10 Important Things You Need to Know About Your Dishwasher and The Bosch Home AutoAir™ Bosch 500 Series

If you’re a proud owner of a dishwasher in your house or apartment, then obviously, you would want to make sure it’s always performing at its peak.

From the right way to load your dishwasher, to the simplest way to banish stinky smells, to some other surprising facts, here are 10 things every dishwasher-owner should know.

1. Save $$$ by running your dishwasher at night.
There are several reasons to run your dishwasher at night. In some areas, electricity is cheaper at off-peak hours, and you’re also adding humidity back into your kitchen overnight.

2. It’s more water-efficient to use a dishwasher than to wash dishes by hand.
For the most part, you’ll save water by washing dishes in the dishwasher rather than washing them by hand. This is especially true if you’re using a highly efficient model of dishwasher. So don’t feel bad about running that machine — you’re doing a good thing!

3. Rinse Produce!
The next time you bring a large amount of fruits and veggies home from the store or farmer’s market, don’t waste your time cleaning each individual piece. Rinse them in the dishwasher instead. Put more fragile items such as tomatoes and peaches on the top rack, and toss studier produce like potatoes and cantaloupes on the bottom rack. Set your dishwasher to cold and then run a rinse cycle—no detergent necessary.

4. Rusty racks? Cover them with dishwasher rack caps.
A small, smart fix for cheap dishwasher racks that are worn down and rusty.

5. If your dishwasher is running badly, you can fix it.
I didn’t realize until embarrassingly late in life that you can easily take a dishwasher apart and clean it until it runs better.

6. White vinegar is the magic fix to a stinky dishwasher and dull dishes.
Dishes looking dull and streaky? Dishwasher smelling a little funky? Run with a capful of white vinegar to restore everything.
Rusty Dishwasher Rack? Try Dishwasher Rack Caps

7. Clean Makeup Brushes.
Don’t waste time trying to get all of the built-up product out of your makeup brushes by hand. Instead, place them in the silverware caddy or tray of your dishwasher about once a month to remove dried gunk. This method also works for nail clippers, hairbrushes, and combs.

8. Dry Hand Washed Dishes
If you’re hand-washing dishes, there’s no need for the stack of clean plates to clutter up your kitchen afterward. Leave them in the empty dishwasher to air dry.

9. Disinfect Stuff / Baby Teething Toys
From kids’ bacteria-covered blocks and plastic figurines to your pets’ slobber-covered chew toys, the dishwasher is great for de-germing playthings. Place larger toys on the bottom rack, medium-sized toys on the top rack, and small toys in the silverware basket. To avoid any heartbreaking accidents, make sure to use a light wash cycle and avoid the heated dry option, which could melt plastic toys.

10. Contain Cooking Spray Mess
The next time you need to coat a baking dish with aerosol cooking spray, use your dishwasher door as a shield. Open your dishwasher door completely and hold the dish above it as you spray, and the inevitable over-spray will end up on the door instead of all over your kitchen. The inside of the door will get a thorough wash the next time you do dishes, so there’s no need to wipe up the mess. (But make sure that the dishes inside are dirty, or you’ll end up getting oil all over your clean plates.) The same trick also works for measuring out messy powdered ingredients like flour.

Bosch 500 Series

At the end of the day, if your dishwasher can use an upgrade, or if you’re in the market for one we highly recommend checking out Bosch Home AutoAir™ Bosch 500 Series! It utilizes the AutoAir™ technology and automatically opens the door at the end of the drying cycle to let moisture escape and fresh air circulate for better drying results.*

24” width
There’s room for up to 16 place settings. Plus, 5 wash cycles including five-level wash, 5 options like Extra Dry, and a concealed heating element.

Flexible 3rd rack
Accommodate the odd one out. Adding the 3rd rack with its adjustable tines can create the right fit for deep, tall, or uniquely-shaped items.

EasyGlide™ rack
Load and unload smoothly. It’s easy to adjust and move the racks, even while they’re full of dishes.

RackMatic®
Fit it all, every time. With 3 different height levels and up to 9 possible rack positions, you can customize each load for your needs.

24/7 Aquastop®
Protect your floors. This 4-part leak prevention system uses sensors to detect and stop leaks, and can even turn on by itself.

44-dBA noise level rating
Wash dishes in peace. Bosch dishwashers are so quiet, you have to check the exterior Infolight® to know they’re on.

Disclaimer: *Compared to Bosch Dishwashers with PureDry.

XOXO