Consumer Question: Cleaning Dishwasher

Q: Hi, Joe,


The dishwasher at work is sour.  When the door is opened it has a strong odor. It is run only once per week and often it is not emptied promptly, so water sits in the bottom of it. I have taken extra care to make sure this doesn't happen, but it still smells.


Could you tell me more on how to freshen up the dishwasher? I have heard that you recommend using Tang. 

Thank you,
Susan

A: Hi Susan,

Thanks for your note. 

Here is the Tang treatment for cleaning your dishwasher, but I also must mention - if there is a garbage disposer in the sink, the drain line from the dishwasher hooks up to the side of it. That drain line should be removed and placed into an empty bucket and the dishwasher turned on to run water through the line. The snout on the disposer should be cleaned out with a table knife as well.

Here is the Tang story and the Tang formula treatment. Here it is...

Recipe for Cleaning a Dishwasher - Joe Gagnon's Tang Treatment
Way back in the 1960s a service technician working for me broke a glass bottle of Tang breakfast drink in a customer’s dishwasher. He picked up all the glass and left all of the powdered Tang product lying in the bottom of the dishwasher. He ran the dishwasher and the Tang had disappeared so he didn’t worry anymore about it. The next day the customer called me to advise me that her dishes seemed to be so much cleaner and the dishwasher smelled great inside.

I then purchased several containers of Tang and experimented on my dishwasher and a few of my neighbors' dishwashers. I found that the undisolved detergent which forms a scum on surfaces was all gone and the motor impellers were as clean as new! This allowed the impellers to move more water through the spray arms giving a better wash affect. The removal of undisolved detergent from the inside cabinet allowed the door seals to seat better against the inside walls preventing door leaking problems.
 

Treatment Twice a Year
Turn on the hot water faucet until the temperature is at its maximum (140 degrees.) This should always be done every time you turn on the dishwasher.
 

Turn on the dishwasher and let it run for 6 or 7 minutes (empty of dishes.)
 

Open the door and pour in 12 oz. of Tang orange powdered breakfast drink directly into the water lying in the bottom of the dishwasher.

Shut the door and let the dishwasher run through its complete cycle.
 

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Joe Gagnon