# I did not confess why our dishwasher broke



## Ugeauxgirl (Nov 18, 2021)

My husband just fixed our dishwasher- just in time for Thanksgiving.  I asked him what was wrong with it.  He said the sprayer arm holes had been completely clogged with grease.  He couldn't imagine how that'd gotten that way.  I innocently said that I couldn't either...  And quickly changed the subject. If it wasn't the soap, it was rendering tallow...  Guess I'll have to do a little more pre- cleaning of soapy dishes!


----------



## Obsidian (Nov 18, 2021)

Let your soapy dishes sit for a day or two so any left over bits fully turn to soap, much easier to clean


----------



## ResolvableOwl (Nov 18, 2021)

I've found that (at least my) dishwasher for some reason has a hard time removing soap. It might have something to do with my hard water, idk. Anyway, wherever some tool or dish has had soap batter on it, after washing there is a white film like soap scum. It isn't difficult to remove manually, but hand washing is not what I have a dishwasher for in the first place. The dishwasher+soap batter combo also can attack/ruin silicone surfaces, even those that are rated dishwasher-safe.

Dirt from unsaponified oils (like from rendering tallow, or, heaven forbid, candle making) is another beast, where just waiting doesn't help. I wouldn't put anything into the dishwasher that has more oil on it than from an average meal. Rough pre-wash by hand, and/or put more detergent into the machine.

Now just hope your husband doesn't secretly read SMF…


----------



## Ugeauxgirl (Nov 18, 2021)

@ResolvableOwl I can assure you he does not read SMF.  His eyes glaze over when I talk about soap.  That's part of the reason why I joined .


----------



## Nona'sFarm (Nov 18, 2021)

@Ugeauxgirl, I am guilty of similar sins, some of us seem to learn best the hard way.


----------



## AAShillito (Nov 18, 2021)

There's this stuff called "LemiShine". You run it in an empty dishwasher and it magically cleans out all the ickies. Of course I had to run twice bc of our mineral laden water plus some oils, but my dishwasher is super clean!


----------



## violets2217 (Nov 18, 2021)

***_runs to check dishwasher sprayer arms***  _


----------



## The Efficacious Gentleman (Nov 19, 2021)

**my mind wanders a little away from sensible places**

I wonder if a weak lye solution (applied carefully, of course) would help to make very greasy pots and pans easier to clean..........?


----------



## ResolvableOwl (Nov 19, 2021)

I guess it's not a coincidence that sodium carbonate is called _washing_ soda.


----------



## Mobjack Bay (Nov 19, 2021)

After reading *this*, I use citric acid to clean my dishwasher.  Lemi Shine is citric acid with essential oils and fragrance.


----------



## Ugeauxgirl (Nov 19, 2021)

My husband is in the kitchen right now bragging to our oldest son how he fixed the dishwasher .  That was my good deed for the day, making soap and clogging up the dishwasher.  I made him feel good about his handyman abilities...


----------



## melinda48 (Nov 19, 2021)

Ugeauxgirl said:


> My husband just fixed our dishwasher- just in time for Thanksgiving.  I asked him what was wrong with it.  He said the sprayer arm holes had been completely clogged with grease.  He couldn't imagine how that'd gotten that way.  I innocently said that I couldn't either...  And quickly changed the subject. If it wasn't the soap, it was rendering tallow...  Guess I'll have to do a little more pre- cleaning of soapy dishes!


I use the “Diaper” technique someone posted here. I apologize that I do not remember who. I bought a package of cloth diapers. After soaping I wipe everything down with the diapers and set them aside in a bowl (or whatever). Next day, I wash the dishes in the dishwasher and throw the diapers in my washing machine without detergent as they are now covered in soap. Works great! Saves on paper towels (which I hated wasting) and makes life just a bit easier.


----------



## AliOop (Nov 19, 2021)

@Mobjack Bay +1 on the citric acid. We started using CA as a cheap dishwasher rinse-aid in a house that had very, very hard water. Much to our surprise, the dishwasher that we thought had a solid white interior starting having big chunks of white stuff peel off and fall off the walls and the racks (which were actually gray). 

