Q: Do you have a cleaning method for the inside of the dishwasher?- Eddie W, Conyers, GA

A: Dishwashers sure do get gunky, don't they, friend? Mine can get as bad as my washing machine during soccer season and that's saying something. What makes it worse is that many different people use the dishwasher and some of them are better than others when it comes to clearing off food and such before the dishes are loaded. Before you know it, you have a moldy film around the bottom of the dishwasher where all the yuck collects.

Full disclosure:
I am a terrible housekeeper. I am. I make no excuses and have no shame about this. I am not overzealous about the care and keeping of my home, but I do try to keep things in order. This is one of those chores that needs doing periodically. It's like cleaning the microwave, the refrigerator, and the washing machine.

I think this is one of the easier chores to complete. Except for step one. Step one pretty much sucks. Peace, B.

1. If there is any collective nasty-ness at the bottom of the dishwasher, scoop that out with a dishtowel. Remove the bottom rack and really get down in there. Be sure to remove any clumps of gross-ness.

2. Place a dishwasher safe cup filled with white vinegar in the top rack of the empty dishwasher. Run on the hot cycle. Skip the drying cycle. This will help get rid of any of the greasy stuff, plus it will sanitize your dishwasher. 

3. Sprinkle the bottom of the dishwasher with baking soda. Run it through another hot cycle. Skip the drying cycle altogether. You're gonna knock out any foul smells with this, plus the dishwasher is gonna look brighter than ever. 

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