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Show Getting the most from your dishwasher ' ' ' - ' By DENIECE SCHOFIELD ' Whoever invented the dishwasher gets my vote for the Nobel Peace Prize. What a boon to kitchen organization. Here are a few tips to help you get the most from your dishwasher. Before' buying a box of dishwasher detergent, shake the " container vigorously. If it sounds granular, it's fresh and good to use. However, if the i contents sound lumpy-don't buy it The chunks of deter jent will not dissolve com- ,.' pietely in the dishwasher and cause letchtagQnjJasswjare. a. a 1 1 Test, ypurjvater to see if it's hot enough to dissolve the detergent Run the tap water until it's hot and fill a tall glass with the hottest water available. Drop one tablespoon of detergent into the glass. The detergent de-tergent should be dissolved by the time it hits the bottom of the glass j (or very shortly thereafter). If not, you may need to adjust the setting on your hot water heater. 1 Put a plastic dish scrubber (or cut a piece of plastic canvas) into one of the compartments of the silverware basket. That will keep skinny things like skewers, com-on-the-cob holders, narrow knives, and baby spoons from falling through the holes in the silverware basket. Yet, the soap and water can still penetrate the scrubber and get those particular utensils clean. When loading the silverware basket, put all the knives in one compartment, spoons in another and forks in another. Be sure the uten- ' "sag don't nestle together, and f$-, f$-, vent thorough cleaning. It save&a lot of time when putting away the flatware. ; To determine if the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty, place a glass right side up in front on the top rack. When the dishwasher has gone through a cycle, cy-cle, the glass will be filled with water. If the glass is still empty, you'll know the dishwasher has not DENIECE SCHOFIELD been turned on. Or, as soon as you empty the dishwasher, fill up the soap dispenser and close it. When the dispenser is open, you know the dishes are clean. To remove stains inside the dishwasher itself, dampen the discolored area and sprinkle with Tang or other powdered citrus drink. Let stand for one hour and rinse. To remove hard water build up in the water pipes, put one cup of Tang into the empty dishwasher and run it through a cycle. (Vinegar also works.) . .. , -? -v TdfemOve hard water spbJ from 'clean "glassware, run them'1 - through a dishwasher cycle using ' vinegar instead of detergent. Rinse off furnace vents and then wash them in the dishwasher. Saves wear and tear on your knuckles. Glass from light fixtures can be safely washed in the dishwasher. For sparkling glass-hand dry. , j Inexpensive figurines and other . washable bric-a-brac can be washed in the dishwasher. v Run the toothbrushes through a - Cycle in the dishwasher. It sterilizes them and keeps built-up toothpaste from forming in the bristles. Remove excess hair from hair brushes and combs and wash them in the dishwasher. They come out sparkling clean. When baseball caps get dirty and dusty, wash them on the top . rack of the dishwasher. Believe it or not, it works! And, it doesn't ruin the cardboard brim.Air dry, however.-" T 4 Exhaust fan filters from stoves, oven hoods, and bathrooms are easily eas-ily cleaned in the dishwasher. Get the most from your dishwasher and watch your troubles go down the drain. |