Do I need to open the dishwasher after washing?

The dishwasher is a household appliance around which some kind of debate constantly flares up. One of the problematic questions: is it necessary to ventilate the dishwasher after finishing washing? Some housewives claim that their job is only to get the dishes, while others claim that constant moisture is an excellent environment for microbes.

Opinion of housewives closing the machine

To figure out which of the two militant camps is closer to the truth, you need to familiarize yourself with the arguments of both. Try to figure them out and then draw conclusions. This is what proponents of locking the car after washing say.

1. Firstly, after purchasing and installing the PM, water is found inside. In the store it is kept closed, but after opening the door of the house there is no trace of mold or unpleasant odors. So, there is nothing to worry about.
2. When washing, various household products, usually powders, are added to the unit. If you rarely use the machine, chemical residues will invariably be inside, but nothing will happen to them in the remaining water, and they will be suitable for further use. And if you open the door, everything will just dry to the walls.
3. In small-sized apartments, kitchens are not very spacious anyway, and if you open the dishwasher, you won’t be able to turn around at all. Surely, the manufacturers made sure that such a need did not arise.
4. On some models, the backlight turns on when the door is opened. As long as the door is open, the light is on.

The above opinions can well be called rational. But let's not rush to conclusions.Now let's move on to the arguments given by housewives who prefer to ventilate the dishwasher.

What do open door supporters think?

It’s worth noting right away that there were much more arguments in favor of opening the door after washing than those who supported the opposite opinion. However, most judgments were based purely on subjective experience. To summarize everything, the thoughts are as follows.

1. It’s one thing to test the machine once, without tons of dirty dishes and leave the door closed, but another thing is to close it every time and allow entire colonies of fungi and bacteria to multiply.
2. The chemical smell, as well as the stagnant “aroma” of washed waste, will accumulate in the dishwasher again and again, and every time after opening the door, this stench will flood the entire apartment.
3. When the door is open, any dirt immediately catches your eye, which motivates you to get rid of it right away. And if you open the machine only to load or unload the baskets, you’ll hardly even notice what’s on the inner walls.

Important! In order to figure out how best to act, you should answer the question for yourself: what is more important to me? For some, the most important thing is the health of the family, which may be at risk, for some it is practicality, and for others it is aesthetic qualities. This is where a solution should be sought.

Who is right?

Has anyone tried to open the instructions for their dishwasher and read what is written there? If not, here is a list of recommendations from the manufacturer:

• After finishing the washing and drying program, it is advisable not to immediately take out the dishes, but to let them dry completely for another couple of hours.To avoid running out of plates or glasses, run the wash overnight, and by morning the dishes will be clean and dry.
• Clean the filters regularly and as often as possible. The main unpleasant smell comes from them, especially if the problem starts.
• If you use the machine frequently and regularly clean the filters, there is no point in drying the unit from the inside every time. With such active work, mold and other microbes will not have time to multiply.
• If the dishwasher is used quite rarely, it can and should be dried to prevent the growth of bacteria. It is enough to leave the door open at least a little, and not open it completely.

The dishwasher is designed to be used at least once a week. Otherwise, the water will stagnate and emit an unpleasant odor.

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