Then then sprayer arms started rattling. Apparently they had had solid hard water deposits inside, which were now breaking up and causing the rattles. We ended up taking them off completely and soaking them in strong CA solution in the sink to break up the remaining lumps enough so the deposits could be rinsed out.

Although we ended up with a sparkling dishwasher that now worked very well, the entire process took close to a month of cycles for the inside to be fully cleaned out, and close to four hours to manually clean out the sprayer arms and dislodge the remaining deposits on some of the racks. No doubt, the CA did the job, but we got a water softener after that.


----------



## TheGecko (Nov 19, 2021)

Here is what I do:

I scrape as much of the batter as I possibly can...bowls, spatulas, stick blender (I used to think soap makers did it to not waste soap).  I also run my Stick Blender in a pitcher of hot soaping water.  I then wipe everything down with microfiber towels...I tried paper towels but didn't like the waste and I tried old cotton rags, but couldn't get them to rinse well.  By using microfiber, I can simply reuse the same equipment until it's time to call it a day.  At that point, I spray everything down with an 'orange' cleaner I got from the "dollar" store (excepting lye container and I spray that with white vinegar).  I can then wash the dishes in the sink as normal or toss them in the dishwasher.

Another option that I have used though not my favorite is to put all the dishes in a tab and put them in the garage for a couple of days.  The pro to this is that your batter will saponify into soap, but the con is that it doesn't do anything for anything that isn't soap batter.


----------



## Kiti Williams (Nov 19, 2021)

melinda48 said:


> I use the “Diaper” technique someone posted here. I apologize that I do not remember who. I bought a package of cloth diapers. After soaping I wipe everything down with the diapers and set them aside in a bowl (or whatever). Next day, I wash the dishes in the dishwasher and throw the diapers in my washing machine without detergent as they are now covered in soap. Works great! Saves on paper towels (which I hated wasting) and makes life just a bit easier.



OMG!  Where has this tip been hiding!  I use flour sack towels for wipe ups in my household, looks like I will be using them for soaping as well!


----------



## maryloucb (Nov 19, 2021)

Ugeauxgirl said:


> My husband is in the kitchen right now bragging to our oldest son how he fixed the dishwasher .  That was my good deed for the day, making soap and clogging up the dishwasher.  I made him feel good about his handyman abilities...


I must admit, I am envious (not of you clogging up your dishwasher, but of having a husband with handyman skills) If I clogged up the dishwasher, I would be the one fixing it.


----------



## Megan (Nov 19, 2021)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> **my mind wanders a little away from sensible places**
> 
> I wonder if a weak lye solution (applied carefully, of course) would help to make very greasy pots and pans easier to clean..........?



I soak my stainless stove fan filters in a lye solution to help clean them. I like the idea better than the aerosolized lye sprays that they advertise for the same purpose. I stir fry a lot, so they get greasy fast and they most definitely make a layer of soap on the grates when they soak. For pots and pans though, I think manually removing the grease first as much as possible is probably better for the plumbing.


----------



## Cat&Oak (Nov 19, 2021)

Okay do tell how much citric acid per load?


----------



## ResolvableOwl (Nov 19, 2021)

Point is, citric acid is, well, an acid, and that isn't necessarily a good thing in combination with common dishwashing detergents (let alone soaps). Main ingredient of many dishwashing powders is sodium carbonate, and what happens when you combine soda, citric acid, and water, does everyone know who knows bath bombs.


----------



## Cat&Oak (Nov 19, 2021)

Good point! For monthly cleaning how much would you use?


----------



## Mobjack Bay (Nov 19, 2021)

I’m adding less than 1/2 ounce (1 tsp) of citric acid for the occasional load of soap dishes.  Based on testing with pH strips, 1/2 ounce CA in 2 gal of water drops the pH to 5.5 from 7.  I think my dishwasher uses 4-5 gallons of water per load. Newer dishwashers may use less water.

The manufacturer of my dw sells a citric acid based product for descaling (frequency not given) and a washing soda based product to clean the dishwasher (cleaning is recommended every few months).


