A Seemingly Avoidable Mistake With Your Dishwasher Happens Far Too Often

Taking care of your household appliances is important to ensure their longevity and performance. But according to Shirley Hood, an appliance expert with Abt Electronics, people make one particular mistake with their dishwasher more often than you'd think. In an article for Reader's Digest, Hood explained that it's not uncommon to see dishwashers damaged because people allow their children or pets to sit on the open door.

Being rough with a dishwasher door, including accidentally tripping over it, can cause damage to its hinge, springs, or latch. If these essential pieces are broken, your dishwasher may leak — or won't be able to close at all and could require repairs. If the dishwasher door cannot latch properly, the machine most likely won't start, and if it does it could spray water all over your kitchen. To keep your dishwasher in good shape, make sure to keep heavy objects off the door.

Another common problem that Shirley Hood sees is broken glass being left inside dishwashers. While it's common for accidents to happen and glasses to break inside your appliance, getting out all the pieces is crucial for maintaining the machine — but you may not even realize glass is still there. "Depending on the size, glass shards can get past the dishwasher filter and make its way into the drain pump where it can cause real damage," Hood told Reader's Digest.

If a glass happens to break in your dishwasher, stop the cycle and carefully remove any large pieces. Afterward, use a flashlight to look for any tiny pieces that may have been left behind. One trick for picking up these small shards is to rub the bottom of your dishwasher with half of a raw potato, catching the pieces in the starchy vegetable. It's also important to check the drain basket to make sure there's no glass stuck inside that could later end up in your drain pump.

While it may seem more efficient to put as many dishes in your dishwasher as possible, loading the appliance with too many items can damage it. Not only will your dishes not get as clean, but your dishwasher may overheat. Still, running the dishwasher with only a few items can also damage it, as it's more likely that the dishes will move around or fall to the bottom of the appliance. To take good care of your dishwasher, make sure not to underload or overload it. If you're unsure of how many dishes your dishwasher can handle, try checking the manual for tips on loading it.

You can also get the most out of your dishwasher by making sure to use the correct amount of detergent. If you use too much dishwasher detergent, the appliance will have trouble rinsing it all away, and over time the soap will build up in the filter and your dishes won't come out as clean.