If you are washing dishes and cookware in your dishwashing machine and they are coming out greasy after the final wash?
There may be one or several reasons why this is happening as this is not expected to be a normal occurrence with a dishwasher.
A properly functioning dishwasher is supposed to remove all residues of grease and oil from your dishes leaving you a sparkling clean cookware and plates all the time.
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Why are my dishes coming out of the dishwasher greasy?
There may be several reasons why your dishwasher is not able to properly clean and get rid of every trace of oil or grease from dishes.
We shall discuss and highlight some of these reasons and how to fix them properly.
Water temperature:
One of the possible cause of your dishes having greasy residue is the water temperature may be low.
Most US dishwasher requires a minimum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit for the water temperature coming into the dishwasher.
You may have set your water heater at a level and not realize or notice that it has dropped 10-15 degrees lower from that temperature level as the water flows through the different pipes in your house it may actually be cooling down.
Although this may not be the case with modern dishwashers as they don’t normally require you to fill it in with hot water.
Most new dishwasher will heat up their own water using a heating element inside the dishwasher and it is regulated to wash at the required temperature level for each wash cycle.
You can check the temperature of water coming out from your faucet by using a cooking thermostat if you notice a drop in temperature this may be the cause of the problem with your dishes not coming out clean as expected.
Dishwasher detergent:
This most at times is the main and obvious cause of dishwasher not being able to completely get rid of grease or oil from your utensils.
There are so many dishwasher detergent available out there and not all of them are created equal, which means some will outperform the others when it comes to dealing with stains and even greasy remains on dishes.
So with that in mind you need to check the type of detergent that you are using when washing your cookware in the dishwasher.
You need to check if the detergent can easily remove greasy content or leftovers from dishes.
You can do this test easily with your hand by applying the detergent on a plate and washing with your hand manually if after washing you dry the plate and you are feeling no grease on the plate and your hand then the detergent is good.
Another culprit is that even if the detergent you are using for your dishwasher is good and can remove grease from dishes but you are not using the right amount of detergent you may still have grease leftovers on your plates and bowls.
You need to put in the right amount of dishwasher detergent so as to totally get rid of all the grease and oily content.
It is important you know the amount of detergent that will be required to wash a full load of dishes.
There are also good dishwasher pods which are easy and convenient to use.
Hard water:
You need to check to make sure that your water is not hard water as this may be reacting on a molecular level with your detergent and is not allowing the detergent to perform optimally.
To know if your water in your house is hard water you need to check for some easy signs.
Look for mineral buildups around the faucet in the house is a sign your water may be hard.
Also if your skin is feeling dry and itchy after bathing it may be a sign your water contains high minerals.
A good way to surely tell if you have hard water in your home is if after washing wine glasses in the dishwasher they are looking cloudy, then your water is hard water.
You will need to use a water softener to soften your water and you should also use rinse aid when washing in the dishwasher as this will help prevent hard water spots or cloudy looks on your dishes and glassware.
Clogged drains:
Another possible reason why your dishes may be coming out greasy is that you draining hose or pipes for the dishwasher may be clogged.
If the dishwasher is unable to drain dirty greasy water away completely from the machine the leftovers of this greasy water will end up back on the dishes and glassware after the wash cycle completes and the dishes dry out.
How do I know if my dishwasher drain hose is clogged? To know if your hose is clogged is quite easy.
You can simply tell if you are having water leaking out from the dishwasher onto the floor especially when you open the door of the dishwasher and if the water that is left in the dishwasher is above the drain it is a sign your hose may be clogged.
So one way to correct this is to run the dishwasher on an empty wash.
Add some baking soda and vinegar for 15 minutes to the bottom of the dishwasher which will not only help clear the clogged drain but it will also remove any bad smell from the dishwasher.
Remember to run it on hot water.
Summary:
If you are having greasy residues or oil on your dishes after washing it in the dishwasher then you need to follow this steps mentioned above to properly understand and know the reason why this is happening.
After you discover the reason why you dishes are coming out of the dishwasher greasy you will need to fix them.
Always pay attention to the detergent you are using , the hot water and also regular maintenance and cleaning of the dishwasher is very important so that its performances is not hindered in any way.
You will need to clean the dish washing machine itself from time to time so that your dishes come out smelling fresh and clean always.
Regularly running the dishwasher on a hot water cycle with a cup of vinegar placed in the machine will help get rid of any leftovers of grease, slimy feel, grime and any nasty odors from the dishwasher.
