Domestic dishwashers need cleaning because neglecting this causes hygiene and performance issues. And, what is also important, without cleaning, units can face a higher risk of early breakage, which involves repair and associated bills. Fortunately, smart dishwashers can help you monitor the need for cleaning.

Note, to service brands that use comprehensive technologies and need extra care it is recommended to hire engineers trained specifically for these brands. For example, to service a Miele dishwasher, you need Miele dishwasher repair specialists, but to service a smart LG dishwasher, you will need an LG repair engineer. Fortunately, a good engineering company trains its engineers to be the all-in-one expert for Miele, LG, and many other brands.

Smart connectivity helps you monitor the need for cleaning

Before we dive into discussion about reasons for cleaning, it is worth mentioning that smart dishwashers from brands like, for example Miele and LG have already considered this aspect and offer tools to monitor the need for this cleaning.

For example, a Miele@home system, which lets you control and monitor your dishwasher via a smartphone app, includes a Consumption Dashboard that provides real-time insight into energy usage. So, if you see an increase in energy, it can be an indicator of heating elements covered with limescale and the need for descaling.

LG smart dishwashers also monitor the need for cleaning the tub. To clarify, in the LG ThinQ app, there is a Machine Clean Coach feature, which tracks cycles and recommends cleaning after every 30 cycles. If you enable a machine clean reminder in the app's settings, you will get maintenance alerts so you do not forget to clean your dishwasher.

Cleaning prevents hygiene issues

As it is not possible to clean dishes totally before placing them in a dishwasher, some food residues remain. While during the washing cycle you get rid of these residues from the dishes, they accumulate at the bottom of the dishwasher cavity and the filter.

If food debris is not removed, it causes blockages or begins to rot. Bacteria start growing, causing unpleasant odours. Blockages can increase cycle time or even water consumption.

Smart dishwashers can help you monitor the need for cleaning, so you can timely undertake the necessary maintenance.

Cleaning prevents performance issues and early failure

Water always contains some minerals. However, if you have hard water, the amount of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, is even higher. When contacting a surface, these minerals build up and create a limescale.

Here are the situations in which limescale arises:

• Water going through the holes in the spray arm
• Water contacting cavity interior
• Water contacting heating elements

While limescale on the interior is just an aesthetic issue, mineral build-ups on the spray arm holes and heating elements decrease the dishwasher’s performance. To clarify, limescale-clogged spray arm holes do not output sufficient water flow, which results in poor cleaning. Besides, the limescale on the heating elements insulates the element and reduces their efficiency, which can cause their overheating and early failure.

Smart dishwashers can track their energy-efficiency and shoe you when it increases, so you will know your dishwasher needs cleaning and descaling for spray arm holes, cavity interior, and heating elements.

So, to sum up, there are two reasons why your dishwasher needs cleaning. First, you do not want to get a dishwasher full of food debris, bad odours, and bacteria. Second, because you do not want it to become less energy-efficient, lose its performance, or break down before its lifespan ends. And smart dishwashers help to monitor this need for cleaning, so you can take all the advantages of proactive maintenance.