Brown stains in the cutlery basket? Here's how to fix your dishwasher
It can be an unpleasant surprise if you are emptying your dishwasher's cutlery basket only to spot brown discolouration on knives and forks - or indeed anywhere in the appliance.
Don't worry, though, it is a common problem and can be easily fixed.
These kinds of stains are not a sign that your cutlery is going rusty, says a German industrial association, the Industrieverband Körperpflege- und Waschmittel (IKW).
The brown stains can have various causes. Often they are due to rust film from other items in your dishwasher. Here's how to avoid the discolouration:
\- Only put dishwasher-safe cutlery and crockery in the dishwasher, otherwise they may rust. To be on the safe side, read the manufacturer's instructions.
\- Don't put any rusting items in the dishwasher. That could include an enamel pot with chipped glaze or a rusting screw on a knife handle.
\- Replace your cutlery basket if it shows signs of rusting. Most cutlery baskets are made of plastic-coated steel and if the coating comes off, they can rust.
\- Different metals should not come into contact with each other in the dishwasher, so place them in different compartments of your cutlery basket.
\- Check the salt content in the rinse water and only use the amount of regenerating salt recommended in the instructions for your dishwasher. If you spill some of the regenerating salt, wipe it up immediately with a damp cloth. Bear in mind that it is best to remove very salty food residues from crockery and cutlery before running your dishwasher.
What if you are already seeing a rusty film?
You can remove it with a stainless steel cleaner, says the German association. However, it is often sufficient to scrub and polish the affected area with a cloth, standard washing-up liquid and water.
