Welcome toComing Clean, a monthly column where writer Lauren Viera finds the best products for the toughest-to-clean parts of the kitchen. Along the way, she just might convince you (and herself) to actually enjoy this whole cleaning thing.
Once upon a time, responsible people used to pre-rinse their dishes prior to loading them into the dishwasher. I grew up in that sort of household, which made dish duty even more of a chore than it already was. (Especially for a kid, the concept of washing the dishesbeforeloading them into the dishwasher really seemed ludicrous.) Now, thanks to enzyme-based (read: food-activated) detergents, even the most OCD among us can throw caution to the wind, stacking dinner-streaked plates, milk-coated cereal bowls, and coffee-stained mugs in the dishwasher willy nilly.
Here's the problem, though. Your dishwasher does the thankless work of washing your dishes for you. But someone has to, in turn, wash the dishwasher. Because of things likehard water and lime buildup, dishwashers occasionally need to be cleaned. You’ll know this is the case when “clean” dishes lose their shine. Pots and pans (and the dishwasher itself) start to show limescale, the chalky white residue that’s left after hot water has dissipated and calcium stays behind (this is worse in hard-water areas). Months of grease run-off and soap scum clog the filter, which means that even rogue kernels of corn can cause a stink. It becomes evident that something’s gotta give.
Enter the dishwasher cleaner. Even if you do the occasional DIY vinegar rinse, you’re going to need something more powerful every change of season or so. (If, like me, you hadneverpreviously cleaned your dishwasher, um, do it ASAP.) After researching the highest recommended cleaners on the interwebs, I tried a few to see how well they worked. Here's how it went.
The Winner: Miele Collection DishClean Dishwasher Conditioner
德国美诺公司的洗碗机护发素在si打包ngle-use container that sits directly in the top rack of your dishwasher during the cleaning cycle. I put this cleaner to the ultimate test—I used it to clean the dishwasher just after the machine had tackled Thanksgiving’s dish explosion—and it worked beautifully. After one heavy-duty cycle (free of dishes) powered by the Mile Dishwasher Conditioner, the inside of my dishwasher was noticeably shiny and all of the streaky limescale build-up was broken down. My next cycle of dishes emerged with less cloudy residue. Silverware, especially, looked extra shiny.
Honorable Mentions: Lemi Shine and Oh Yuk
Lemi Shine’s pods are made from all-natural citric extracts, which is a nice touch in a category of products that tend to be heavy on the synthetic chemicals. These pods aren't miracle workers, but they are a nice natural supplement to use in between runs with the more powerful Miele Dishwasher Conditioner. If you’re a person who regularly washes their dishwasher, you could probably get by with these.
I was drawn to Oh Yuk Dishwasher Cleaner in part because of its charmingly kitschy branding, and the reviews swearing that it rids dishwashers of the disgusting smells they pick up. The product claims to have a “natural citrus scent," but I found its aroma to be offputtingly sweet. A single container provides between three and four cleaning cycles, which is nice compared to the other two recommended single-use products. It will tide you over between powerful cleanings using the Miele.
