Tackle Big Messes Better With a Sparkling-Clean Dishwasher

Check plates for things like toothpicks, bones, olive pits and fruit pits, paper labels stuck on jars and sticky pricing labels left on newly purchased plates.

If you pull a glass dish out that’s been chipped, check immediately for broken pieces or shards in your dishwasher. If small enough, broken glass can start breaking down and get inside the system.

8. Use Your Machine’s Options

Check out the cycles and options on your machine, and don’t be afraid to use the ones that work best for targeted cleaning. The pots and pans setting, for example, isn’t just for washing pots and pans, but is for tackling a higher level of food soil.

If you don’t run your dishwasher every day, use the short wash and rinse cycles until you’ve got a full load. For example, if you load up your dishwasher at night but still have room for dishes after breakfast and lunch the next day, run a rinse cycle. This will rinse food soils out of the system before you run a regular cycle and will help cut down on odors.