Dishes Not Getting Cleaned? Clean Your Dishwasher!

Did you know that older dishwashers need to be disassembled and cleaned biannually? Now, I don't know about newer models-I don't have one-but if you have never cleaned your dishwasher, it may be time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Over the last several weeks I started noticing that my dishes were not getting clean in my dishwasher. Even pre-rinsed glasses sand bowls were coming out with a sandy grit plastered to the inside.
 

As much as I have been pining for a new dishwasher (I have a beautiful, energy efficient black model in mind), we simply cannot afford to buy a new appliance right now if we don't absolutely need it. So, I got to work.  I disassembled the sprayer parts and soaked them in a sink half-full of water and vinegar.  After scrubbing the parts and dishwasher bottom with steel wool and an old toothbrush, I put everything back together and ran a cleaning cycle using the hottest water I could and 2 cups of vinegar.  Once the cycle was about half-way through, stopped the cycle and wiped out the bottom with a clean rag.  My dishwasher went from this:

to this:
 

 

If you haven't guessed, your homemaking challenge is to clean that dishwasher, and while you have your vinegar out, soak and scrub your glasses and silverware as well.     

 

 

The glass on the left is cloudy and full of water spots.  The glass on the right has been soak in vinegar and water and lightly scrubbed with steel wool. It looks just like new!  

 

My silverware was dull and dingy looking.  I soaked them in vinegar-water, lightly scrubbed them with steel wool and now...

  

They are shiny and bright.  Beautiful!

 

 

Going forward, add cleaning your silverware, glasses and yes. your dishwasher to your fall and spring cleaning lists.  I have written a detailed guide with lots of pictures about cleaning your dishwasher at

http://modernhousewife.hubpages.com/hub/Dishes-Not-Getting-Clean-Clean-Your-Dishwasher

 

 

Happy Homemaking!

 

Sarah

10 Tips to Make Cleaning Easier

1. Define your goals--Make a checklist; this way you can see exactly what needs done and can make sure you dont forget anything. I use daily, weekly, and monthly checklists.
2. Set a time limit--If you need to straighten up the entire house, it may help to set a time limit for each room.  When the time is up, move on to the next room.  Once you have gone through all the rooms, go back and finish anything you didn't have time to do. 
3. Set realistic goals--It is unrealistic to think that you can clean out all of your kitchen cupboards in one hour.  Remember, always error on the side of caution.
4. Eliminate clutter--create a "home" for everything, and always put items back where they belong right after using.
5. Start from the top and work your way down. --If your mop the floor before cleaning the counters, the floor is just going to get dirty again.
6. Stick to the task at hand.--if you are straightening up the living room, don't get sidetracked hanging a picture or rearranging drawers and furniture.  Save those chores for another day.
7. Room order matters!--having trouble getting motivated, start with the easiest room to get a quick high then move on to the hardest room while your energy is high.
8. Do only one room at a time.--Don't get sidetracked cleaning another room when you just went in their to put a toy away.  That room will get its turn!
9. Separate clutter.--Separate clutter into piles based on what room or drawer they go it.  This will organize the clutter in your mind, making it easier to put away.
10. Make it Habit--incorporate basic daily chores into your routine, like making the bed, dishes in the dishwasher, clothes straight to the laundry. They'll become second nature and you'll do them without even thinking about it.  When it's time to clean up, you'll have a lot less to do! 

Shiny Sink

This week's challange: Shine your sink!
Okay homemakers, time to look at your sink.  Is it empty, clean, and dry? No?? Then get ready for this week's challenge.  I want you to go shine your sink and keep it empty, clean and dry every day for the next week.  This is a trick I learned from my Granny to keep my sink looking as new as possible. To my suprise, when my sink is shiny, my kitchen stays cleaner!   

