If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

Monday, February 6, 2012

dishwasher woes and fixes


Good morning everyone!
My dishwasher has not been consistently cleaning the dishes all the way for a few months and I had just about quit using it.  
But last Sunday afternoon,  we had a lot of dirty dishes and I was tired so I loaded up the dishwasher, then  I sat down in the living room with my son and husband.  A little while later,  I went in the kitchen for a drink and saw that the kitchen floor was covered with water that was coming out of the dishwasher.
Thankfully my son helped dry up the water and my husband got the water shut off.

The appliance repairman came Monday morning, ordered a part and then replaced in on Weds morning - pretty fast service!
Anyway,  the water inlet valve was ruined as it was just full of alum that is in our water and it had corroded the fittings too.  That  part was so clogged, it was not letting enough water in the dishwasher 
After the repairman fixed the broken part,  I asked him about the not-clean-enough dishes.  

He told me several things to do and now,  I can happily report that the dishwasher is working right and yields very clean dishes!


clean dishes!

Lemi-shine ( bought mine at Walmart with the dishwasher detergents for about $3.

The appliance man said that all phospates were removed from dishwasher products about 2 years ago.  Phosphates are bad for the environment but were good for cleaning dishes and keeping the inside of appliances clean and free of buildup.
He told me to get some LemiShine.
I followed the directions on the back of the LemiShine.
First,  I ran the dishwasher, empty, on a hot long cycle with a full dispenser cup of LemiShine to clean the inside and all the spray holes, etc.
Then I ran a load of dirty dishes, again following the LemiShine directions.  I put detergent in the first cup, LemiShine in the second cup.
Those steps resulted in a really clean load of dishes.  yea!

I've been handwashing dishes lately and I think I mostly prefer anyway.  It is much quieter and does not take that long unless there are really a lot of dishes.
Even though my hand have been in dishwater a lot,  they are soft and not dry.
I think it is because of this  cream I found at Dollar Tree.
The tubes are big,  10 ounces,  and like everything at Dollar Tree,  they cost $1.  

Dermasil cream from Dollar Tree - $1 for 10 ounces!

I used to like that Blue Spa hand parrafin stuff from Bath and Body Works,  at about $12 for a little tube.
But I really think this Dermasil works much better.
I've bought 3 tubes to keep one in the kitchen, one in my bedroom and one in the living room.
And if I got back to Dollar Tree and they still have it,  I just might buy a few more tubes to have for later.


Another tip from the appliance repairman - he said any dishwasher or washing machine,  no matter the age or brand, could malfunction and flood your house during a cycle.  He said they should never be left running attended - either when we leave the house or go to bed.  I am taking his advice on this one.

13 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tips - I will be looking for some Lemishine at Walmart!! I've been looking for a lotion for my very dry hands guess I'll be making a trip to Dollar Tree too, lol!! Thanks again for the tips :-)

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    1. Mother Hen, I really do like both of these products very much, and I hope you do to. I don't like telling people that a product is worth buying unless I really think it is. Money takes too much careful management to just waste it on every new item out there but I am really glad to of found both of these.

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  2. Does the Lemishine only work for dishwashers? I'm wondering if it could be used for the washing machine...

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    Replies
    1. Tracy, I just checked the container, LemiShine does not it works in washing machines but it doesn't say not to either. I have heard of using vinegar to clean the inside of a washer.

      I wash our white laundry in hot water with a little Clorox to kill germs, those loads seem to keep the inside of our washer clean.

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  3. We have very soft water here but I have a time with certain detergents not dissolving well and therefore not draining down the drain well either. I think I'll do a preventative measure and use the LemiShine at least every other load in my dishwasher.

    Guess I just NEED to go to DT...DG never has half so much nice stuff as I keep hearing about at DT. And lotion is so very very expensive. I could use a good lotion for my hands, they get extremely dry after one handwashed load and after two they are like sandpaper.

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    Replies
    1. Terri - I shop at Dollar General some but I like Dollar Tree best, especially for snacks, bread, gift wrap, bargains like this Dermasil.
      Jeff loves their Luigi's lemon ice cups.

      I think you will like Dollar Tree if yours is anything like ours anyway

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  4. Wish I had read this before I went to Walmart this morning. :) I'll look for the LemiShine next time I go.
    Also, I'll have to look for the Dermasil at our DT next time too!

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  5. I could tell immediately when the phosphates were removed from the detergent a few months ago. The dishes come out dirty! It's lime in our water. I'm going to add that stuff to my grocery list!

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    Replies
    1. I wish I had known they were going to remove them nationwide and I would of stocked up on the good stuff prior to the change. Oh well!

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  6. What good tips. I run the dishwasher less and less now but will be buying me some of that lemon stuff next time at Walmart, too.

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  7. oh oh! I always run mine at night when we go to bed. I'll have to get some of that stuff to try!

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  8. Rhonda, like everybody else I will add both of those items to my list. Glad you were home to find the water sooner and not later!

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  9. Thank you for the tips, Rhonda. I will have to try them both!
    So glad you were home when your dishwasher leaked, that could have been a big problem!

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