How To Clean My Dishwasher With Vinegar

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Dishwashers need to be kept clean to prevent mold and bacterial growth. However, washing the entire machine by hand with soap and water can be incredibly tedious and inefficient. Luckily there are easier, alternative ways that you can clean your dishwasher. By using ingredients like distilled white vinegar and baking soda you can quickly clean the inside of your dishwasher by simply running a wash cycle.

1

Empty the washer and pull out the bottom washing rack. Once all the plates and silverware have been removed from your washer, you'll want to carefully pull out the bottom washing rack. Pull the rack towards you until it slides out of the dishwasher.^[1]
2
Remove any large food debris from the dishwasher drain. The dishwasher drain can sometimes get clogged by larger pieces of food. Locate the drain on the bottom of your dishwasher and remove the food with your hands, before wiping down the area clean with a rag.^[2]
- Regularly clearing the dishwashing drain of food debris will increase the dishwashers efficiency and save you money over time.
- A clogged drain can cause damage to your dishwasher's pump or scratch dishes.^[3]
3

Remove and wash the filter. The filter is a screen that picks up debris from the inside of your dishwashing machine. Filters usually have screws that you need to remove to pull the filter out. Once you've removed the filter, allow it to soak in warm water and mild dish soap for 10 minutes before washing it down with a sponge.^[4]
4

Replace the bottom rack and filter in your dishwasher. Once the filter and drain are cleaned out, you can put both of them back into the dishwasher so that it can also be cleaned by the vinegar.

1
Place a container with white vinegar on the top rack. Pour one cup (236.58 ml) of white vinegar into a container or cup and place it on the top washing rack in your dishwasher. As you run your wash, the vinegar will help disinfect your dishwasher.^[5]
- Make sure that the container is dishwasher safe.
EXPERT TIP

James Sears leads the customer happiness team at Neatly, a group of cleaning gurus based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. James is an expert in all things clean and provides transformative experiences by reducing clutter and renewing your home environment. James is a current Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California.

James Sears
Professional Cleaner

Our Expert Agrees: To clean your dishwasher, place a cup of distilled white vinegar in the bowl on the top rack of your dishwasher, and run the dishwasher. You can also use baking soda. These options are useful because it's best to use non-toxic cleaning supplies when you're cleaning anything that may touch your food.
2

Sprinkle one cup (180 g) of baking soda into the bottom of the dishwasher. Baking soda will help absorb the unpleasant odors and will leave your dishwasher smelling fresh. Measure out one cup (180 g) of baking soda into a measuring cup and pour it into the bottom basin of the washer itself.^[6]
3

Start a hot-water cycle on your dishwasher. Press the high-temperature wash cycle on the front of your dishwasher and let it run. Set an alarm for halfway through the washing cycle so you remember to return to your dishwasher.^[7]
4

Stop the cycle mid-way and let the vinegar sit for 20 minutes. Pause your washing cycle and open the dishwasher door. The vinegar and baking soda will start to work away embedded grime and will remove unpleasant odors.^[8]
5

Wipe down the inside of the dishwasher once the cycle is complete. Use a dry cotton rag or cloth to wipe down the interior of the machine until it's dry. Performing once a month maintenance on your dishwasher will prevent food debris from building up and will stop unpleasant odors.

EXPERT TIP

James Sears leads the customer happiness team at Neatly, a group of cleaning gurus based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. James is an expert in all things clean and provides transformative experiences by reducing clutter and renewing your home environment. James is a current Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California.

James Sears
Professional Cleaner

Try running another hot-water-only cycle to finish cleaning the machine. After you finish the cycle with vinegar, run another cycle with hot water. That will rinse away the vinegar so it doesn't corrode the plastic gaskets inside the dishwasher.

