A few months ago, I started noticing that my dishwasher wasn’t cleaning my dishes. I was so excited when I moved into my house a few years ago, not only for the house, but for having a dishwasher for the first time.
When my dishes weren’t getting clean, I started to wash them by hand again. But according to Avista’s Energy Guide you can save 5,000 gallons of water a year and $40 in energy costs by using a dishwasher instead of washing by hand.
Someone mentioned that I should check the filter in my dishwasher. I googled how to clean my dishwasher filter and specified what kind of dishwasher in my search to find out how to clean it.
It had been a while since I had used it, so I ran a rinse cycle before diving in. I took out the bottom tray, pulled out the sprayer and the filter. It was disgusting. I don’t think the folks who lived here before cleaned the filter either. I soaked all the pieces in hot, soapy water and started scrubbing. For the tough-to-clean spots, I sprinkled them with baking soda and drizzled a little white vinegar on them to make it foamy. Then I scrubbed some more.
Now, my dishwasher is working great. I can start using it again instead of washing dishes by hand. If you find that your dishwasher isn’t cleaning as well as you would like it, you should check your filter, too.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday.