Originally Posted By: satinsilver
Some people put Tang or citric acid in their dishwasher periodically to help prevent deposits from building up. Susposed to work well. You can google it for more info.
YES.....this seems to be extremely popular among the "green living" or "eco friendly" sites.....hehe.
Another thing I've heard is Lemonade Kool-Aid packets....? BUT, it has to be the 10 cent packets.....not the "just add water" kind that have the Koolaid already mixed with the sugar....obviously....makes sense when you think about it
Cleaning the diash washer with Sugar doesn't sound good haha.
But yes.....I've noticed the white spots....in fact, it appears to be etching/marring the [censored] out of the detergent cup(s) in my dishwasher.....even to the point where the detergent cup was no longer OPENING! So.....I boiled a bot of water....not rolling boil, just "hot" enough to handle with my bare hands (elbow grease) and yea.....all sorts of chalky nasty white gritty substance was lodged in the detergent cup.....causing the cup to no longer "open" at the proper time...
So....I got the product called "Dishwasher Magic" I think it was called from Walmart......you put the product, cap-side-down in the silverware holder/rack.....and it has a wax ring on it....you run the dishwasher empty, with the Dishwasher Magic in there, with the washer on "Pots and pans" mode, and "Hot Wash" cycle (I learned the "Pots and Pans" mode is the hottest cycle....and also only agitate/clean the bottom rack....where the real "crud" lies for the most part....as mentioned, in that filter).
Anyways, after 1 run, the dishwasher returned to normal...sorta....but for [censored] and giggles I purchased another bottle, and did another empty cycle....and yes, 100% better the second cycle....the door now opens properly
I also noticed the door "catching" on something when I would close it after adding the detergent.....almost like sand paper sounding. After the dishwasher magic [censored], it slides freely...
But like any "maintenance" - it's due again
ALSO, another tip I've heard, is running White Distilled Vinegar in the Rinse Agent port.....the spot where you'd add your Jet-Dri - add White Vinegar instead.....trust me, you won't smell it on your dishes....but they do seem to come out cleaner, clearer, and stops the build up a little better.
I've recently started using Borax in my wash cycle, 1/4 cup....as per the Box label.....seems to work good too, as it is a natural water softener, and "cleaning booster" - for laundry, deodorizing, etc....
Originally Posted By: RTexasF
Run
CLR (
Calcium,
Lime,
Rust) through the empty dishwasher once a month. Initially you may have to do it several times in a row. That revived a poor performing dishwasher for us and we've used it for years now, same dishwasher. You can buy it practically anywhere and it works.
That sounds like a viable option too.....I don't know how "health friendly" CLR is though....? Though, If I recall, I believe it did/does have dishwasher cleaning instructions on the bottle
Never actually used it for that application....but when my dishwasher was on the fritz, I was looking all over for possible solutions.....Kool-Aid seemed to be about the easiest, and cheapest.....just remember to use the "unsweetened" packets....that you're supposed to add sugar too....the premix stuff in the big tubs will not work haha.
