Appearance
Pitting appears as small hollows in the surface of the metal. In many cases this will be surrounded by a rust mark. Pit marks are normally very small.
This problem is not due to a fault on your dishwasher
Usually the result of:
- Electrolytic reaction caused by the touching of other metals, for example silver
- Small imperfections in the steel which cause rusting
- Acidic or salty foods
Cause & Prevention
Cause
Pitting is most often a result of an electrolytic reaction which is set up between two dissimilar metals. It is often seen where silver and stainless steel items touch or where the item touches the stainless steel tub of the dishwasher or a pan.
Pitting can also occur at the joint between the blade and handle of a knife, for example, where there are different qualities of stainless steel used or different metals entirely.
Small pits can also be observed when there is a small area of rusting due to the impurities in the metal.
Salty or acidic foods will increase the risk of pitting as the electrolytic reaction is increased by these.
Treatment
There is no treatment that will restore the cutlery.
Polishing with a metal polish/cleaner such as Chromol will improve the appearance of rusted items but may not totally get rid of the rust and it will not solve the pitting.
Prevention
Purchase good quality “Dishwasher Safe” stainless steel. The dishwasher interior is made from a high grade of stainless steel.
Ensure that dissimilar metals are kept in different parts of the cutlery basket in particular and that cutlery is not allowed to touch other metals.
Rinse any excess acid or salt from the tableware before you place them in the dishwasher.
Remove any spillage from filling the dishwasher salt or rinse aid containers by running a a “rinse and hold” cycle with an em
pty machine. Try to fill these when the machine is empty of any items.
DO NOT mix stainless steel and silver.
How You Can Get Help With Dishwasher Problems
To offer support in helping people to determine the cause of dishwasher problems please use the dishwasher support forum.
It’s fast, free, easy and normally someone will pick up on the post that can assist you often with a few experts chipping in if needed. Just register if you don’t have an account, we don’t mail you, send you spam or any of that stuff.
Post up your question and give images if you possibly can and the guys in the forums will do the rest for you and try to identify the problem you have.
Cost you nothing, might save you some embarrassment or worse, a charge for a service visit that wasn’t needed.
Photographs Of Damage
If you can post photographs of the damage or problem you are having this can be really helpful in allowing the dishwasher technicians to see what the problem is.
The guys have the knowledge to assist with most problems but the more information you give them, the better they can help you.