What is the white film inside my dishwasher?
If you see a white film building up inside your dishwasher, do not worry too much as this is not a risk to health, and does not mean your dishes are not clean.
Make up of this film
This film can be caused by limescale deposits. You can confirm this if it is easily removed when rubbed with vinegarSilica build up – if the film cannot be removed by vinegar it is more likely to be a silica deposit, especially if you see iridescence
Causes and Solutions
In either of the above cases, the film is caused by insufficient or no use of dishwasher salt. A lot of us use the all in one detergents, which are supposed to have sufficient amounts of both rinse aid and dishwasher salt. If you live in an area of soft water you may not have too much of a problem. If, however, you live in a hard water area, it is essential you use dishwasher salt. You will also see better results if you also use Rinse Aid.
It is generally felt that switching to a gel cap detergent as opposed to either powder or tablet form, will give you much better results in a hard water area.
What you should do
In order to remove the film from your dishwasher, you should buy one of the many dishwasher cleaners available in most supermarkets. You run the machine empty with the cleaner and you will be amazed how bright and shiny the interior of your dishwasher will be. If the build up of silica or limescale is fairly heavy, you may need to run a cleaner again.
As part of your normal dishwasher hygiene, it is always a good idea to regularly run one of these cleaners through your dishwasher, it will stop any of the build up but will also keep the machine in good working order.
Once you have done this, and have changed your detergent you should find that the white film will be a thing of the past.
Comments