Um...I didn't know my dishwasher had a dryer vent you should clean out!

[canadiyank]

So, I started a facebook group here (http://www.facebook.com/pages/UmI-didnt-know-my-dishwasher-had-a-dryer-vent-you-should-clean/282078522894?ref=mf) ("Um...I didn't know my dishwasher had a dryer vent you should clean out!") b/c last night as I was sponging off the inside of my dishwasher door I discovered the grille can come off. Inside was 5 yrs. worth of disgustingness. So, so gross. Blech. Ew. Nasty! I cleaned it out and posted a FB status update and discovered that apparently I'm not the only one who was unaware of this! :lol So please, check behind the grille and post pics of the nastiness you find! And fan my page if you're on FB. :D

Unfortunately I don't have "before" pics, but here's what I'm talking about:

The vent, from the outside:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f145/canadiyank/Dishwasher/101_2734.jpg


The grille before it's popped off:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f145/canadiyank/Dishwasher/101_2735.jpg


The cleaned-out grilled and vent:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f145/canadiyank/Dishwasher/101_2736.jpg


Close-up of the vent:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f145/canadiyank/Dishwasher/101_2737.jpg

[Lady TS]

How did you get your vent to come off? Mine looks like it has a place to put a screwdriver in and pry it up...but I'm afraid I will break it!

[canadiyank]

I just pried it gently with my fingers and it popped off. :think

[ArmsOfLove]

I'm going to have to check that. We got our dishwasher used and so my first thought when I saw your facebook page was :sick and that I don't know if I want to know :shifty

[canadiyank]

You really don't want to know. But yet, at the same time, you can't *not* find out, can you? ;) :lol

[Drew]

I know the vent is there and that it comes off and yet I've not opened it in the 3 years I've had the dishwasher. :shifty

[MomtoJGJ]

I had no idea... off to check that out now!

OH THAT'S NASTY!!!! ick ick ick...

[Iveyrock]

oh man :-/

[Buela]

insert *running away screaming smiley here* :sick
:yuck

:sick2

:wow

I guess I have to log off now and clean that DISGUSTING MESS
Thanks a lot. I think I just threw up a little.

I'll add a pic of mine if you guys can handle it

http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww55/Buela79/house/-4.jpg?t=1265136286
http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww55/Buela79/house/-3.jpg?t=1265136338

[Charlie U]

:sigh I need to empty the dishwasher. I'll have to check the vent. (And I joined the FB group.) :shifty I think dh knows about it and he's cleaned it.

Right?

:shifty

I don't wanna. :snooty

[joyful mama]

should.not.have.opened.spoiler!

i don't want to know :paranoid

[ShangriLewis]

yuck
yuck
yuck

[Charlie U]

Is it really, really bad that I can't pop the vent off? :shifty

[Punkie]

OMGoodness. That was so gross.

[JessicaTX]

I think ignorance was bliss. :sick

[Barefoot Bookworm]

Eww, I did not know either. I'm afraid to go look.

[BriansLovie]

Yuck! Thankfully, we have had a brand new dishwasher for the past 6 months. I just checked and ours is pretty much clean of debris... but thanks for the reminder to clean it out periodically!

[Buela]

Canadiyank -- since you got me into this mess, PLEASE tell me how you got all that gunk out? The "filter" part I can wash in the sink, but the door -- it's all stuck!

[BeckaBlue]

:sick
I don't wanna!!!!!!!:snooty

[Charlie U]

Dh popped it off. :phew

Canadiyank -- since you got me into this mess, PLEASE tell me how you got all that gunk out? The "filter" part I can wash in the sink, but the door -- it's all stuck!

It might help to load up the dishwasher and run a load first. I cleaned mine out about 30 minutes after the cycle ended and the clean dishes were emptied out. There was gunk in there, but it was pretty soft. Ewww!

[canadiyank]

Canadiyank -- since you got me into this mess, PLEASE tell me how you got all that gunk out? The "filter" part I can wash in the sink, but the door -- it's all stuck!

Heh. So, first I sponged off what I could. And I soaked the grill part in the sink. But then I kept the door open flat, placed a large bowl underneath, and poured bowls full of hot water through to the other side until it ran clean. I loosened any debris with Q-tips and a toothbrush and then did more hot water. I probably had to do it 6-7 times. And put a bunch of towels down under the bowl, it made a big mess.

Ew ew ew.

---------- Post added at 11:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:11 AM ----------

Yes, my gunk was soft. Like oily soft dryer lint. SO NASTY.

[Mama Rophe]

Ew. Gross!!!!!! I don't want to go look. This dishwasher was in this house when we bought it and judging by the fact that they let their dogs eat the counter top and drywall I don't think this will be clean. EEEEWWWWWW.

