Dishwasher

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. If your dishwasher is creating a stink, sprinkle ½ cup Arm & Hammer Baking Soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and let sit overnight. Run the baking soda through the machine with your next load of dishes, which also helps clean both the inside of the machine and the dishes.

20 Mule Team Borax and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. To make your own automatic dishwashing soap, mix equal parts 20 Mule Team Borax and Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda to create an old-fashioned cleanser made from borax and sodium carbonate.

Bounce. If you use the wrong detergent or too much detergent in the dishwasher and it starts to overflow with suds, open the door and put in a sheet of Bounce to eliminate the excess suds.

Heinz White Vinegar. To prevent soapy film on glassware, place one cup Heinz White Vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher, run for five minutes, then run though the full cycle. A cup of white vinegar run through the entire cycle once a month will also reduce soap scum on the inner workings.

Post-it Notes. For an easy way to determine if dishes in the dishwasher are clean, stick a Post-it Note on the front of the dishwasher after turning it on. When the dishwasher stops, the Post-it Note will alert others that the dishes inside are clean.

Clorox Bleach and Heinz White Vinegar. Reduce lime build-up inside the dishwasher by pouring one cup Clorox Bleach into the empty dishwasher and running the machine through the first wash cycle. Let the machine drain, then add two cups Heinz White Vinegar and run the machine through the rinse cycle. Skip the dry cycle, and instead, run the dishwasher through an entire regular cycle using regular detergent.

Pam Cooking Spray. If the racks in your dishwasher don't slide in and out easily, do not be tempted to lubricate them with WD-40, otherwise the petroleum-based ingredients in the water displacement formula can come into contact with kitchenware and eating utensils. Instead, spray the rollers with Pam Cooking Spray, a vegetable oil that lubricates the racks without any possible ill-effects.

Country Time Lemonade. To clean the pipes and tubes inside your dishwasher, fill the detergent cup in the dishwasher with Country Time Lemonade powder and run the machine through its normal cycle (without any dishes inside). The citric acid in the Country Time Lemonade cleans soap scum and grunge from the inside of the dishwasher and leaves your dishwasher smelling lemon fresh. Plumbers will tell you all about this trick—after charging you sixty dollars for the house call.

Kool-Aid. Clean soap scum from the tubes and pipes of a dishwasher by filling the detergent cup with Kool-Aid drink powder and running the dishwasher through its regular cycle. The citric acid in Kool-Aid cleans the soap scum and mineral and iron stains.

Tang. The astronauts took Tang to the moon, now you can use it to clean your dishwasher. Clean soap scum from the tubes and pipes of a dishwasher by simply filling the detergent cups with Tang powder and running the dishwasher through its regular cycle (without any dishes inside). The citric acid in Tang cleans the soap scum and mineral and iron stains.

20 Mule Team Borax. Reduce water spots on glasses and dishes by adding one tablespoon 20 Mule Team Borax to the dishwasher.