Cleaning a Bosch dishwasher

Dishwashers always perfectly clean dishes from grease, food debris and other debris, but the “home assistant” itself also needs to be cleaned from time to time. Cleaning a Bosch dishwasher is not difficult if you have detailed instructions at hand, so you definitely shouldn’t neglect this process. Regular cleaning can increase not only the efficiency of washing, but also the period of operation, which is why it is so important to care for household appliances.

Let's prepare to remove dirt from the PMM

Users are often confident that any stains in the dishwasher can be eliminated using special household chemicals for cleaning PMM. Supposedly, you just need to load the detergent, start the idle work cycle and wait for it to complete.

Such washing can bring certain results, but they will be far from ideal, because not a single household chemical can completely remove debris from the drain filter or remove dirt from the machine blades. Therefore, the equipment must be cleaned regularly with your own hands, not forgetting the following preliminary steps: foam the product in the basin

disconnect equipment from all communications;
remove all dish baskets so that they do not interfere with cleaning;
remove the sprinklers.

The regularity of washing the PMM directly depends on how actively it is used, so on average cleaning should be done at least once every 1-2 weeks.

Also, before you start washing, you need to prepare the necessary equipment: dry rags, brushes with soft bristles, an unnecessary toothbrush, household chemicals, a basin for diluting detergents in it, etc.Having prepared all of the above, wipe the walls of the machine chamber with a damp sponge to remove food particles and other large contaminants stuck to the device.

Wash off the door seal

First, let's deal with the rubber seal, which is located between the door and the body of the household appliance. This rubber element must be washed at least once every 6 months so that it does not become too dirty. If it is relatively clean and has not yet become covered with stubborn dirt, then you can wash it with a damp sponge with a drop of detergent, followed by treatment with clean water. Cleaning the dishwasher door seal

Do not buy household chemicals that contain alkali or acids to wash the rubber band - this will cause the rubber seal to lose its elasticity and the machine will begin to leak through the door during operation. If the element has become dirty during use, then it is better to use an old toothbrush for cleaning at home. Apply a special detergent to it and carefully remove all dirt.

Taking care of the rocker arms

The next stage is caring for the rocker arms, which do not come into contact with the dishes during washing, but still get clogged. The fact is that small pieces of food and fat actively get into the holes for supplying water to the chamber, plus the parts become clogged with scale. To clean them, follow our instructions:

add detergent to the previously prepared container, dilute it with hot water;
add contaminated PMM elements to the container;
wait about 10 minutes;
wipe the rocker arms with a soft sponge;
Additionally, you can clean the holes with a toothpick;
remove scale, grease and any other contaminants from the axles on which the blades are mounted.

When the procedure is completed, you can check whether the rocker arms rotate well by twisting them by hand. Remove all dirt from the moving elements and install the parts in their seats.

We wash the filter element

Now you need to pay attention to the cleaning filter installed at the very bottom of the PMM washing chamber. Not far from it there is a rocker for spraying liquid. Finding the knots is not difficult if you first remove the lower dish basket and look into the chamber. The dust filter cover is located directly under the basket.

It is very important to clean the filter element at least once a week so that an unpleasant moldy odor does not appear inside the “home assistant”. In addition, a clogged filter prevents the waste fluid from quickly leaving after the operating cycle. Procedure for cleaning. clean the PMM filter in a timely manner

Wipe up all the water in the wash chamber.
Remove any debris that may remain near the filter element.
Unscrew the cap counterclockwise and remove it.
Wash the filter and its parts using a solution of water and detergent.
Wait for the cleaning filter to dry.

If you can’t get rid of the dirt, use a citric acid solution - dilute 2 teaspoons of acid in 200 milliliters of water and leave the filter there for an hour. Then remove the part, wipe with a sponge and rinse with tap water.

Cleaning the filter installation site

We move on to the drain hole with a mesh filter, which also needs to be cleaned. To do this you should:

remove all contaminants from the surface of the drain;
remove all parts from the drain and seal the hole with tape to prevent debris from getting into it;
Use the same sponge to clean all the components.

Wash the assembly very carefully so as not to dislodge the rubber seal.

As in the previous point, if contamination cannot be removed, then the parts need to be soaked in a solution of citric acid or in a solution of table vinegar.

filling valve

A fill valve is installed in all dishwashers - it is needed to shut off the water supply to the fill hose upon a signal from the control board of the device, or to start drawing water for washing. Ordinary tap water is rarely of high quality and clean, so the filter installed in front of the valve gets clogged from time to time due to rust and other small debris. Therefore, the element also needs to be cleaned sometimes.