----------



## ResolvableOwl (Nov 19, 2021)

Does your dishwasher have an integrated water softener (i. e. you have to feed it with salt from time to time)?


----------



## Mobjack Bay (Nov 19, 2021)

Nope, it’s an old economy model in our garage apartment. I do have a whole house softener.  What are you thinking with regard to the salt?


----------



## SideDoorSoaps (Nov 20, 2021)

I recently had my dishwasher serviced when my husband wasn’t sure what was wrong with it not working and leaking. The dishwasher guy took it apart and dig out all the particles of not broken down dishwasher packs. He said that is the number 1 thing he runs into with dishwashers. We did get a new water softener system this flyers and I started using the power dishwasher detergent. The walls were stained orange from the iron and now they are a pale yellow after a couple months of the new detergent. I’m gonna test this CA method out also! I just got a bunch


----------



## Johnez (Nov 20, 2021)

TheGecko said:


> Here is what I do:
> 
> I scrape as much of the batter as I possibly can...bowls, spatulas, stick blender (I used to think soap makers did it to not waste soap).  I also run my Stick Blender in a pitcher of hot soaping water.  I then wipe everything down with microfiber towels...I tried paper towels but didn't like the waste and I tried old cotton rags, but couldn't get them to rinse well.  By using microfiber, I can simply reuse the same equipment until it's time to call it a day.  At that point, I spray everything down with an 'orange' cleaner I got from the "dollar" store (excepting lye container and I spray that with white vinegar).  I can then wash the dishes in the sink as normal or toss them in the dishwasher.



This is great. I really hate using paper towels as I seem to go through a TON every batch. I'll keep my eye open for MF towels next trip to the dollar store.


----------



## AliOop (Nov 20, 2021)

Johnez said:


> This is great. I really hate using paper towels as I seem to go through a TON every batch. I'll keep my eye open for MF towels next trip to the dollar store.


Costco often has a 20pk for a very reasonable price in the automotive section.


----------



## Nona'sFarm (Nov 20, 2021)

Cat&Oak said:


> Good point! For monthly cleaning how much would you use?


The article from GE that @Mobjack Bay refers to says to fill the soap dispenser cup.


*Citric acid wash:*


Fill the detergent cup with three to four ounces of citric acid crystals and close the cup.
Run through a normal wash cycle.
Follow up with another wash cycle with dishwasher detergent in the soap cup.
Repeat process if the mineral build up was especially heavy and one treatment did not completely remove all minerals.
  Note:

Plain dishes can remain in the dishwasher, but patterned dishes and glasses should be removed.
Do not place metal items in the dishwasher during a citric acid treatment


Whoops, just read the remaining entries, looks like Mobjack Bay uses about a teaspoon.


----------



## Mobjack Bay (Nov 20, 2021)

@Nona'sFarm If scale has built up, I think more CA will be needed.  I’m using the lesser amount to prevent scale.


----------



## TheGecko (Nov 20, 2021)

Johnez said:


> This is great. I really hate using paper towels as I seem to go through a TON every batch. I'll keep my eye open for MF towels next trip to the dollar store.



I got mine from Amazon Microfiber Cloths.  Sadly, they only have the 12-packs available right now.  I keep a couple of damp ones on my soap cart...they pick up oils, mica, dispersed TD, A/C, etc without leaving a trail.


----------



## Mobjack Bay (Nov 20, 2021)

I‘m also a microfiber cloth convert after reading one of @TheGecko ’s early posts about their effectiveness for cleaning up oily dishes.


----------



## Zing (Nov 20, 2021)

Mrs. Zing has the same problem as @maryloucb unfortunately.  I brag when I hang a picture on the wall, and that's about as handy as I get.  I did marry Handy Annie and Betty Crocker (one person, monogamous, not poly) who among other accomplishments, tiled our bath and kitchen.

I use newspapers to wipe out everything.  Old school here.  If you younguns don't know what a newspaper is, google it.


----------



## TheGecko (Nov 21, 2021)

Zing said:


> I use newspapers to wipe out everything.  Old school here.  If you younguns don't know what a newspaper is, google it.



Newspapers?!?  Try wiping out your bowls with stone tablets.


----------

