Why Does My Dishwasher Smell?

Keith is here to talk about your dishwasher and some odor issues that may occur.



After using your dishwasher for a couple of months, you can start to have a smell. Most of the time this smell is a sign that you need to clean your dishwasher. The cause could be because of how much hard water the property gets and there might be a buildup of minerals which can leave a smell. The other reason that it might start to smell is that some of the food particles can get caught or trapped in the dishwasher.

We recommend using Lemon Shine or Affresh as they are trusted cleaner brands that specialize in cleaning dishwashers. We highly recommend to clean your dishwasher at least every 6 months or more if you use it more frequently. Most of the time, the smell will go away and it will seem like it's a brand new machine.

If there is still an odor lurking around after cleaning it, there maybe a bigger issues. Recently, there has been reports of Bosch dishwashers having a distinct smell. Our team knows about it and the manufacturer knows about it. Both teams are working hard to figure out what the issue is so that they can fix it.

The next step is to call your manufacturer to let them know about the distinct smell. They might have tips and know of to resolve the issue. If they cannot fix it, they may even replace it. You can find the manufacturer 800 number usually on the tag in the top inside of the dishwasher door usually on the side. Make sure you right down your model number and serial number. This can usually be found on the side panel of the dishwasher door.

You can always call a technician to take a look at it. The technician will do a couple of tests and clean it for himself to diagnose the issues. If he does find an issue, he can then fix it or let you know that you may need the appliance replaced. He then can help you get started on contacting the manufacturer.

When in doubt, call it out. If you smell weird things coming from your dishwasher and if there's still odors don't hesitate to call someone.

Let us know if you have other questions.

5 Benefits of a 3rd rack in a Dishwasher

More and more appliance companies are starting to make a dishwasher with a third rack. From a first glance, it might seem silly to have a third rack; but in reality, the third rack is very helpful. The third rack was first seen in more high end brands like Bosch, but the rest of the industry is integrating this in a lot of their models. Once you go to a third rack, you will never go back.  Here are some benefits of why this dishwasher feature is so amazing.

1. Your spatulas, whisks and tongs have a special place in the dishwasher. The third rack is super convenient in that you know exactly where those extra cooking utensils are. You won’t have to worry about them falling to the bottom and melting. You also won’t have to dig around the dishwasher hunting for where you put your favorite whisk. It can now be organized and all be in one secured place.

2. Third rack dishwashers increase efficiency by providing more space to wash more utensils, dishes and glasses. On average, the third rack gives you 37% more room to utilize in your dishwasher to the fullest.  Without the random utensils in the way, you will have more room in your first and second racks to wash even more dishes. Your mind will be at ease knowing that you only have to do one load at a time.

3. The extra rack can be a great safety tool. You can place your cooking knives flat on the third rack. No one will have to worry about reaching around the utensil basket being overly cautious avoiding cutting themselves. Having a more secure place to put pointy objects is much more convenient and safer for the whole family.

4. The ability to fill your dishwasher with more kitchen items will cut down on the number of times you need to run your dishwasher. This means that you get to save on dishwashing soap, water, time, and energy. Over time, you will find your water and energy bill will be less which is also helpful for the environment.

5. Some of the dishwashers that have a third rack are removable so you can load tall glasses or pitchers on your second rack. This makes it convenient for holiday events all year round. After your special events with your extra large wine glasses or oddly shaped serving bowls, you will be able to wash them in your dishwasher rather than doing it by hand.

With the third rack becoming more popular in the appliance industry, you can find this feature in more brands and models than ever before. With these 5 reasons, the little extra cost of the third rack dishwasher is worth it. Let’s thank the engineers who invented this washing game changer!

Check out the dishwashers now and see which one you like for your kitchen.

Save Energy this Summer with These 13 Appliance Tips

With the weather getting hotter during summer, it can “shock” you when you receive your electricity bill. There are a few things that you can do to make sure your appliances are running efficiently to save you money and energy consumption.