1

Wipe down the exterior of the dishwasher and the door seal. The door seal on a dishwasher is prone to getting dirty. Dampen a rag with distilled white vinegar and then run it across the soft white plastic on your door seal. Examine the seal to make sure that you lifted all the dirt and gunk from it. Wipe down the exterior of your dishwasher with the same cloth.^[9]
2

Wash your dishwasher with vinegar once a month. A monthly cleaning will keep your dishwasher smelling fresh and will prevent bacteria from growing. If you notice unpleasant odors or your dishwasher stops working even after cleaning it, you may need to have your dishwasher looked at for maintenance.^[10]
3
Use vinegar to wipe down the washer's racks and sprayer arm. If you want to remove built up grime or food on dishwasher racks, you can remove them from the washer and wipe them down with distilled white vinegar. Similarly, you can remove the sprayer arm on the dishwasher and soak it in distilled white vinegar. This will loosen up gunk and food particles and make it so your dishwasher runs more efficiently.^[11]
- The sprayer arm sprays down your dishes with water and can be found on the bottom of your dishwasher.
- When removing the sprayer arm, make sure to read the instruction manual for the dishwasher.
- Disconnect any energy running to your dishwasher while you unscrew the sprayer arm.
EXPERT TIP

James Sears leads the customer happiness team at Neatly, a group of cleaning gurus based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. James is an expert in all things clean and provides transformative experiences by reducing clutter and renewing your home environment. James is a current Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California.

James Sears
Professional Cleaner

Try using lemon as an alternative to vinegar to add a fresh scent. Cut a lemon in half, then scrub the parts of your dishwasher with the lemon. Since the lemon is acidic, it will help break down any scale or other build-up.

Add New Question

Question

Is this method safe if my dishwasher is stainless steel inside?

Yes, vinegar and baking soda are both safe on stainless steel.
Question

How does the dish of vinegar (on the top shelf) get mixed with the baking soda (on the bottom?)

When you run the dishwasher, the water jets will mix the two ingredients. It's the same as when you add the soap, it gets dissolved and sprayed through the jets from the water basin at the bottom of the washer.
Question

Just to confirm, I should do one load with vinegar, then one load with baking soda, and not one load with vinegar and baking soda together?

No, both at the same time: baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher, glass of vinegar on the top rack. Mid-cycle, stop the dishwasher, open the door, wait 20 minutes and restart your machine, just like if you had forgotten to put something in it.
Question

Can I use apple cider vinegar?

Yes, any kind of vinegar will work well.
Question

Should the bowl of vinegar be emptied out when cleaning my dishwasher with vinegar?

It should be replaced with water. As the dishwasher runs, water sprayed by the dishwasher will collect in the bowl and overflow, mixing below. Make sure you choose a bowl or cup where the vinegar is close to the top when filled with 1 cup. The cup should be filled with a diluted water vinegar mix when the cycle is done. If it's just straight vinegar after the cycle, your dishwasher may have other problems.
Question

I did this, but the vinegar stayed in the cup. Is that what was supposed to happen?

Look at the inside top of the dishwasher above the upper rack. There should be a small spray arm, position the vinegar cup under that spray arm, rather than the outer perimeter of the rack, that should allow more of the vinegar to mix with the water.
Question

Does the vinegar stay in the bowl, or should it be emptied out?

The vinegar will flow out as the water fills the bowl. You want to use a container that will hold the cup of vinegar and be filled to 1/4 inch of the rim. A Pyrex style one cup glass measuring vessel is perfect. You can fill it to a 1/4 inch below the pouring spout ( a few extra ounces of vinegar).
Question

Can I run the cycle with vinegar on the sanitize setting and not stop it midway through if I don't have baking soda?

Yes. You can use only vinegar if you don't have baking soda. You would not need to stop the cycle if you do not use baking soda.

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Things You'll Need

Rag
Distilled white vinegar
Baking Soda
Dishwashing safe container

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To clean a dishwasher with vinegar, start by pouring 1 cup of vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container and then placing the container on the top rack of your dishwasher. Next, close your dishwasher and start a hot water cycle. Halfway through the cycle, stop the dishwasher and let the vinegar sit for 20 minutes. Then, finish the cycle and wipe down the inside of the dishwasher with a cloth or rag. To learn how to wash the individual pieces in your dishwasher with vinegar, scroll down!

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