Shut off the water supply, remove the hose from the PMM.
Pull out the filter element, which looks like a small mesh with miniature holes. If it does not give in, then you can remove it using pliers.
Clean the mesh under a strong stream of hot tap water.
Install the filter into its seat.
Do a little test - restore the water supply and check how the fill valve now works.

To clean the filling valve from dirt less often, you can install a water filter that will purify hard tap liquid.

In situations where the mesh is covered with rust, scale and other contaminants, it can be soaked in a solution of citric acid for an hour. Afterwards all that remains is to wipe the part with a sponge and rinse with clean water.

We wash the baskets from grease and dirt

One of the last elements to pay attention to is the baskets for dirty dishes. What should you do with the baskets?

Remove large dirt that is stuck in the lattice elements of the baskets.
Place all the baskets in a large basin or in the bathroom.
Lather the detergent well and apply it to the sponge.
Rinse all baskets with a foam sponge, apply the product to them and leave for 30 minutes.
Wash all baskets to remove soaked dirt.
Remove all foam, rinse elements in clean water and leave to dry.

At this point, cleaning the baskets is completed, you can move on to the last item.

The pump also needs to be flushed

The drain pump can do its job properly and get rid of waste fluid after each operating cycle, but even it can become partially clogged. A powerful stream of water after each wash can be a kind of self-cleaning of the element, but hair, food debris and other debris can still get on the impeller. If there is too much contamination, the impeller may either rotate with difficulty or stop moving altogether. In this case, you will have to start cleaning this unit as well.

Unplug the dishwasher.
Remove the dish baskets, drain filter, and drain pump flap.
For convenience, move the machine away from the wall to provide free access and place the device on the back cover.
Release the clips to remove the bottom.

If there is a float sensor on the bottom, be sure to remove it and disconnect the wiring, after taking a photo of the correct connection of the wires, so that you have an example at hand later.

There is a pump attached to the side of the circulation block, from which you need to remove the screw and also disconnect all the chips with wires.
Turn the pump and remove it from its seat.
Clear any blockages in the pump openings, if there are any, and also remove debris from the hoses and pipes.

At this point, cleaning at home is completed; all that remains is to install all the elements in their places and carry out a test work cycle.

Home remedies for dishwasher care

The self-cleaning function is unable to thoroughly rid household appliances of dirt, so you have to resort to manual cleaning, which is impossible without special household products. One of the best is considered a standard solution of vinegar and soda, with which you can clean the machine.

Add about 200 milliliters of bite to the PMM dispenser.
Apply regular baking soda in an even layer to the bottom of the washing chamber.
Start any continuous operating mode.
When the water in the “home assistant” heats up, stop the operation using the pause key.
Leave the machine like this for 30 minutes if it is slightly dirty, or overnight if it has not been cleaned for a long time.
Reactivate the job after the specified time has passed.

This self-cleaning method cannot be used with dirty dishes inside the washing chamber.

Additionally, you can use not a vinegar solution, but a citric acid solution. However, it should not be added inside the unit in large quantities, because the acid can damage the rubber seals inside the washing chamber and also damage the ion exchanger. Therefore, it should be used exclusively for cleaning individual PMM units.

Professional dishwasher care products

Finally, we list a number of the most effective detergents that should be used to clean dishwashers. All of the listed household chemicals can be found on the shelves of regular supermarkets.

Finish Machine Cleaner is a liquid product in a plastic bottle, consisting of two layers. The blue layer helps remove grease, and the white layer helps remove scale.Even a child can handle its use - the product directly in the bottle must be placed upside down in the lower compartment of the machine, having first removed the lid, but without touching the protective sticker, and then start the wash at a temperature above 65 degrees Celsius.
Filtero - helps to clean scale and stubborn grease that adhere to the internal components of the PMM. The liquid should be poured into the dispenser for household chemicals and the wash should be activated for 45-90 minutes at high temperature.
Finish Rinse is an effective Japanese product with a concentrated composition that helps remove scale from heating elements and other key components of the dishwasher. It also removes simple blockages, kills unpleasant odors and increases the “life” of household appliances.

Be sure to run the idle operating cycle after the self-cleaning procedure is completed - this will allow you to finally get rid of harmful household chemicals that helped clean the device.

In this way, you can clean the “home assistant” with your own hands, without spending much free time on it. Take precautions and wash your machine regularly to ensure it lasts a long time.