Many of our kitchen clients come to the project hoping that a new dishwasher will eliminate filmy or cloudy glassware. However, the machine may not be problem. A little knowledge and some experimentation will improve current dishwasher performance and help you make a good decision about replacement.
First things first – Is the machine working properly?
A dishwasher is a simple machine. It’s a pump inside a box hooked to a timer. It sprays water on your dishes and then pumps that water out into the drain. That’s it. To determine if it’s working properly, open the door during the wash cycle. Is everything wet? Are the washer arms moving freely? The dishes have to be evenly and repeatedly wetted or they won’t get clean. A common problem is the little holes in the washer arms getting clogged (clean out with a toothpick). Other issues are loading items in a way that blocks a washer arm, overloading and nesting items. If the dirty side of the dish isn’t open and facing the spray, it won’t get clean.
OK, the mechanical and loading issues check out but your glassware still looks icky. What gives?
Now we’re into chemistry. Dishwashing detergent is a mix of chemical compounds that attach to food residue and are then rinsed away. How well they accomplish this depends on 1. The specific compounds in the detergent, 2. The concentration of those compounds in the wash water, 3. Temperature, 4. Time and 5. The amount and type of soil. Change the chemistry and you change your cleaning result.
So where do I start?
1. Compounds and their concentration: Check to see if the haze on your glassware comes off with vinegar or a product like CLR (Calcium, Lime, Rust remover). If it does, you have food and/or mineral residue so you likely need more detergent or adifferent detergent or both. If the haze doesn’t come off, the glass is actually etched so you need less detergent or a differentdetergent or both. (Unfortunately, the etching is permanent so you’ll have to live with it or replace the glassware). If you use an economy brand detergent, try a premium brand for a while. The formulations are different. If you already use a premium, try a different one. (At my home in Vestavia, we get better results with Cascade Complete).
2. Heat: The action of the detergent is faster in hot water. If the water is too cool, it may not be able to clean everything off before the cycle ends. If your hot water takes a long time to hit the kitchen sink, use the water pre-heat feature found on most machines (the drying elements comes on and heats the water).
3. Time: Many dishwashers have multiple cycles. Unfortunately, they usually don’t say “long” or “short”. Experiment and find out which one is the long wash cycle and use it.
4. Not pre-rinsing: Yes, I said not. Many detergents have enzymes that need to be activated by food residue. If they don’t find it, they just float around as crystals that may scratch the glass.
A little patient experimentation will pay dividends in the form of better cleaning results whether your dishwasher is old or new.