[Buela]

Ew. Gross!!!!!! I don't want to go look. This dishwasher was in this house when we bought it and judging by the fact that they let their dogs eat the counter top and drywall I don't think this will be clean. EEEEWWWWWW.

Yes, I know what you mean about previous owners -- I have decided that the people who sold us this house were lying, dirty, smelly people:sick The lying is in reference to the fact that they sold us a house that had three leaks in the first week of ownership -- and they signed the realty documents that there were no know water problems.

Now, back to my housework :sick

[canadiyank]

Buela - did you join my fb group? If not, can I steal those pics. :shifty It can be anonymous. Heh. Mine was worse <barf> but I don't have before pics.

[mykidsmom]

Oh man.... I hope mine is a ventless kind. Off to check... :sick

[Buela]

I didn't join your group, but I did check it out in case you had a step by step for how to do the job :lol You can steal my pics for sure though, if you know how. I'd love to join your group and give them to you that way, but I'd like to protect my anonymity (both for the sake of my dishwasher and family LOL)
The bowl worked wonderfully. I ran a rinse cycle first (with the cover off, hope that didn't ruin anything LOL)

I have been having rinsing issues since we bought this house, my dad took everything (except the vent apparently) apart for me in October to try to locate the problem. I will be tickled pink if this fixes everything as a new dishwasher is not in the budget right now

[mykidsmom]

Nope, there's a vent. It's round and doesn't look like there's an easy way to take it off. The plastic looks flimsy. I'm going to have to find the owner's manuel... Fun... :sick

---------- Post added at 07:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:38 PM ----------

I didn't join your group, but I did check it out in case you had a step by step for how to do the job :lol You can steal my pics for sure though, if you know how. I'd love to join your group and give them to you that way, but I'd like to protect my anonymity (both for the sake of my dishwasher and family LOL)
The bowl worked wonderfully. I ran a rinse cycle first (with the cover off, hope that didn't ruin anything LOL)

I have been having rinsing issues since we bought this house, my dad took everything (except the vent apparently) apart for me in October to try to locate the problem. I will be tickled pink if this fixes everything as a new dishwasher is not in the budget right now

We've been having rinsing problems, too... I wonder... :think

[JenLovie]

La la la la la *fingers in ears*
I don't know if I want to know how bad it is.

[Mama Rophe]

Mine is round too. I can't get it off for the life of me. I don't have the owners manual. I'm sure the previous owners didn't care to keep it or just tossed it in their move. I'm off to do some research online to see what I can find.

[canadiyank]

I didn't join your group, but I did check it out in case you had a step by step for how to do the job :lol

I will put them up. :yes

You can steal my pics for sure though, if you know how.

Thanks! Do you have any "afters"? :shifty

[MomtoJGJ]

Heh. So, first I sponged off what I could. And I soaked the grill part in the sink. But then I kept the door open flat, placed a large bowl underneath, and poured bowls full of hot water through to the other side until it ran clean. I loosened any debris with Q-tips and a toothbrush and then did more hot water. I probably had to do it 6-7 times. And put a bunch of towels down under the bowl, it made a big mess.

this is what I did minus the q-tips....

we've been having an odd smell lately in that area that I thought was the disposal... I'm hoping this fixes it!!

[summertimeshine]

I am :sick and :preg - does that mean I can ask DH to open it up and clean it out??? I never knew cleaning that was an option! :jawdrop

[cobluegirl]

I can't get mine open..I am afraid I pry (which I am doing with screw driver) that I might break it and not be able to get it back on...
I got one end open but the other seems stuck.

[mamaKristin]

Oh, and for fun, while you are in the dishwasher? Clean off the bottom of the inside of the door. *that* was a treat. :shiver

[cobluegirl]

Oh, and for fun, while you are in the dishwasher? Clean off the bottom of the inside of the door. *that* was a treat. :shiver

ya ours is kind of icky... the water pools there.

---------- Post added at 02:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:15 PM ----------

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/cobluegirl/dishwashervent.jpg

Here is mine Meghan. You can see where it broke too...

[euromom]

:sick Afraid to go check mine :shiver

[swimming with sharks]

I checked and mine was CLEAN! :jawdrop:phew We've had the dishwasher for a couple of years...I'm surprised it was clean! :shrug3 THe bottom inside of the door, I cleaned that night before last it was NASTY!! :sick

[Thia]

Despite the fact I wish I hadn't seen this, I still say thank you...who would have thunk it?

[charla]

Oh nooooo.....I so don't want to look. My germaphobia is going crazy.

[RosalieMarie]

Mine is just all part of the door.... there's nothing that would come off at all. Hopefully that means it cleans itself. :shifty I don't want to think about what could be hiding in there.

