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

Make Mealtime Matter: Set Your Table

        My Granny sets her table for every meal. Nothing extravagant, just plates, silverware, napkins, glasses, and serving dishes. Eating at her house, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner is an event, not a rushed interference to the rest of their busy day, but an event worthy of a well-set table. In her day, that was a normal routine and to this day, to not put the food in serving dishes makes her feel a little wild or lazy, I'm not sure which.

Today, many families are lucky if they can pull themselves away from the TV to get to the dinner table, let alone use serving dishes and proper place settings. I admit, although I have sat through several "dinner etiquette" classes, I still have trouble remembering which side the forks go on, and my husband cannot understand for the life of him why I would ever consider making more work for myself by transferring our food from pots and pans to serving dishes. 

      This week's making mealtimes matter challenge is to set your dinner table, and your lunch table, and your breakfast table, as often as you can.  Pull out your serving dishes (or use plates and bowls) and get your food out of the pans and onto the table. 
      
For my fellow homemakers who, like me,  may have trouble remembering the proper way, here is a quick how-to on setting your table. On the left hand side of the plate go the salad fork and dinner fork. To the right, the knife, sharp end toward the plate, then spoon. Napkin should go on the plate or under or to the left the forks.

 

 

I have found that setting my table properly really does help me to slow down and enjoy mealtimes with my family.  My children love using the "good" plates like mommy, and our mealtimes really do feel more important.

 

 

Next Meal Time Matters Challenge: Invite God to the meal

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!   

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.  
    
    

Monday: Meal Prep

t's Monday again, which is the day I like to prep the meals for the rest of the week. On todays agenda:

• Ground Beef--I found ground beef on sale ($4.75 for a 3 lb package), and need to brown the ground beef to freeze for spaghetti, tacos, and hamburger helper.
• Salad--i buy spinach and lettuce, carrots and bulk radishes to make toss salad (cheaper than buying in bag, but we wont use it unless it's pre-prepped so I have to make our salads for the week.  
• I saved some spinach back in a small bag to use for pastas, and other cooking.
• Citrus fruit salad--My Granny gave me some grapefruit from her house in FL.  I bought a few oranges and am making a Citrus fruit salad for the week.  
• Orange peel--I grated froze orange peels to use in future recipes
• Carrots--I buy regular carrots ($0.75/#) instead of baby carrots ($1.50 per #) I shredded some for stir fry and salads, and the rest i chopped to use as a veggie side dish.