Dishwasher mistakes to avoid

We take our dishwashers for granted, sometimes. Used correctly, it is a blessing. Used incorrectly, you may need to wash again, call in for regular maintenance or even loose your warranty. Here are the top things you SHOULD NOT DO with your dishwasher

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1. Don’t put big food particles in your dishwasher: These days, dishwashers are quite advanced that we don’t need to pre-wash the vessels before loading the dishwasher. That does not mean you can leave large food particles in the vessels assuming the dishwasher will clean them. This will only clog your dishwasher drain with food particles - which affects the functioning of your dishwasher. Even the most advanced dishwashers can develop trouble when too much food is left on dishes. So just don’t leave large food particles like curry leaves, leftover vegetables/ rice and so on.

2. Don’t overload the dishwasher: This is extremely common in India. It is important to run your dishwasher when it is full to ensure the cleaning is proper as well as you are not wasting precious dishwasher detergent and tablets. However, overloading your dishwasher, piling vessels on top of each other can damage both your dishwasher and your vessels in the dishwasher. Also cleaning would not be adequate - which may mean you have to wash those by hand or again in the dishwasher. Overloading can also block the dishwasher water sprayer - which should ideally reach every corner of the dishwasher for clean vessels. If a large vessel blocks the sprayer, at the end of the cycle you will have very dirty vessels.

3. Don’t use regular table salt: the dishwasher has a water softener which is used to soften hard water - hard water is very common in most places in India. The dishwasher salt is used by this water softener for ion exchange. Table salt has several anti caking agents which can destroy this water softener in your dishwasher and thereby void your warranty. So never use regular table salt in your dishwasher. Use custom made dishwasher salt available from various different brands.

4. Don’t use washing machine detergent: Dishwashing detergent / tablets need enzymes that target food particles. Washing machine detergents do not have that. Additionally, washing machine detergents contain additional chemicals like fabric brighteners, fragrances, stain removers and other chemicals that can leave residue on your vessels. This can be harmful to your health. Also washing machine detergents can clog your dishwasher water spray and can damage your dishwasher. So - just don’t do it!

5. Don’t use alternative substances for rinse aid: Heard people ask you to use vinegar instead of rinse aid on a regular basis? Yes, vinegar can be used for cleaning your dishwasher occasionally (LINK: how to clean your dishwasher) but regular use can harm your dishwasher. How? Vinegar is an acid with a pH scale of 2. Which means vinegar can break down the rubber gaskets and hoses in your dishwasher, causing damage and also voiding your warranty. Additionally, if it mixes with salt and bits of food on your vessels, vinegar can discolor the vessels.

6. Don’t use non-dishwasher safe containers: There are basic changes you have to make to your utensils in the kitchen in India to make optimal use of the dishwasher. Never use dishwasher unsafe vessels - aluminium, non-stick, cast iron - all of these have a coating which will be stripped off in a dishwasher due to the temperature - which make them detrimental to our health. For a full list of what vessels we can and cannot use - I have made a separate video which I have linked in the description box. Take a look at that.

7. Don’t keep the dishwasher detergent door open or put detergent at the bottom of the dishwasher: I have seen people recommending using the tablet or detergent at the bottom of the dishwasher instead of the dispenser. While this may still work - it does not clean your vessels as well as if you would have put it in the dispenser and it is a waste of your expensive detergent / tablet. For this we have to understand how the dishwasher works. Your dishwasher does a pre-rinse and then a pre-wash cycle before the actual wash begins. During the pre-rinse - all it does is soften the leftover food particles in the vessels so that the wash becomes easier. By adding in the detergent during this pre-rinse - you are exposing the detergent to water immediately - which is a waste of the detergent. The detergents and tablets are designed to be used during the wash cycle - where the temperature and length of the cycle are for optimal use. Like my father always says - Why waste money?