Why isn't the dishwasher...well...washing the dishes?

October 22, 2010

So, call us a little lazy. We rinse our dishes so well that they often look fit to return to the cupboard. However, we do not usually rinse our tea glasses or coffee mugs as thoroughly. Months of staining liquids dripping into the dishwasher left the appliance looking filthy all the time. The door and basin of the dishwasher were simply not coming clean.

I began feeling embarrassed about the condition of my dishes and flatware as well. The clean dishes were coming out cloudy, chalky, and covered in a gritty film. I would never want a guest to feel like the dishes they were eating off of were dirty!

My mother-in-law was coming to town...what's a better incentive to get this taken care of?!

I began doing some light research online, and discovered many people talking about the wonders of cleaning your dishwasher with "tang" or "kool aid." I didn't have either of those powdered drinks on hand, but I had some powdered gatorade. What's the difference, right? So, I tried the powdered gatorade on the "pots and pans" cycle. It sounded like a freight train was wooshing through my house, woke the baby, and didn't remove the stains. Awesome.

On a quick trip to Target, I decided to try and find some Tang and give it a try. Apparently, Target doesn't carry Tang. Who knew? My last option was to try kool-aid. I had nothing to lose, so I purchased two packets - tropical punch and lemonade. The more I thought about it, the more nervous I became about the tropical punch variety - who wants a pink dishwasher?! Not me! So I went with the lemonade variety, again on the pots and pans cycle. Again, lots of noise and no stain removal.

Now I'm pissed. Don't MAKE ME get on my hands and knees with a toothbrush! I was talking with my mother-in-law about my dishwashing woes. She said that she happened to have the same problem and recommended a very inexpensive solution. Lemi Shine. This product is carried at Wal-Mart and other grocery stores for around $3.50. Lemi Shine is a dishwasher cleaner and can be used in every wash, or on a regular basis for the removal of hard water and other mineral build-up that make your dishwasher dirty looking, and nasty acting.

I tried Lemi Shine, using the "4-8 hour soak" they recommend, and my dishwasher looks like new! My dishes are coming clean and there is no film.

A few things you might want to know:
1. I was ready to toss the dishwasher and get new if this didn't work, so I spent around $10 on a more expensive POWDER detergent, the Lemi Shine and a bottle of Jet Dry. Less expensive than new, I figure!
2. I learned in my research that liquid dishwashing detergent contains bleach that can weaken the seals of your dishwasher, shortening it's life. It also contains a material that makes it congeal - this material tends to make your dishes filmier looking.

Give Lemi Shine a try - you would spend $3.50 on nearly anything else without batting an eye, right?!