How to keep your dishwasher and garbage disposal clean during the holidays
Holiday cooking sends more dishes through your dishwasher and more food scraps down your garbage disposal than any other time of year. A quick clean before the guests arrive, and a few habits while you cook, help both keep up.
How to clean your dishwasher
- Clear the bottom. Pull out the lower rack and pick out food scraps, seeds, labels or broken glass around the drain.
- Clean the filter. Most newer dishwashers have a filter you twist out of the bottom of the tub. Rinse it under warm running water and scrub it gently with a soft brush. Don’t use a wire brush or scouring pad, which can damage it. Put it back and make sure it locks into place. Whirlpool suggests cleaning the filter about once a month, or every two weeks if you run the dishwasher daily.
- Run a cleaner. Run an empty cycle with a dishwasher cleaner, such as affresh or Finish, following the directions on the label. Whirlpool recommends cleaning the dishwasher about every 30 days.
- Wipe the door seals and the outside. Wipe the door seal (gasket) and the edges of the door with a soft cloth and warm water; that’s where splashes collect. On a stainless steel front, use a stainless steel cleaner and wipe with the grain.
About vinegar: some manufacturers allow an occasional vinegar cycle for a deep clean, but Whirlpool warns that vinegar is an acid and using it too often can damage your dishwasher. For routine cleaning we recommend a cleaner made for dishwashers. Check your manual before using vinegar.
Finish’s short video walks through the same routine:
How to clean your garbage disposal
Safety first: never put your hand in a garbage disposal. If something falls in, turn the disposal off and unplug it or switch off its breaker, then reach in with tongs.
- Grind ice. With cold water running, turn on the disposal and drop in a handful of ice cubes. Some people add a little coarse salt. The ice helps knock buildup off the grinding parts.
- Freshen it with citrus. Cut a lemon or orange into small wedges and feed them in one at a time with cool water running. InSinkErator says the rind helps clean the grinding parts and leaves a fresh smell.
- Clean the splash guard. Food collects under the rubber flaps at the top of the drain. Before you clean it, switch the disposal off and disconnect its power at the plug or breaker, and keep your hands out of the grinding chamber. Then scrub the underside with an old toothbrush and dish soap. If your splash guard lifts out, follow your model’s instructions to remove it and wash it.
- Flush with cold water. Let cold water run for about 30 seconds after the grinding stops.
Doing this every week or two helps prevent buildup and odors.
Holiday habits that prevent clogs
- Keep grease out of the drain. Pour turkey fat, bacon grease and cooking oil into a can or jar, let it cool and throw it away. Grease hardens in the pipes.
- Go easy on stringy scraps. Very fibrous foods like celery can wrap around the grinding parts, and big batches of peels can clog the drain. Put large amounts in the trash.
- Grind a little at a time with cold water running, and keep the water on for a few seconds after the grinding stops.
- Keep non-food items out: no glass, plastic, metal, twist ties or fruit stickers, and never chemical drain cleaners.
- Run the disposal before you start the dishwasher. In many kitchens the dishwasher drains through the disposal, and a disposal full of food can send water back into the dishwasher.
- Scrape plates into the trash before you load the dishwasher, and run full loads.
If something goes wrong
If the disposal hums but won’t turn, or stops and won’t restart, turn it off. Many disposals have a red reset button on the bottom, and your manual shows how to free a jam safely. If the dishwasher leaves standing water, still smells after cleaning, or you find a leak under the sink, give us a call.
By following these simple steps, you can keep your appliances in good working order and ready for all your holiday cooking and cleaning. Happy holidays!
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Dishwasher and disposal repair in Edmond and Oklahoma City
Near Appliance Repair repairs dishwashers and garbage disposals in Edmond, Oklahoma City and nearby communities. You get a written estimate before any work begins. Service call fee waived with completed repair. Repairs come with 1 year on labor and 1 year on qualified installed parts. Call (405) 534-4788. We’re open 7 days a week.