Moldy Spoon Revisited. (Now with more EW!)
I posted recently about a wooden spoon getting moldy in my dishwasher. (I threw it out, you convinced me.)
On further investigation, I think I have a deeper problem. My dishwasher smells, and any food scrap on any plate left in my dishwasher for a brief period of time grows moldy. Is it possible that there is mold living/growing in the drain of my dishwasher? How do I get it out? And between now and then, are dishes washed in my dishwasher dangerous (they come out appearing clean)?
I am beyond grossed out. Help.
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13 Comments:
Try this:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4997063_remove-mold-dishwasher.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art
If you aren't sure where the mold is exactly, just scrub the whole damn thing with the vinegar mixture. Let us know how it comes out.
arm1970 at 2:39PM on 10/19/09
I would check around the seals and the drain for undiscovered bits of food and then I'd run the dishwasher empty, except for a cup of bleach. Ew, indeed.
sarajane at 2:58PM on 10/19/09
Nothing to add, except that I love the title of your post. Best of luck to you and your moldy dishwasher situation.
Kerosena at 3:02PM on 10/19/09
You may also want to leave the DW open when you're not around (i.e., otherwise, the open door is in the way when you're home). When we go on vacation, too, it's on my checklist, to leave the door open.
Garvey at 3:44PM on 10/19/09
Doesn't most dishwasher detergent already contain a sanitizing agent, which I would think would kill mold along with bacteria? Also, isn't a dishwasher supposed to heat water to a temperature high enough to kill mold as well as bacteria? Is mold harder to kill than bacteria?
Lorenzo at 5:32PM on 10/19/09
There is usually a filter at the bottom of the dishwasher that you can open and clean out. Mine was full of olive pits and assorted debris. After cleaning that out then run it empty on hot with a chemically laden detergent. I usually use the energy saving setting with organic "green" detergent and I don't think its as "sanitizing" as it used to be... Once in a while the chemical stuff on hot is needed.
PeanutButter at 5:37PM on 10/19/09
Molds can survive high temperatures, and even form spores, which are almost impossible to kill under hot water conditions (would need much hotter water and for a longer period of time). Try this - run the dishwasher empty with a packet or two of UNSWEETENED Lemon Kool-Aid in the dispenser. (really, any flavor would do) It's mostly citric acid, which should clean it out really good.
Good luck!
finewinendine at 7:52PM on 10/19/09
Fortunately, I have a trustworthy, honest plumber. I'd be calling him because I'd be waaaaayy too scared to be dealing with any kind of mold or other ew!!
Good luck with solving this problem. Let us know what happens.
lindy123 at 10:59PM on 10/19/09
Define, "brief period of time".
Last time you posted, you said that spoon had been sitting in the dishwasher for a week and a half. I can't imagine a load of dirty dishes sitting unwashed for that long. Not to chide, but seriously, what did you expect? Decaying food gives off steam and along with it, mold.
yayfood at 11:33PM on 10/19/09
People have this sort of problem with clothes washers, too, where they close the door and if they don't do another load of wash for a week, it's all weird-smelling in there.
It's a damp environment. Mold will grow. Leave the door open a bit.
dbcurrie at 12:38AM on 10/20/09
@yayfood - Brief period of time equals a few days.
I know that it's not mean spirited, but I seem to have gotten quite a lot of slack for the frequency of my dishwasher running on the last post. There are only two of us, and I don't put pots and pans in the dishwasher, only plates, glasses, etc. So, it generally takes nearly a week or at least 4-5 days to make it worth running. Seems reasonable to me. Does everyone else here run their dishwashers daily? Am I alone in this?
jlbrach at 11:52AM on 10/20/09
@jibrach: you are not alone; my husband and I are now alone at home and we, too, run the diswasher when it's full--generally once a week on the weekend when we are doing all the other chores. We do scrape extra clean, rinse what really needs rinsing, and do an intermittent rinse and hold cycle at mid-week if that damn thing starts to announce its building flatulence when we add pieces. Generally, though, it's easy-peasy, probably because we don't close it up all week but leave it unsealed. Good luck with that mold thing; let us know when you come to a solution--others of us may suffer similarly in the future...
BobbieAnne at 12:07PM on 10/20/09
Two people in my household, same DW rules (no pots, pans or knives). I suppose we run it 1-2 times per week.
Kerosena at 12:09PM on 10/20/09