“Eww, what’s that smell in the kitchen?” 

Let’s be honest. How long has it been since you last cleaned your dishwasher? I’m talking about a deep clean, the kind that gets all of those nasty, smelly food particles out of the nooks and crannies of your kitchen’s workhorse. 

Been that long, huh?

The dishwasher IS a clean machine so it often gets overlooked for long periods of time, or, forever! I’ve even had friends tell me that they never knew that they needed to clean their dishwasher. “Doesn’t it clean itself,” they asked?

The short answer is No. Your dishwasher still needs some love of its own, even after it’s added the shine to your glassware. Not only will it help your dishwasher smell better, it can increase the efficiency of your dishwasher, which is the real goal of regular cleanings. And according to experts (us), you should be deep cleaning your dishwasher once a month to keep it in prime condition. 

So how do you clean it?

It’s more than just running a cycle with an empty load, but it’s still pretty easy. Just grab:

• one cup of vinegar

• one cup of baking soda

• dish soap

• a toothbrush

First, check out the drain at the bottom of your dishwasher. Make sure to remove any foreign objects, food particles, chunks of glass, etc. These can clog your drain if left unattended. 

Next, wash the filter by removing it and soaking in dish soap and water for at least 10 - 15 minutes. 

With the filter replaced, run a cycle with plain white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in a dishwasher safe cup on the top rack of the dishwasher. The vinegar is great for breaking through those musty smells and getting rid of the grease build-up. 

Next, run a short cycle, this time with baking soda sprinkled around the bottom of the dishwasher. The baking soda helps with disinfecting and removing stains. 

Almost done! Take the toothbrush and scrub out any stains that remain. Presto!! You’ve got a clean dishwasher ready to tackle the next load of dishes.