Why You Should Clean Your Dishwasher

The beautiful machine in our kitchen that magically cleans dishes also needs to be cleaned on its own. Yes, it's true and if this isn't part of your regimen- let's do it today all together!!


Over time grease, grime, soap scum and food debris build up in the dishwasher. It suddenly becomes a breeding ground for germs and yucky other unmentionables and it REDUCES the efficiency of your appliance.

According to experts you should clean your dishwasher once a month. Let's just say this was not happening in our home....yep, we will leave it at that. Honestly, it's not something that crossed my mind but it makes sense!

So over the past weekend this is what I did, it's simple, smells SO clean and the first load I did afterwards was extremely shiny and smelled heavenly.


  • Clear the drain 
Remove the bottom dish rack, inspect the dishwasher drain, remove any food or gunk caught in there. If your dishwasher has a drain button (mine does) let it run 1-2 times. This will improve drainage, increase cleaning efficiency & prevent damage.


  • Grab supplies 
The following is what I grabbed to clean with. Vinegar (white), baking soda, 3 lemon peels, Purification essential oil, a tiny bowl. Pour & mix about 1 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 3 lemon peels and 8 drops of Purification oil in the bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of baking soda across bottom of dishwasher and place bowl on upper rack of dishwasher. Run a hot water cycle or normal cycle.


  • Ta-Da! 
Open up, check out your fresh smelling and brightened stain-free interior and repeat about once a month.


A little about the Purification essential oil:

It is an air purifier, it helps eliminate airborne microbes, it has Lemongrass which is an anti-fungal/parasitical and it has Melaleuca which is an anti-bacterial. It is a refreshing, bright scent that is safe for the whole family and so so helpful to have around with cleaning too! You can find out more here.