Spring Cleaning (and Everyday Cleaning) Starts with Your Dishwasher
If you think back to just last week - which feels like such a long time ago now - we were preparing to declutter the kitchen by focusing on clearing the sink and doing the dishes. If you've kept up with this, or even if you haven't, there's something we need to take care of.
And apparently it's something we need to take care of on a regular basis: the dishwasher.
Throughout our home there are things we need to clean on a regular basis. Whether it's weekly, monthly, or yearly. I call it a Clean Routine.
What's a Clean Routine?
It's probably pretty obvious from the name. You're probably more interested in the How of it. My goal this year is to have a better clean routine, not just one I do daily or weekly for everyday things, like the dishes, but to have a better awareness of those other things that need maintenance less frequently.
The daily and weekly clean routine I'm going to focus on after we've decluttered and started organizing our home. The less frequent flyers, however, I think will be easier to think about.
The Dishwasher
Since this month's focus is the kitchen, and the dishes are the jumping off point to get to our dream kitchen, then it makes sense to give this piece of equipment some much needed love.
If you are the dishwasher, then I suggest giving yourself some much-needed love. Get some nice gloves to do the dishes, or some better scrubbers. Whatever will make your job easier.
For those of us with dishwashers however, we've got a monthly task to keep the dishwasher ship-shape.
How to Clean Your Dishwasher
It's a 3-step process and you need 2 ingredients:
Vinegar
Baking soda (or Borax)
Step 1: Clean out the drain
Remove the bottom rack
Grab your beautiful-ugly rags
Clean around the drain as much as you can
Step 2: Hot start with vinegar
Put a cup (plastic or glass) in the top rack, right side up
Fill it with vinegar (about 1/2 cup should be enough)
Run the dishwasher on the hot start setting for about 10-15 minutes*
*I usually just leave the cup where it is and go on to step 3.
tep 3: Hot start with baking soda (or Borax)
Sprinkle about 1 cup of baking soda or Borax directly on the bottom of the washer
Run the dishwasher on the hot start setting for about 10-15 minutes
Voila!
Set a Schedule
Add it to your phone. Set it to repeat once a month, or
Write it onto an actual calendar.
It's that easy!
In time, we'll build these routines into our lives effortlessly.