How To Deodorize Dishwasher With Baking Soda – 6 Easy Hacks

Your dishes will never be properly cleaned if the dishwasher itself is stinky. Do you know why it might smell in the first place? because of the odor-causing bacteria that has been breeding there because of poor dishwasher maintenance. Fret not; we can fix that pretty easily, in fact. To deodorize a dishwasher, you might have heard a lot of hacks that involve vinegar, baking soda, etc. In this article, I am going to teach you how to deodorize dishwasher with baking soda.

So, without further ado, let’s get learning!

What is Baking Soda?

Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent that is mildly alkali. Well, we definitely use it as food; it’s usually used to puff up fried food or to make it crispy. But in the context of a cleaner, those are the basics. Being alkali means that it shows basic properties (PH higher than 8), which helps cut down on dirt and grease. The accumulated dirt and grease are usually acidic. As the baking soda shows its basic characteristics, it reacts with the acidic grease and neutralizes it.

In the process, it works as a natural deodorizer and gets rid of the odor-causing bacteria.

Sodium bicarbonate is the active ingredient found in baking soda, which is the hero of our show. Not just in the case of deodorizing the dishwasher, you can use baking soda in pretty much any cleaning job. It’s a safe and effective way of cleaning; however, stain removal and heavy-duty cleaning are not possible with baking soda.

Steps to Deodorize Dishwasher with Baking Soda

As promised, I will walk you through the process of deodorize dishwasher with baking soda. Here are the steps to achieve our goal. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Gather all the supplies needed

Before you can even get working, you will need some supplies beforehand. Here is a list of supplies-

Baking soda	Vinegar	Mild dish soap
Non-abrasive sponge	Microfiber cloth	Rubber gloves
	Hot Water

Step 2: Remove everything you can remove

Yup, just do as the step says. Remove the filer, utensil holding racks, and obviously any dishes which still might be inside. Look for stray plastic pieces; sometimes the ‘dishwasher safe’ plastics melt, fall off and live in your dishwasher. Also, in the process, if you see any visible dirt, get rid of it.

Step 3: Clean everything you removed

Now that everything is out of the dishwasher, clean everything thoroughly. Especially the dishwasher filter. We frequently neglect or have a tendency to forget to clean the cleaner, in this case, the dishwasher’s filter. Food particles that get caught in the filter between and during washes might cause the same problems that occur when food is kept in a warm, damp environment. That’s right; it rots and produces a foul stench.

In order to deodorize the dishwasher, you need to clean everything properly so that all the bacteria get killed. To clean the filter and the dish racks, use mild dish soap and get scrubbing. Don’t forget to wear gloves to protect your hands.

Step 4: Run a high-temperature cycle

The most important step to follow here is this. Get a dishwasher-safe cup and pour equal parts of vinegar and water. Add two to three tablespoons of baking soda and add the juice of half a lemon. Place this mixture inside and run a high-temperature wash cycle. As this mixture evaporates with the high temp, it will quickly soften up all the grime and grease accumulated over days.

The alkaline properties of the baking soda will react with the acidic grease and kill the growing bacteria easily. Also, the high-temperature cycle is a massive help.

Step 5: Scrub the interior

Now remove the cleaning solution from the inside, and with the help of a damp sponge and mild detergent, scrub the inside of the dishwasher properly. Don’t leave any corners untouched. Please don’t get too harsh with it, as it might scratch the interior of the dishwasher.

Run another high-temperature cycle just to rinse everything down the drain and sanitize at the same time.

Step 6: Leave the door open

Now that you have cleaned everything thoroughly, leave the dishwasher door open. Make sure everything is nice and dry. A damp environment is the breeding ground for bacteria. We don’t want that.

Bonus tip- Sprinkling a cup of baking soda and running a high-temperature cycle after will also help get rid of the foul smell to some extent. Follow through with that if you don’t have the time to go through a proper deep cleaning session.

And with that, we are done deodorizing the dishwasher with the help of baking soda. How easy was that? Yes, it may be a bit time-consuming, but this hygiene routine is absolutely necessary for a nice-smelling dishwasher.

How Do I Keep The Dishwasher Smelling Fresh After Cleaning?

Good question! Now that you are done cleaning the dishwasher, how to maintain the freshness? All that work will go down the drain if you don’t follow up with a cleaning regime after. Don’t worry; it’s not that complicated.

Firstly, after every cycle you run, check for any food scraps that might be left behind in there. Also, don’t forget to regularly clean your filter; by regularly, I mean at least once a week, clean your dishwasher filter. As the soap scum and food scraps get caught in the filter, it has the most potential to be the home to bacteria.

Don’t forget to frequently dry your dishwasher after use. Drying the dishwasher will prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Also, learn to properly load your dishwasher and avoid crowding the space. This will make sure all the dishes are washed and cleaned properly, leaving no dirty utensils behind that later contribute to the stench.

Additionally, avoid using too much soap. Accumulation of soap scum also contributes to the issue at hand.

I hope by following the simple steps mentioned above; you will be able to keep your dishwasher smelling fresh for a long time.

Besides learn How To Keep Dishwasher From Smelling Between Washes.

FAQs on Deodorize Dishwasher With Baking Soda

How much baking soda should you use to deodorize a dishwasher?

If you use vinegar as part of the cleaning solution, 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda is plenty. But for a quick fix, a cup of baking soda is required. Sprinkle a cup full of baking soda and run a high-temperature cycle.

Should you mix the baking soda with water or use it dry?

For best results, mix baking soda with white distilled vinegar. This solution works like a charm. The vinegar can be diluted with water.

Can you use baking soda to clean other parts of the dishwasher besides the interior?

You can. But the issue with that is that baking soda often leaves streaks behind after cleaning with it. It might not have a good look. However, yes, you can use baking soda to clean the exterior, but dampen a microfiber cloth with vinegar and wipe after to get rid of the baking soda residue.

How long should you leave the baking soda in the dishwasher before running a cycle?

You don’t really need to let it sit unless there is too much grease.

Are there any other natural ingredients you can use to deodorize a dishwasher besides baking soda?

Vinegar and lemon juice do a wonderful job of deodorizing a dishwasher. These two are also completely natural and food-safe cleaning products.

Final Verdict

In conclusion, I hope you now know everything about how to deodorize dishwasher with baking soda. Keeping up with a hygiene routine is already pretty difficult, as we all lead busy lives and have hectic schedules. Nonetheless, it’s an important task too. So, give it your all and keep your space nice and clean. Follow for more such home cleaning tips and tricks.

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