08/27/2026
🏡✨ I’m too much of a passionate ADHD/OCD person not to start sharing little Tips of the Trade like this every few weeks!
Just simple things I’ve learned along the way, researched, or tested in my own home that can make taking care of yours a little easier.
If I don’t learn something new every day, we have a problem. 😂
We work way too hard for our homes — and everything we put in them — not to know how to take care of them. Sometimes a few minutes of maintenance or knowing the right product to use can make a huge difference in how something looks, how well it works, and how long it lasts.
Simple home care. Things that actually work. And hopefully a few things you didn’t know. ❤️✨
A couple days ago… (yes, music is always in my head….)
🎶 I fought the HARD water… and I won. 😂
When we moved into our house, I inherited this dishwasher — and the second I opened it, I was like… yep, hard water has been having a little too much fun in here. 😂
The crazy part? My dishwasher is only about four years old.
And if you live in Boise or anywhere around the Treasure Valley, you already know the hard-water battle is REAL. We see it on our faucets, shower glass and dishes, but those same minerals can also build up in all the little hidden parts of our appliances.
When I first inspected my dishwasher, I could see mineral buildup all over the filter area, spray components, rack pieces and little openings. Those parts need to stay clear so water can circulate properly and the dishwasher can actually do the job it was designed to do.
So instead of assuming I had a crappy dishwasher, I researched it, checked my appliance information to make sure the method was appropriate for my machine, came up with a plan, and tested it on my own dishwasher. 🤯
That’s important to me. If I’m going to recommend a product or method, I want to research it, use it myself and see the results firsthand. My own house gets to be the guinea pig.
The winner of this experiment was food-grade citric acid. 🍋
And before the word acid scares anyone 😂 — citric acid occurs naturally in citrus fruits, and food-grade citric acid is commonly used as an ingredient in foods and beverages. It also happens to be REALLY good at breaking down mineral deposits.
I took pictures before I touched anything, and then the experiment began:
✨ Round 1: 4 oz. of food-grade citric acid sprinkled into the bottom of my empty dishwasher — Heavy cycle + Wash Temp Boost.
The difference after ONE cycle was honestly ridiculous — and I hadn’t scrubbed or wiped anything.
✨ Round 2: Another 4 oz. and the exact same cycle to tackle what remained.
✨ Final test: My regular Cascade detergent + Jet-Dry and a normal wash.
And these are the actual results. 👀😂
I didn’t scrub the parts between the citric-acid cycles because I wanted to see what the treatment itself was actually doing.
The before-and-after photos are my real, unaltered photos; I just used AI to help arrange them into the graphic.
⚠️ PLEASE check your own appliance manual/manufacturer recommendations before trying any cleaning or descaling method. I checked mine first and confirmed this method was appropriate for my dishwasher. Appliances, materials and manufacturer recommendations can differ.
Also, this was a RESET for my dishwasher because it already had significant hard-water buildup. This is NOT the amount of citric acid I would use for routine maintenance.
And that’s really why I wanted to share this.
Appliances aren’t cheap whether you’ve had them 20 years or 20 days. Taking care of filters, spray holes and all those little working parts can help them perform the way they’re supposed to and hopefully help us get more life out of something we already spent our hard-earned money on.
Sometimes an appliance isn’t broken.
Sometimes it just needs a little attention. ❤️✨
Margo 1. Hard Water 0. 😎
Hard water picked the wrong house. 😂
