Dishwasher Habits That May Be Causing Damage

The goal of every homeowner is to prevent repairs to all their costly appliances. Some make active efforts to do maintenance to prevent repairs, others adopt subconscious habits to prevent damage. However, when it comes to the dishwasher, a surprising number of homeowners are actually doing damage without even knowing it.

Overly Dirty Dishes

Yes, the dishwasher’s job is to wash the dishes, but if you are putting plates in caked with food and debris, you are playing a risky game. Not only is the dishwasher going to have to work harder, but all that food washed away runs the risk of getting stuck in the drain lines, spray arms, or even the pump assembly. When this happens, it can cause clogs, but also allows bacteria to grow.

Cheap Detergents

We all know that bubbly hand soap doesn’t go in the dishwasher, but you need to be careful with what you do put in. Not all dishwasher detergents are the same. You want to make sure you choose one without chlorine bleach, as this could dissolve the gasket that seals the door. Some cheap cleansers can even use sand.

Overloading the Machine

One of the little known ways that you are causing damage to your dishwasher is likely due to overloading. There is a very fine line between full and using your resources efficiently and overfull and putting undue stress on the machine. Many washing machines run specifically using turbidity sensors that wash until the water runs clear. If you are overloading, this will make the wash take much longer and can be wasteful. This puts extra strain on your dishwasher.

Hopefully homeowners learn of these three relatively unknown, but damaging practices before it is too late. However, if you didn’t and your dishwasher is already in need of repair, contact us today to see what we can do to help.