Even dishwashers need to be cleaned regularly
Plus: A pasta-cooking primer and dealing with under-fridge floor dent
Q I am very fed up with my dishwasher. After running a cycle, the bottom and insides of the cups are caked with bakedon food. The cutlery ends up with food hardened onto each piece. The dishwasher was expensive and it is only two years old. What can I do to fix this problem?
A New dishwashers are made to be water-efficient and use less energy. Because of this, some dishwashers don’t clean as well as they once did. Appliances use less water and basins tend to clog up, and thus requiring regular cleaning, because the debris in the bottom of the dishwasher prevents the water from circulating properly. Either hire a handyperson or take the dishwasher apart on your own. Begin by unsnapping and removing dishwasher racks. Remove the top sprayer arm. Remove the lower spray arm — this is a little trickier because you will need to unscrew all the screws and some of them might be hidden. After the dishwasher basin is disassembled, you may see all kinds of debris such as toothpicks, chicken bones, pieces of garlic, etc. Clean and reassemble the dishwasher. Hopefully with regular maintenance, your dishwasher will run well from now on.
Q I read your hints in the newspaper every weekend and use many of the solutions. I moved our fridge to clean underneath and notice that there is a dented line on the flooring. Is there anything that can be done to lessen the dent?
A Your best bet is to either heat the area with a hair dryer — the vinyl will soften and puff up. Or lay a tea towel over the dent and gently heat the line with a warm iron to help it expand back to shape.
Q I am new to the world of cooking and have a question for the simplest dish: pasta. What does it mean when the instructions on the package say to cook the noodles “al dente?”
A This Italian phrase means,
“to the tooth” and refers to the cooking time. In other words, the pasta should be cooked so that it remains slightly firm and chewy instead of soft.
FEEDBACK THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE
Re: Matching socks
I laughed and laughed at your “match your feet” article! Having a husband and three boys, matching socks was always a chore as some would go missing every wash. My solution: don’t wear matching socks!
It has led to many interesting conversations with total strangers informing me my socks don’t match — and the making of new friends. I feel the “matching” trend was started by a very good salesman as there is no reason socks have to match. If my family wanted their socks to match, THEY were the ones to make them match, not ME. So, don’t stress anymore, step outside the box and don’t ever match again it’s a truly freeing experience. Submitted by: Elaine
BEST TIPS OF THE WEEK
Prevent your eyes from tearing ■ while chopping onions by holding a stainless-steel spoon between your teeth during the process.
Submitted by: Brittany
If you run out of toothpaste,
■ cut the bottom off the tube and insert toothbrush up the tube from the bottom. You’ll be surprised how much toothpaste is still in that tube — enough to last several more days.
Submitted by: Hilda