How to clean a dishwasher with bleach?

I cleaned a dishwasher in my rental that had not been used in a year. Cup of Clorox, no soap, run through cycle. This kills all the nasty mold and other things. Then run through a cycle with soap and you are done.

Once a month I put A cup of bleach in a glass bowl on the bottom rack of the dishwasher. Run it through the wash cycle. Empty bowl and put 1 cup white vinegar.

Run dishwasher for entire wash. I have done this for over 20 years.

run a hot water cycle with 1 cup of bleach. Check drain screen for food particles

don't use bleach use white vinegar bleach causes damage to your pipes, inside of dishwasher, and your hoses worst thing to use- ask any plumber - put white vinegar in the detergent cup and you can even put a cup in the top rack of white vinegar and run through a cycle to clean it out

I wouldn't use bleach as it can, over time, damage the gaskets not to mention if any residue on your dishes you can get sick. Instead I would go the vinegar & baking soda route.

After making sure the dishwasher is free of any food particles, place a cup of white cleaning vinegar in an open dishwasher safe container on the upper rack and run a short hot cycle. Then sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the unit and run another short hot cycle. This will clean, sanitize, and make it sparkle.

Prior to adding detergent, put one (1) drop of blue Dawn in the dispenser. You will be amazed at how much better your dishes will look, especially glasses and plastic.

Bleach can damage the seal. Put a cup of bleach in a glass, dishwasher-safe bowl in the dishwasher and run it.

I'm reading now that vinegar is damaging to the rubber parts inside a dishwasher. You might be best served by getting the dishwasher cleaning products at the store. Make sure your filter is cleaned out too.

Hi Abby, hope this helps you out, it is very detailed,

https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-clean-a-dishwasher/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90933193f6

I just add a cup of bleach or vinegar and run the dish washer (but both of those can be problematic for the seals).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXUHSck7zM4