The Dishwasher - Your best friend

In the second of our Christmas preparation posts, we’re tackling a much loved appliance that can keep you sane through all the washing up that comes your way over the festive period!

If you’re lucky enough to have a dishwasher, you’ll know it’s one of the most used (and most valuable) appliances in the kitchen, especially over Christmas. However it does need a little tender loving care to keep it in tip top condition, after all a breakdown on Boxing day can leave you with a mountain of hand washing up to do!  

Remove and clean the dishwasher filter periodically to get rid of any scraps of food that can clog up the dishwasher. To clean the inside of the machine, remove limescale build up, and cut through odours, position two bowls of White Vinegar on the top and bottom racks of the empty dishwasher, return the drawers and run the machine on a long, hot cycle.

Even after Christmas is over, you may want to continue using White Vinegar in the rinse compartment of your dish washer - it removes water marks from glasses with ease!

In our next Christmas preparation post, we'll be tackling the aftermath of Christmas dinner, and making sure our roasting tin is spick and span! 

Win the War against Limescale!

There’s nothing like putting your feet up at the end of a long day with a lovely cup of… limescale?!

If you live in a hard water area you’ll know what a pain limescale can be. Not only does it ruin your tea, it leaves water marks everywhere, stops your shampoo from lathering properly, reduces the efficiency of appliances and can even contribute to them breaking down.

Luckily we’re here to arm you with clever tips and tricks to defeat that gunk!

Know your enemy

Here comes the science bit, concentrate!

Limescale is essentially alkaline mineral - calcium bicarbonate - suspended in water. It’s actually very good for us to drink this water because of the rich minerals in it, but it can play havoc with appliances that heat water like your washing machine, kettle, dishwasher, iron etc.

A lovely lump of limescale!

This is because the minerals are attracted to heating elements. When the soluble calcium bicarbonate minerals are heated they become calcium carbonate – a poorly soluble substance that therefore ‘sticks’ to the element. As more and more limescale builds up on the heating element, it requires more and more energy to heat the water and may eventually lead to the appliance breaking down.

So now you know what it is, how can you stop it ruining your stuff?

 

Prevention is better than cure

Water softeners use sodium to replace the calcium in the water - the same principle applies when we advise using Soda Crystals in each wash. Soda Crystals are also known as sodium carbonate, and work to soften the water in your washing machine, making laundry detergents work better and preventing limescale from sticking to heating elements. Soda Crystals also help to remove stains on clothing, as well as detergent build up in the machine. Use between 25g-50g in each wash and you will also find that you don’t need to use as much detergent too – pretty cool huh!

Different areas of the country have harder water and so require the full 50g, whereas areas with softer water won’t necessarily need as much. This map highlights the areas of hard water in England and Wales.

 

Fight fire with fire!

Because limescale is alkaline, acidic cleaners like White Vinegar and Citric Acid work best at removing it. Below are a few methods for removing limescale from surfaces and appliances.

Dishwashers

Draining Boards

Coffee Machines

Kettles

Shower Screens

Irons

So don't let limescale ruin your next cuppa - fight it head on with your army of traditional and natural products!

Time to put your feet up!

It’s official! Dishwashers have been proven to be better for the environment than putting on your rubber gloves and washing the dishes by hand! Research from the University of Bonn in Germany shows that not only do they use less water and detergent, dishwashers use half the amount of energy and are more hygienic. What a great excuse to put your feet up and relax whilst your dishwasher does the hard work for you!

However, dishwashers do need a bit of maintenance every now and again to stop any odours and ensure that they are working as best they can. Whilst expensive, specialist dishwasher cleaners may seem like a good product to shift grease and grime from inside the machine, may people have discovered that natural, simple, inexpensive White Vinegar does just a good job, as well as keeping the machine free from limescale!

Many people already use White Vinegar to clean and descale their dishwashers, making them more energy efficient and eliminating odours in the process. After testing the effectiveness of White Vinegar we have found that the most complete way to use White Vinegar is to fill two containers on the top and bottom rack and to set the dishwasher on the longest, hottest wash. This way the White Vinegar is released gradually and the heat will ensure that the maximum amount of limescale is removed from the internal parts of the machine!

Dishwasher users may also want to carry on using the White Vinegar in the rinse compartment of the dishwasher for regular use - it gets rid of any water marks left on glasses with ease, as well as keeping limescale at bay!