1. Make sure to have ENERGY STAR- rated appliances. These devices are ranked by the U.S. Department of Energy as using less energy than the standard amount. ENERGY Star-rated appliances use about 20% less energy and can save you more than $270 in your energy costs.

Refrigerators:

2. Make sure not to overload the amount of groceries in your refrigerator. Having tons of items in your refrigerator will require more energy to keep it cool.

3. Don’t keep your refrigerator door open for a long period of time. Also make sure to not open your door repeatedly in a short period of time.  Opening the door will cause the cool air inside to escape and makes the refrigerator motor work harder.

4. Keep your refrigerator temperature in between 32- 40 degrees F. Your freezer temperature should be set between 30-0 degrees F.

Washing Machines:

5. Using cold water when doing most of your washes can save you money and still have your cloths perfectly cleaned.

6. Just like dishwashers, you should make sure that you run full loads because most washers will use the same amount of electricity.

7. Have a front-load washing machine. Front-load washing machines use two-thirds less water than top-load washing machines, reducing electricity and water.

Drying Machines:

8. Selecting to have a faster spin cycle can help reduce less time to dry your cloths.

9. When the weather is hot, you can dry some of your cloths outside on a clothesline or a drying rack to save energy costs.

10. Place your washing machine in a room that is warmer than a cold location like a cold basement. The warmer air going into the dryer will use less energy to heat the air up.

Dishwashers:

11. Make sure to load your dishwasher fully for each cycle. Most dishwashers use the same amount of electricity and hot water for each load whether it’s a full load or half of a load.

Ovens or ranges:

12. Don’t open your oven door frequently to check on your food. The temperature can drop about 25-30 degrees and requires more energy to regenerate the set temperature.

13. Use glass baking dishes as much as possible. Glass retains heat better than other materials. This can cook your food faster and you can even decrease the oven temperature.

What other things do you do to consume less energy in your home? Leave it in the comments section.

All About Connected Kitchens

Connected kitchens and homes offer convenience and peace of mind. Using your phone as a remote control for your appliances, you are able to control and monitor your wifi-connected appliances from anywhere, using software that allows the machines to talk to each other. 

To get started with connected kitchens, we recommend having your refrigerator be the first connected kitchen item to add to your home. Here are a few things that you can do with your connected refrigerator:

• View items that are currently stocked in your refrigerator via your phone.
•  Stay organized by checking off items that you may need for recipes.
• Have the convenience of buying groceries online straight from your refrigerator LCD panel.
• Leave sticky notes electronically on your refrigerator and connect them to your phone.

Use your mobile phone and other connected devices to:

• Preheat your oven while you're heading home from work
• Schedule hot water to turn on for your coffee
• Set your washing machine to spin
• Keep your clothes wrinkle-free with an extended tumble feature app
•  Automatically order fabric softener
•  Place an order of dog food before your current batch runs out

Have peace of mind and get alerts when not at home though different apps:

• If you left your oven on
• The dishwasher sprung a leak
• The refrigerator door was left open
• An ingredient is expiring or running low 

Some wifi connected devices and apps to partner with your connected appliances:

• Amazon Echo
• Amazon Alexa
• Amazon Dash Replenishment
• Google Home

What Connected Appliance are you most excited about?

5 Things You Never Realized About Your Kitchen Appliances

 

 1. How far does your refrigerator stick out?

Most people don’t realize that their fridge sticks out 6 to 8 inches from their counter top.  This is standard, but if you notice that you are shuffling sideways to get between your island and fridge when the door is open you may consider a counter depth refrigerator. For more details, check out the full guide of buying a refrigerator. 

    2. New French Door Fridge vs. Old Side by Side Fridge

If you have never owned a French Door Refrigerator this is what you have to look forward to.  No more getting on your knees for fresh vegetables, actually being able to fit a pizza box in your fridge or freezer and not at an angle.  No more losing things in the back of your fridge for months until the stench is overwhelming.

