[blparent] Further Dishwasher Questions

Wed Jun 6 19:53:16 UTC 2012

Thanks.  I'll see what I can do.  I know I don't want those spots on my 
dishes.

Jo Elizabeth

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a 
song."  Maya Angelou

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 1:39 PM
To: "Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Further Dishwasher Questions

> Elizabeth,
>
> This is one of those topics that is probably borderline but doesn't seem 
> out of line if it doesn't go on forever and evolve into a debate about 
> which dishwasher is best.  <smile>
>
> Having said that, here is my two cents worth.  Some dishwashers have 
> filters or screens in the bottom that need to be occasionally cleaned.  be 
> sure that isn't the case.
>
> There are certain foods that if not completely rinsed off will just get 
> recirculated to everything.  Peanutbutter is one such food but some other 
> starchy foods can cause the same thing to happen.  Egg yoke is
> also a problem sometimes.
>
> If the water is hard, containing a lot of minerals and such, you will need 
> something to counteract that.  Most dishwashers have a place to put a 
> rinsing agent to prevent spots.  Sometimes there is even a control
> that determines how much is added as the amount that is needed depends 
> upon the water quality.
>
> You might also experiment with different soaps.  Different soaps have 
> different strengths and weaknesses.
>
> Make sure you hear the arms turning.  You should be able to here the spray 
> hitting the door in a rhythm.  If it is real slow, for example, say less 
> than once per second, it could mean the arms are not turning
> because there is a mechanical problem or because your dishwasher is not 
> filling as far as it should.  If a dishwasher fills too slow, the filling 
> cycle may turn off before it is full.  If the dishwasher is only partly 
> full, it
> can cause the arms to not rotate properly and the concentration of food 
> from the dishes in the water may be too high.
>
> Finally, make sure your water is hot enough.  Some dishwashers have the 
> ability to heat up the water but this is optional as an energy saver, or 
> it may be called a sani-cycle or something like that.  If you control
> the water heater, you might try turning up the temperature a little, but 
> if you don't you may need to use the dishwasher's ability to heat up the 
> water even if it means using more energy.  Of course, turning up the
> water heater might use more energy than would turning off the energy 
> saving feature of the dishwasher.  It is probably a topic for another 
> list, but some energy saving schemes don't end up saving you energy.
> I'll stop at that while adding quickly that I am not opposed to saving 
> energy.  <smile>
>
> I personally think you are smart to worry about these spots.  Even if you 
> can't see them much, you won't be able to tell the spots that can't be 
> seen from the ones you can see, and even if they are not real
> visible, people will probably be grossed out if they see them in their cup 
> as they sip on coffee.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Jacobson
>
> On Tue, 5 Jun 2012 19:41:07 -0600, Jo Elizabeth Pinto wrote:
>
>>Hi.  A week or two ago--sometimes it feels like a year ago--I asked about 
>>how to clean out my dishwasher.  I got some great ideas and tried vinegar 
>>first, then bleach, and finally CLR, which is a compound
> especially made for getting dishwashers clean.  My dishwasher is doing a 
> lot better, but on the load I just took out, there were a couple of 
> glasses and bowls that still had spots on them.  Anyway, I could feel
> little specks.  I showed Gerald and he said he could hardly see them, but 
> that yes, there were tiny spots in the places I pointed out.  He said to 
> just leave the dishes that way because it was barely noticeable
> and who cared.  Maybe I'm too obsessive, but I couldn't leave them like 
> that, so I washed them off by hand.
>
>>You have to understand, I've only ever had two dishwashers in my life, the 
>>one I had in my last apartment and this one that I bought with my condo. 
>>The one I had in my apartment never did work right, so I
> didn't use it.  I don't have much to compare this one to.  My question is, 
> am I expecting too much?  For those of you who have dishwashers, do your 
> glasses and bols and plates come out with specks on them
> that you can feel?  Or is my dishwasher just headed for the landfill? 
> Should I quit using it and go back to old-fashioned elbow grease and a 
> sponge?
>
>>Sorry I've gone on so long.  Hyper kids on summer vacation have given me 
>>brain cramps today.  If this message is off topic, feel free to write to 
>>me privately.
>
>>Jo Elizabeth
>
>>"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a 
>>song."  Maya Angelou
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>
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