have filters to clean, make sure you do a good job scraping dishes while loading.

FINALLY

If your dishwasher is no longer cleaning like new, then YOU are doing something wrong.  After all, a dishwasher is merely a motorized garden sprinkler in a box.  THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING TO PREVENT GOOD CLEANING.

Unless it has a serious expensive component failure, you can keep it working.

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