Minor maintenance keeps dishwasher running

Those of us who have a dishwasher usually take it for granted. Most do a pretty good job of cleaning our dishes and can save us time in the kitchen. But there are some things you can do to make it run more efficiently and do a better job. Try some of these tips, and see if they don't work for you and your dishwasher.

Start with a clean machine. Remove the dish racks and clean the inside of the unit. If you need to scrub the surface, use baking soda and water on a rag. Check the bottom of the unit for small pieces of food, flatware or pieces of dishes and remove them.

While the dish racks are out, clean them and use protective covers over any bare metal spots. These are available at your hardware store.

While you have room to work, check the holes in the spray arms to make sure they are clear of debris. Use a toothpick to clear them if they are clogged. If your spray arm moves up during the wash, check the movement and make sure it is working properly.

Next, put the dish racks back in and pour a gallon of vinegar into the unit and turn it on for a light cycle. This will get rid of the mineral deposits that can interfere with the spray arms and detergent-cup movement, among other things.

If your heating element isn't working, your dishes may have spots and may not be getting as clean as they could be. To check the heating element, you will need a continuity tester, and this should be done only if you know what you are doing. If the element is bad, it can be replaced fairly easily once the water is clear and the power has been disconnected.

One way to boost the hot water in your unit at the beginning of the cycle is to run the sink until the water is hot and then start your dishwasher. Use the cold water on your houseplants.

Standing water after the end of the cycle might mean that your pump isn't draining properly. Check the drain hose under the sink and make sure it's not kinked.

A good detergent is also helpful, and anti-spotting agents that can be added are helpful as well.

Take care of your dishwasher, and it will take care of you.

Clean gutters

A wet-dry shop vacuum is a super addition to any home. They really come in handy for heavy-duty cleanups of all types. You can use it to clean your gutters, too. Add an extension to the end of the hose that has a U-shaped end. You can make this from PVC pipe and tape it in place if it doesn't fit tightly. If the hose extension is long enough, you can clean the gutters from the ground and never have to climb a ladder. If your downspouts are not covered at the top, you can blast them out from the bottom by blowing the leaves up and out the top.

Sawdust clean up

Woodworking can create a lot of sawdust, and that's when the shop vacuum comes in handy. But why not take the sawdust to the shop vac instead of dragging the shop vac around to clean up the sawdust? Just place the shop-vac nozzle on the floor, flip the switch to the shop vac on and use a push broom to move the sawdust toward the nozzle. The shop vac will suck up the sawdust super fast, and you will be able to move on to more projects faster.

Super hints

• Battery-powered lights are just super for use in a stairwell, in the basement, garage, dark storage shed or even a hall closet. Most can be hung with tape, Velcro or on a single nail and will give you light at a low cost when and where you need it.

• Keep a roll of reflective tape in your car's trunk. If you have to stop on the side of the road at night, wrap the tape around your car bumper, yourself or whatever else will make you more visible to oncoming traffic.

• If you get a lot of packing material from gifts or mail-order items, take them to a local shipper instead of throwing them away. The store will really appreciate it, since they have to purchase the packing material to use. Plus, you will be recycling.

Q. I always feel like I can't reuse caulk after it's been open. It just seems like it is all dried up when I try to use it again. What are you supposed to do to keep it soft in storage?

T.G.

A. Some people will just stick a nail into the end of the cartridge to seal it up, but unless the nail is the same size as the hole, it rarely works. A wire nut can be turned onto the end to act as a pretty good cap to seal up the tube.

Q. I want to install a ceiling fan in place of the lamp in my office. It seems, though, that the electrical box might not be strong enough to hold up a fan. What should I do?

K.N.

A. Check your home center or hardware store for a special bar that can be installed over the box between the ceiling joists that is made to reinforce the box. These are usually easy to install and can be done from the room side of the box. Just shut off the power to the box and install the special bracket. The instructions will explain how to connect the electrical box and fan to the support.

Q. My toilet just doesn't flush completely. I've used a plunger and a snake, and I still have the problem. I poured a bucket of water in and it flushed just fine, so I don't really think I have a clog. Is there anything you can suggest I try before replacing it?

G.H.

A. If the toilet always flushes completely when you pour the bucket in, the problem is between the bowl and the tank. Be sure the water level is adequate in the tank and that when flushed, nearly all the water runs out before the flapper or other stopper device drops back in place. Adjust the water level or the chain to the flapper. You might be better off replacing the toilet guts if you can't get them to work, rather than replacing the entire toilet.

Reader tips

• I had some masking tape, so I bought everything else and got ready to paint. The tape, however, was old and wasn't coming off easily like it was supposed to. I reasoned that heat might help, so I popped it into the microwave for about 30 seconds. It did seem to help. I had to do it again before I finished with the roll, but the tape did do its job and even peeled off when it was time.

R.D.

• I found some inexpensive storage racks made for storing canned goods in the kitchen pantry. They are supposed to hang over a door and are as large as a whole door. I bought three of them and hung them on my garage wall. Since they are very shallow, they don't get in the way of the car, but they hold a ton of stuff that would otherwise have no place to go. I have two for hardware and tools, and one for gardening stuff. They are perfect!

G.S.

• I always bring my plants inside during the winter. I use trays under each one to keep the water from damaging the tables and floors when I water them. For the hanging baskets, I add a plastic shower cap to each one that fits under the bottom tray. The tray is supposed to catch the overflow water, but sometimes they still leak. The shower caps catch the overflow and I don't have to worry about my floors anymore.

B.D.

• Waterless hand cleaner is so great in the shop. I use it all the time to keep my hands clean between projects. I have found that I can buy it in bulk and save some money. The large bottles don't cost that much more than the ones with the dispenser spout. So I just buy the large-size bottles and refill the dispenser bottle that I bought originally. It takes a little time to refill the bottle, but I save enough to more than pay for my time.

C.V.

• We found the perfect wallpaper for our game room. It has sports memorabilia on it, but they only had half of what we needed. We couldn't pass it up, though, so we bought what they had and tried to figure out a way to use it. We finally decided to cut it down the middle, lengthwise. The pattern would allow for that and still looked OK. By doing this, we doubled our supply and we put it up all the way around the room. It looks super!

K.S.

Shop talk

• Now it's easy to turn any surface into what looks like stone. Krylon's Make It Stone is a textured spray paint. First you apply the textured finish and then you add the clear-coat sealer to protect your unique finish. It's available in eight different colors, and you can use it on glass, plastic, wood, metal, wicker, craft foam and ceramic. Get creative. It's available at discount, paint and craft stores. For more information, go to www.krylon.com.

• Caulking a kitchen needs to be more than efficient. It also needs to be safe for your family, since food is prepared there. DAP's Kwik Seal Plus includes Microban, an antimicrobial product formula, as well as having a low-VOC content. That means it's safer for your food-preparation areas. Another great advantage is the easy-to-use aerosol can. You point and caulk. You get a smooth, consistent bead of caulk that will look really nice with no fuss or mess and no overflow, which is a common problem with the use of caulking guns. It's great in tight spaces and not wasteful when working on smaller projects such as you would have in your kitchen. It also works great in the bathroom. Look for Kwik Seal Plus at your hardware store or home center. If you would like to learn more about this or any other DAP product, visit DAP's Web site at www.dap.com.

© 2008, Cowles Syndicate Inc.