[hey mommy]

I'm hoping mine doesn't have one. It's bad enough that there is nasty, rusted gunk on the bottom if the dishwasher.

Our old one in our old house had a filter, but in the 5 years we had it u never cleaned it. ewww

[Naked Camper]

eww :sick off to go check of mine has one (but is really afraid to check).

[Iarwain]

Mine was completely caked with THICK hard water deposits. No way was air going through there. The dishwasher doesn't work anyway because of drainage problems (probably a clogged hose), but I did scrape and bang the gunk out of the vent and the cover is soaking in vinegar right now.

[Saphirah]

Lalalallalalalalalalalalalalala Not listening! I ran a cleaning cycle on ours awhile back with some special soap and got to clean grey snot from the bottom of the door when it was done. Eeeeeeeeeeeew.

[BlessedBlue]

So I was all :nails because I never thought of looking *there* and I've moved enough to know that dishwashers can have all sorts of nastiness in their nooks (military moves - we have to pass home inspections :rolleyes). Anyway, I knew that this current place wasn't inspected very carefully, so :nails :shiver I didn't want to look, but now that I've been educated couldn't *not* look, IYKWIM.

:phew It wasn't bad. Slightly icky, but not horribly gross. (of course, I was the kid who ate lunch *during* AP biology lab... :shifty)

[Naked Camper]

:phew mine doesn't have one

[canadiyank]

Here is mine Meghan. You can see where it broke too...

Oh no, I'm sorry it broke! :(

Can I steal that pic? :shifty

[knitlove]

I really don't want to go look! but I probably will it can't be that bad the dishwasher is a bit moor than a year old.

[Naked Camper]

so am i the only one without a trap? Or am I just not finding mine?? :scratch

[hey mommy]

Okay, I found mine. It wasn't too bad. Probably b/c in the past month I've done used 2 dishwasher cleaners & ran some CLR through it to get the rust & other gunk out of it. Now it sparkles like new.. Except for that one spot under the trap on the bottom b/c I can't get the trap off..

[cobluegirl]

yes meghan..you can have it..that is why I posted it. LOL It still stays put..just is broken and easier to clean..LOL

I have decided that dishwashers are kind of gross...bwahh...I wonder how clean the dishes actually are.

[Proverbs31]

so THAT'S what the grill thingy is!!!!

another I-don't-wanna-look-at-5-years-worth-of-gunk here. :snooty

[jewelmcjem]

I totally thought that group was "I didn't know the dryer had a vent I should clean out" and thought it was air-headed just-out-on-my-own dingbats. :giggle

---------- Post added at 09:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 PM ----------

Ours is less than a year old. The vent slides out nicely, no little arms to break off. There was a little gunk in there but not bad. I wonder if the fact that I *never* use the dryer function helps any.

It's against my religion to run the dishwasher dryer. I refuse to pay for something that will happen for free if I leave them in there long enough, lol.

[believer]

can't open ours. I tried prying a butter knife under it but it still would not open and dh told me not to break it.

[TuneMyHeart]

this thread is so, so gross, yet hilarious. :giggle

[AdrienneQW]

This may be the first time in my entire life that I've been thoroughly grateful I've never owned a dishwasher.

[canadiyank]

It's against my religion to run the dishwasher dryer. I refuse to pay for something that will happen for free if I leave them in there long enough, lol.

I don't run it, either, yet I'm the one who started this thread and the group! :roll (And my dh would have been the one not knowing about the lint trap. :giggle

[cro]

I don't run it, either, yet I'm the one who started this thread and the group! :roll (And my dh would have been the one not knowing about the lint trap. :giggle
:haha

This is all just eeewww. I'll check mine tomorrow. Maybe.

[happyhousewife]

Oh man. I dont even want to check mine. :sick

[Kiera]

:pout

Is it horrible that I want one to go look at and get grossed out about? :bag

[sweetpeasmommy]

So scared. :nails

:phew Not bad at all. :phew I just ran some thieves oil through it the other day.

[MomtoJGJ]

It's against my religion to run the dishwasher dryer. I refuse to pay for something that will happen for free if I leave them in there long enough, lol.

The only time I use the dryer is when I turn it on before bed and that's because I can't turn it off when it's done :) But even when it's running there is still a bit of steam that comes out through the vent. Mine was nasty, but we've lived here for 4 years, and I don't know how long the previous people had it or if they cleaned it... I think it's about 10 years old.

[WildOlive]

Oh no. We have had out dishwasher for like 9 years and I never knew about this! I will have to check *after* I eat breakfast.:sick

[ReedleBeetle]

We checked my MIL's and hers has this thick grey stiff spongy thing in behind the vent. There is no way that we can figure out to get inside it. :scratch She believes hers is fine anyway because "only air comes out through that". :giggle

[AndiRoo]

Thank you for this!! I did it....and WOW it will be on the to-do list from now on!! Eww....

