Your dishwasher is supposed to clean your dishes but have you ever stopped to think about how to clean your dishwasher itself?  If you don’t, you might as well be washing your dishes in a swamp. Food bits, oil grease, and other build-up can turn your dishwasher into a smelly and dirty mess.

Fortunately, cleaning a dishwasher is easy, cheap, and needs only one ingredient—Vinegar. And if you are wondering how to clean a dishwasher with vinegar, keep on reading!

Step By Step Guide to Cleaning Dishwasher

Empty the Dishwasher

This is pretty obvious, but just in case—take all the dishes out of it. You don’t want to damage your cutlery with vinegar.

Remove and Clean the Filter

Most dishwashers have a filter at the bottom. If you did not know about it till now, wear some gloves and prepare to be disgusted. Pull it out (read the manual if you can’t find where it is) and rinse it under hot water. Scrub it with a brush and dish soap to remove grease and gunk.

Place a Cup of Vinegar in the Dishwasher

Now, follow the steps below:

• Take a cup of white vinegar (no, not apple cider or any other fancy vinegar—just plain old white vinegar).
• Place it in a dishwasher-safe bowl or any other measuring cup and put it on the top rack of the empty dishwasher.
• Run a hot water cycle. (Don’t go and put any detergent in it, please!)

The vinegar will help break down grease, grime, and other mineral buildups while eliminating any foul odours.

Sprinkle Baking Soda and Run Another Cycle (Optional)

If you have the time, follow up with baking soda. Just sprinkle one cup of baking soda across the bottom of the dishwasher and run a short, hot cycle. This will help neutralize everything and leave your machine sparkling clean.

• Wipe Down the Interior and Door Seal
• Use a damp cloth to wipe down the sides, racks, and the door.
• Make sure to give special attention to the rubber seal around the door (it is where mold grows the most).
• If you see any stubborn stains, use a toothbrush dipped in vinegar to scrub it away.

How to Load a Dishwasher the Right Way?

A clean dishwasher won’t stay clean for long, if you load it like there’s no tomorrow. Here’s a quick how-to load a dishwasher guide:

• Top Rack: Place only cups, glasses, small bowls, and plastic items on the top rack.
• Bottom Rack: Here, you can keep plates, pots, and other larger bowls (don’t block the spray arms!).
• Silverware Basket: Keep forks, knives, and spoons here. You can mix them up for better cleaning.

Wrapping Up

And that was it on how to clean the dishwasher with vinegar in the most effective and simplest way possible. It only takes a few minutes but makes a ton of difference in your machine’s performance and durability. 

Plus, you won’t have to deal with smelly, cloudy, half-clean dishes any more. So, don’t wait. Go check your dishwasher’s filter, grab some vinegar, and make your dishwasher as good as new.