I'm dealing with a stubborn orange slime mold in my Whirlpool dishwasher, which is less than six years old. I've been doing everything I can think of, like scraping dishes before loading, using name brand detergent, and ensuring I run hot water first. I also clean the filters at least twice a week and leave the door slightly open to dry it out. I'm in an area with extremely hard water, so I've tried various chemical cleaners and even natural remedies like vinegar and baking soda. Despite all these efforts, the orange slime just won't go away! What else can I do to conquer this persistent issue?
6 Answers
Have you checked your filter lately? It could be clogged. Also, make sure your dishwasher is connected to hot water properly. If the drain isn't backing up, that could help too. And how often do you actually use your dishwasher?
If you have orange slime in your toilet tanks too, you might have iron bacteria in your water. A water testing service can help identify that, and there are special treatments for it. Also, consider getting a water softener if you're dealing with hard water. It can make a huge difference!
Is the orange stuff actual mold or just discoloration? If you run a lot of upside-down plastic cups, that could be an issue. Try using those cups less or dump any water out before loading them. Maybe take a break from the dishwasher for a week and see if that changes anything?
Adding a tablespoon of citric acid powder to each load might help with the hard water deposits and potentially prevent that biofilm. You could even make a stronger solution with hot water as a treatment!
It might still be a heating issue. If your dishes aren’t coming out super hot after the drying cycle, there could be a problem with the sensor. That’s something to check out if you've replaced the heating element recently.
You might want to try switching from powder detergent altogether. That worked wonders for me, and we had similar slime issues before. Just a thought!
Yeah, I think getting your water tested is definitely a good idea. Iron can really mess with your appliances!