How correctly descale and take care of your dishwasher
One of the appliances that we really treasure in modern times is the dishwasher - after all, washing the dishes by hand is a big inconvenience and, even more off-putting, it's more expensive to hand wash than using an appliance!
That said, it is necessary to carefully maintain the dishwasher to avoid problems developing that could damage it. Limescale build-up is one of the risk areas that must always be monitored: let's see how to prevent and remove limescale from the dishwasher!
How to reduce dishwasher power consumption
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First of all, let's start by determining the correct settings (and proper usage) for the dishwasher, as mistakes here can lead to limescale build-up.
Correct loading of the appliance is critical: this is not a setting, per se, but it can make a major impact in terms of overall efficiency and maintenance. Always try to load the dishwasher to its maximum capacity (in order not to be wasteful), but be careful: don't overload it! If you load the appliance with more dishes than it should take, the wash will not be done properly.
An inefficient wash will leave dirt and grime residue inside of the machine and this will encourage the development of limescale (amongst other problems).
In addition to loading the dishes correctly, we recommend using the "ECO" washing program setting which can save on electricity consumption. In this regard, try to run the dishwasher during the most economical time slots, such as in the evening, to reduce the appliance’s power consumption costs. Finally, if possible, purchase a dishwasher in the top energy consumption class: the initial cost will be higher, but the savings in the long term will more than offset this startup expense!
Remedies against limescale build-up in the dishwasher
We now come to another important topic: that of limescale removal. The formation of limescale is primarily due to the hardness of the water and, without going into too much detail, limescale is the colloquial name for calcium carbonate (CaCO3). By knowing this, we can use ingredients that break down CaCO3 to combat what we commonly call limescale!
- Vinegar and lemon: A solution of vinegar and lemon can easily remove limescale. Therefore, after emptying the dishwasher, simply fill a bowl or deep plate with a vinegar and lemon mix, place on the the upper rack and start a regular (empty) wash!
- White vinegar: the same principle (and procedure) is valid for white vinegar since white vinegar easily dissolves CaCO3. If limescale is present in large build-ups, we advise you to also apply a sprinkling of sodium bicarbonate over all the internal parts of the machine. Then proceed with a regular (empty) wash!
Keeping your dishwasher in excellent condition isn't all that difficult, right?
