After the warm and comfy winter dinner, you open up your dishwasher and find a long trail of ants invading the entire place.
Now what? Of course, you don’t want to do the dishes on your own in this chilly night. But, how to get rid of ants in dishwasher?
Well, don’t worry. It happens to all of us, and there are a lot of solutions of this ant problem.
However, if you don’t take any step quickly, you can end up having some major hygiene issues.
Therefore, today, I am going to introduce you to some fantastic methods that are very quick and affordable.
So, stay tuned and get rid of all these tiny monsters like a pro.
Table of Contents
Why ants get there?
It is pretty common to see ants in a dishwasher. In most cases, you will notice carpenter ants or black ants. But the question is, why do they get there?
As you know, whenever you use the dishwasher, no matter how hard you try, there are always some food particles left in it. These particles emit their smell and call for a raid of ants.
Another reason is, generally, it takes a few days to empty a dishwasher as it takes some time to drive a full load.
This is why it gets very easy for the ants as well as other insects to invade it.
How to get rid of ants in dishwasher?
A dishwasher is an essential appliance in your kitchen that you use regularly. So, you should take instant action whenever you face a sudden invasion of ants in it.
Therefore, look at these super easy methods, and learn how to get rid of ants in the dishwasher.
Determining the Source
Before doing anything else, you need to find out where those ants are coming. You can follow the trail to trace it out.
Otherwise, you can also run a thorough check-up by dismantling some parts of your dishwasher.
Now, you might ask why you have to search for the source of it. Well, finding the focal point of the pismire nest can give you an upper hand by giving you an overview of the pismire type.
Besides, you will also learn what caused them to attack it. And thus, you can take the necessary actions as well as preventing it from happening again. Therefore, make sure that you get the source of these ants.
Doing some Kitchen Cleaning
Imagine you missed a corner of your kitchen that had a piece of fruit for a week. What can happen?
Trust me, a pile of ants swarming around that rotten piece of fruit is the last thing you want to watch. Not just that, things might mess up even more if you delay.
And so, doing a regular cleaning is the smartest way to keep control ants in dishwasher.
As you start cleaning almost every day, you can quickly check on any unnatural event and thus prevent it from spreading more.
Not just that, cleaning a small trail is much easier than tackling a massive nest of ants, right?
So, spend a good 15 to 20 minutes every day cleaning off your regular waste, and you are all good to go.
Spray Pesticides
Although spraying pesticides is not a healthy option, many people choose this method as it is quick, easy, and effective.
Besides, people have been using pesticides for ages, and it will also prevent other insects and pests.
To get free from the ants, carefully spray the pesticide on the affected areas, especially the drain.
It will allow the insecticide to penetrate the entire pipeline and kill all the ants in dishwasher.
However, make sure that you are taking all the precautions before using it. For example, you can use some gloves or a mask before spraying it.
Also, keep all these away from your children and the older people of your family.
You can also try a routine pest control to prevent any unwanted invasion of ants if you like.
But, remember that pesticides are toxic substances, and if you do not use them properly, they might cause several problems for your health.
Sanitize with Vinegar
Vinegar is an excellent option for handling this situation. It works as a sanitizer as well as an acidic agent.
You can use the regular white vinegar that you in your cooking. Apple cider vinegar is also an excellent choice to work. But, how does vinegar fight against these ants?
Well, there are quite a few interesting facts that are related to it. For example, when you use your dishwasher, different types of odor accumulates in it. As a result, ants and other insects get attracted to it.
Of course, you use your regular soap and other washing detergents to clean it up. However, that does not seem to work every time.
So, to cut out that smell, you can use vinegar.
Mix an equal part of vinegar in water and pour it down in the drain of your dishwasher. It will sanitize the pipelines, kill the ants, and remove that smell as well.
Now, you might want to do the same thing with other chemical ingredients. Not that it is a bad idea.
Using vinegar is a better approach as it is free of the side-effects that you have to deal with the other ones.
Moreover, the method is very economical. You can also pour it in a spray bottle and apply this solution to other affected areas.
Run the Empty Dishwsher
When your dishwasher gets invaded by a large pile of carpenter ants, the smartest way is to try removing as much as possible at a time. A brilliant solution is running on the empty washer.
However, it is better to use a pesticide on the drain before running it on. Of course, if you don’t want to use any toxic substance, you can always apply other organic alternatives.
Now, suppose that you have used some bleaching substance or a pesticide in your dishwasher, and you have successfully managed to kill a lot of ants with it. Now, what will happen to the dead bodies of those ants?
Well, if you don’t take them out properly, they might clog the drainage system and cause dysfunction of your dishwasher.
Therefore, running on the empty washer is a brilliant technique to wash away the residue.
Ant Proof it with Homemade Solutions
Although the chemical solutions are preferred by most of us, there are tons of homemade remedies that remains underrated.
Remember how I told you to use the vinegar solution? Well, the concept is the same as before. All you have to do is to look for the acidic substances that you discover handy.
Vinegar is a common solution, but if you do not want the pungent smell of it in your dishwasher, there are many alternatives that you can explore.
Just replace the vinegar with lemon juice and carry out the same procedure.
Trust me; you will be amazed after seeing its results. On top of it, using lemon juice will leave a beautiful citrus smell.
Again, you can use cucumber skins, Cayenne peppers, baking soda, and a lot of other acidic substances. These also work great in sanitizing.
Locking After Using
Forgetting to lock the dishwasher after using it is probably one of the most common problems of all. And why not?
Things get very clumsy after a long hectic day. However, this tiny mistake can lead to some pretty gross outcomes.
That’s right, leave your dishwasher open for a couple of days, and you’ll get to meet your brand new neighborhood colony of insects.
Therefore, make sure that you lock your dishwasher every time after using it. You can also check whether you locked it or not when you leave your kitchen at night.
It will act as a great way of preventing any unwanted invasion and keep things all clean and tidy.
Doing a Routine Inspection
We often miss out on a lot of obvious things, and a routine inspection of your house, especially your kitchen, can have a huge impact.
It will also cover up many of the previous steps that I have already mentioned, like finding out the source of the nest or running a deep cleaning. Besides, it’s always better to notice such things earlier, right?
You can take preventive steps and can also plan what you might need in the future to keep those ants far away.
So, try to conduct a thorough inspection every other week or so and see the results yourself!
Here Don’t forget to checkout Most Common causes of dishwasher leaking.
Final note
We all go through tons of workloads every day, and at the end of it, all we want a comfortable and healthy experience.
That is why we discussed all these natural ways about how to get rid of ants in dishwasher.
All of the techniques are super easy and takes a minimum amount of time. So, choose any method you like.
However, if these techniques don’t work, call a professional immediately. Otherwise, it can also harm you as well as your dishwasher.