    3. How loud is your dishwasher?

Does your dishwasher sound like a jet engine taking off?  Are you tired of running your dishwasher only at night?  With new technology in sound deafening material dishwasher have become so quiet you don’t even know if it is running.  A good rule of thumb is to look for dishwashers 50dBA or below.  Here is a full guide to buying a dishwasher.  

    4. Where to find the serial number on your appliance.

All appliances will have a sticker specifying the model and serial number of the unit.

Refrigerators - most commonly found in the refrigeration portion of the unit either on the upper left or right wall. 

Dishwasher – most commonly found on the outer edge of the door or interior where the door seals with the case.

Range – If you slide open your storage door it will be located on the interior door jam either on the left or right hand side. 

Microwave – Probably the easiest to find just open the door and it will be located on the inside casing.

    5. The cost of running 15 year old appliances.

   In the last 15 years appliances have improved drastically in energy consumption.  With new government regulations as well as new technology it literally pays to buy new appliances.  Take a 15 year old refrigerator for example.  The annual cost of running a side by side refrigerator from the year 2000 is about $190.00 a year!  A new Energy Star Certified model will cost you on average $81.00 a year.  We are talking about a 42% savings.  Over the course of 10 years you could save upwards of $1,100.00 on your electrical bill.  Your new refrigerator will almost pay for itself over its life span.  That is just for your refrigerator.  Imagine the savings on the rest of your household appliances.

3 Things to Consider When Purchasing a Dishwasher

Are you in the market for a new dishwasher? Chances are you have many, many questions and there just seem to be enough clear answers. In this modern age there’s a buying guide to pretty much everything, however, when it comes to something as essential as dishwashers the internet is filled with specs, and technical details that read like a foreign language.

At Appliance Factory and Mattress Kingdom we’re experts in simplifying the appliance shopping experience. We take industry jargon, that’s designed to fill spec sheets and make them practical and easy to understand and digest. We want to prepare you with the tools to make the most rational decision and not rely making a decision from a sheet of specs that we see too much in the market.

We’re confident these three practical tips to consider when purchasing a dishwasher;  will help you prepare in making the best decision possible. PS: We can’t wait for you to come in and show off how prepared you are; we have 16 locations find the one closet to you here.

1. Price or Performance:

This is a question you must ask yourself before you walk into a store, or begin shopping online. This simple question will really help clarify what you’re looking for and ensure you don’t buy anything you don’t need. That’s the last thing you want is to pay more for a feature you don’t need. And trust me there are a lot of different features out there, that’s one of the primary factors that can drive the price of a dishwasher from $349 to $1600.

2. Do I Know My Space:

Many resources start with measurements, meaning that measurements are the most important factor in deciding or selecting a dishwasher. While measurements are important, you’d be shocked how many people walk into one of our 16 stores or chat with us online and have their measurements; but have no idea the other appliance brands or colors in their kitchen. Yes, measurements are extremely important but knowing the goal for the space is extremely important:

• Do I want to match the brands in my kitchen or am I open to other options?
• Do I want controls on the front, or do I want controls hidden to have a more concealed look in my kitchen?
• Is my current dishwasher panel ready, do I want to stay panel ready or do I want a solid color?
• Is my kitchen open to another room, how important are noise levels?
• How many place settings or pots and pans, or silverware do I want to fit into the dishwasher?
• Those are just a few questions to get your mind ticking. There are many more, so get pots and pans out, bring your favorite wine glass to the store with you, etc… Your space is your life, knowing your space will make sure you find a dishwasher that fits your life.

3. Read a review or two:

It really doesn’t matter the manufacture or model, just read a couple of reviews on dishwashers. Trust us there are thousands of them on the internet. This is great for you, because you can see what other shoppers are saying about their purchases. Pay close attention to reasons they don’t like their dishwasher and reasons they do. If you’re price conscious  read reviews on entry-level models and then compare the mid-level models. Chances are some of these reviews will help you discover questions that are really important to you that just hadn’t crossed your mind. 