15 fantastic uses for Borax

       A practicing catholic and homemaker, I do believe that we called to be good stewards of both our financial resources and our environment, and I have found that one product, Borax, can help me do both.    
       Although it once was considered a staple in the laundry room, many of today's housewives wouldn't even know where to buy Borax, let alone know what to do with it.  Borax is the common name for sodium borate,  a natural,  alkaline mineral found in the Western US and China; unbelievably, it has been in use for over 4000 years.
         You can find Borax in the laundry isle of your local grocery store.  It has no toxic fumes, is not flammable, is safe for the environment, and can be mixed with most other cleaners including Clorox.  It cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water and repels bugs such as cockroaches, fleas and others.  It's cleaning and bleaching power comes from its ability to convert water molecules into hydrogen peroxide, and its high pH (9.5) increases the effectiveness of bleach and other cleaners.  The boron and salt inhibit the metabolic processes of many organisms, disinfecting and killing many pests.
        It can, however irritate skin and should not be ingested, or used around food.  Keep out of reach of children and pets and be sure to rinse Borax out of clothes and off surfaces before use.  That being said, Borax is a fantastic alternative to other "commercial" cleaners.

Here are 15 great uses for Borax.

1. Laundry Booster: adding 1/2 cup Borax to wash loads to whiten whites, brighten colors soften hard water, remove soap residue from clothes, neutralize laundry odors, disinfect clothing, and boost the cleaning power of your detergent
2.  Dishwasher Booster: Add 1TBSP Borax to detergent cup to reduce water spots or MYO detergent by Combining 1 TBSP Borax and 1 TBSP baking soda and add to detergent compartment. 
3. Clean aluminum Pots in pans
4. Clean and deodorize carpet: remove stains by rubbing a paste of Borax and water into the stain.  Let the paste dry and vacuum.  For liquid stains, make a 1:3 solution of Borax and Water and pour some onto stain and blot up liquid, repeating until stain is gone.  To deodorize, spray carpet with a fine mist of water, or after using carpet cleaner, sprinkle on Borax.  Let dry and vacuum.  
5. Kill roaches and ants: Mix a spoon of Borax with a small amount of powdered sugar and leave it anywhere you see roaches. ***(Keep pets and children our of reach!)***    
6. Kill Fleas: Sprinkle Borax on the carpet.  Let sit about 1 hour and vacuum well.  
7. Drain Opener: Mix 1 C Borax with some boiling water and empty down the drain
8. Clean garbage disposal: pour 3 TBSP Borax down drain and let sit 1 hours.  Turn on disposal and flush with hot water.  
9. Litter Box Odor Control: mix a bit of Borax in with cat litter
10. Remove odors from furniture and mattresses:  wet affected areas, shake on Borax, let dray and vacuum
11. Sprinkle some in garbage pails to keep them odorless
12. Remove stains--even rust from stainless steel or porcelain:  Make a 4:1 paste of Borax and lemon juice and rub into stain with a cloth or sponge.  Rinse with warm water
13. Wash windows with a clean sponge dipped in 2 TBSP Borax dissolved in 3 C water
14. Remove mildew from fabrics and clothes: for upholstery: soak a sponge in a 1:4 solution of Borax and hot water and rub affected areas.  Allow solution to soak into fabric for several hours, then rinse.  For clothing: soak in a 1:4 solution of Borax and hot water; wash as normal 
15. Sprinkle into cracks in sidewalks and driveways to keep seedlings from taking root.   

Clean Out Your Dishwasher

     You may not have ever realized this--I didnt until we had been in our house almost 2 years--but even your dishwasher needs regular maintenance and cleaning to keep it at its best.
      I clean out our dishwasher every few months to avoid calcium and lime build up, using the Works, which I get from the dollar store for--that's right--a dollar.  I Turn the Dishwasher on, let it run to the Wash Cycle; then put in 8 oz of cleaner--I use the whole bottle of the Works, since it is only a dollar--and allow the wash cycle to finish.  Using a very hard bristled brush--small screwdriver if needed--scrub the holes, removing any leftover calcium build up.  I also clean out any debris from the bottom and wipe down the sides and door.   Finally, I run a "quick" cycle to finish the job.