[Gentle Journey]

Mine is only 3 months old. It's round and I can't figure out how to get it off. Hoping it's fine anyway. But I know I'm going to keep poking at it til I figure it out. Or perhaps new ones are self cleaning? Can I hope for that?

[WildOlive]

I can't figure out where mine is...

[BeckaBlue]

mine is fine, not sparkly but no nastiness. could only get the 'door' half way off so i left it be :bag

[UltraMother]

Toothpicks work well to clean out the gunk in the corners. :)
Now, how do you get hair out of the bottom drain-thingy when it doesn't come out?

[jewelmcjem]

Really, you'd think they'd make something you're SUPPOSED to clean much easier to find & get at!

[StrangeTraveller]

.....how bad is it that I opened mine and then closed it (and it DOES need to be cleaned :sick) ? :shifty

[MomtoJGJ]

Toothpicks work well to clean out the gunk in the corners. :)
Now, how do you get hair out of the bottom drain-thingy when it doesn't come out?

ok... I HAVE to ask.. why is there hair in your dishwasher??

[mykidsmom]

ok... I HAVE to ask.. why is there hair in your dishwasher??


:lol

I bet her neighbors are wondering how the dog is always soooo clean...

[joyful mama]

i can't get mine off :scratch

[Mama Rophe]

I checked the owners manual online for my dishwasher and it says nothing of cleaning this.

[meredithmommy]

I am gonna check my dishwasher right now! I didn't know there was a vent!!! I bet that could be dangerous!

[mellifera]

This may be the first time in my entire life that I've been thoroughly grateful I've never owned a dishwasher.

:haha Me too!

ok... I HAVE to ask.. why is there hair in your dishwasher??

I'm not the original poster, but...my dad used to wash his baseball caps in the top rack of the dishwasher. :shrug3

[Eowyn]

My dishwasher doesn't have one that can be removed. I looked. The vent area is completely even with the dishwasher door, without so much as a seam.

[RosalieMarie]

My dishwasher doesn't have one that can be removed. I looked. The vent area is completely even with the dishwasher door, without so much as a seam.

That's how mine is, too.

[Mama Rophe]

I'm wondering if I could use my steamer to clean it out without taking the cover off since I can't find a way to do it without breaking it. The hot steam wouldn't melt anything would it?

[canadiyank]

I'm wondering if I could use my steamer to clean it out without taking the cover off since I can't find a way to do it without breaking it. The hot steam wouldn't melt anything would it?

I think that's how Rabbit does it...it's worth a shot, I'd think!

[Thia]

So I posted a few pages back, a thank you, then trotted off to check mine. It was nice and clean despite over 5 years of ownership. Brilliant, excellent, way to go me.

We just moved. Into a house that had been abandoned for a year and before that owned by people who didn't care a toot about a lot of house stuff. So, after my husband fixed the DW today, I knew I had to clean it. I was afraid, very afraid, and I should have been too! Oh.my.goodness. I did the best I could with it and am now running the DW with vinegar and baking soda per a "how to clean the DW site." I suppose when it's done, I should take the vent back off and tackle it again. I'm far too pregnant to be dealing with this junk! Or at least, that's the excuse I'd like to make.

And yes....just how does hair get into the DW? Then again...do I want to know? Probably not.

[raining_kisses]

im going to tell my dh about this and have him check. i just cant...im scared :hiding

[LadybugSam]

Is it really, really bad that I can't pop the vent off? :shifty

i tried and can't get mine off either. :shrug I'm just going to pretend its clean :shifty

[canadiyank]

I had to clean mine again recently. Ewwww! And we're moving into a new house, where so far I'm unable to get the vent off. :think

[graciousmomma]

I was just thinking about this thread the other day. And voila! Here is it right where I can easily find it :D

[nadezhda]

:sick2 Ew, ew, ew, ew, EWWWWWWWW! Pregnant women should *not* look at those pictures. :shiver FTR, I did just *try* (albeit half-heartedly) to pry the grill thingy off the inside of my dw, but it didn't come off easily...so I quit. :shifty

[pirandellian]

You know what... I think this is what might be causing nasty smells in my kitchen. Or at least, something with the dishwasher.

---------- Post added at 03:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:04 PM ----------

And DH can't pry off the cover. We're renting, so we don't want to break it.

*sigh* Oh well!

[Lady TS]

I can't get mine off either to clean it. Oh well....

[racheepoo]

:haha NF's, the thread has been found! (We've been talking about loving to hyperclean minute random things that nobody notices) :giggle

[cobluegirl]

I broke mine when I took it off to clean..now I just kind of hose it out.