Dishwasher Dos and Don’ts

Owning a top-of-the-line dishwasher is nice, but doesn’t necessarily guarantee that your dishes and glassware will emerge sparkling clean. Follow these handy hints for clean dishes every time.

 

DO: Pre-rinse everything if your dishes are going to sit in the dishwasher for a day or longer. Since many of us don’t have the need to run a full dishwasher load every day, bits of stuck-on food become harder for the machine to scrub away once the cycle begins. It’s best to just rinse everything off before placing in the dishwasher.

 

DON’T: Stack items on top of one another. The bottom dish will prevent the water from getting to the dish on top and it won’t get clean. If you find yourself cramming dishes and bowls into every available space, doubling up to fit it all in, it may be time to think about running the dishwasher more frequently.

 

DO: Secure your plastics. This includes kitchen utensils, Tupperware containers and kids’ plastic cups and dishes. Not only is it potentially hazardous to your dishwasher, but nothing smells worse than burning melted plastic when an item falls onto the machine’s heating element.

 

DON’T: Buy dish detergent in bulk. Believe it or not, dish soap can go bad. Detergent that hasn’t been used in months won’t do the job as effectively as new detergent. Try not to buy more dish soap than you can use in two months, regardless of the tempting coupons and bulk-buy offers you may encounter.

 

DO: Store detergent in a cool, dry spot. Any of us who has ever had a leak under the kitchen sink can tell you what happens to our powdered dish soap when it gets wet. Moreover, storing dish detergent in a kitchen sink cabinet can cause the soap to clump and deteriorate from the built-up moisture. Try to find a spot that is convenient but also free of heat and moisture.

 

DON’T: Unload the top rack first. This may seem like common sense, but unloading the top rack, where cups and glasses are commonly washed, first, causes water that has pooled on the base of upside-down glassware to drip onto the clean dishes of the bottom rack. Instead, try unloading the bottom first and then cleaning any remaining moisture off of the items on top with a clean dish cloth prior to putting away.

How To Load Your Dishwasher Properly

Wait, what? There’s a right and wrong way to load the dishwasher? YES! There are several common mistakes made loading the dishwasher which leads to chipped, broken, and/or dirty dishes. Below are a few steps to insure clean dishes every time – make sure you check out the video tutorial, too!

1. Set the dishes aside that are not dishwasher safe. Anything wooden, non-dishwasher safe plastics, large knives, and/or fragile glassware should all be removed and washed by hand. Large knives are usually good to wash separately so they do not get dulled in the dishwasher – everything else is kind of self-explanatory.
2. Scrape the big food particles off of your plates and/or bowls into the trash as sometimes dishwashers have a tough time taking care of these “big jobs”.
3. After you trash the big food particles, it’s a good idea to rinse most of the larger dishes off. If there are still big messes, a scrub brush or almost any cutlery will help get those taken care of.
4. When loading the dishes, there are certain ways and places the dishes should be stacked for the highest efficiency. (See the video below)
   1. Bottom level
      1. Large and small plates, staggered every other facing toward the middle.
      2. Large pots and pans face down.
   2. Top level
      1. Cups should be placed faced down so they don’t hold water. Make sure they are place BETWEEN the pegs and not on top of them.
      2. Large utensils should be placed faced down if they do not fit in the cutlery area; they should be face-down so they do not hold water as well.

• Dishwasher-safe plastics should be stacked on top so they are far enough away from the heating coil so they do not warp.

 

I know most people just want to throw their dishes in the dishwasher to be done with them, but those Tetris ways of stacking don’t normally result in all clean dishes. So there really is a way to do it that will guarantee perfectly clean dishes almost every time!

How to load your dishwasher properly - a tutorial.