How to Clean a Dishwasher
Experts share the three easy steps to eliminate funky odors and ensure peak cleaning performance for your appliance
A dishwasher is a welcome helper after a big meal, when your countertops and sink are piled high with dirty plates, cookware, serving platters, and more. But after all that hard work, your dishwasher will eventually need some cleaning and caretaking, too. Cleaning your dishwasher from time to time will keep it running smoothly, smelling clean, and looking its best.
The following expert tips will help you do the job right. Tackle each as needed, or all at once every couple of months or so. For more on dishwashers, including how we test them, check our dishwasher hub, which features our buying guide and ratings of more than 120 models.
Step 1: Clean the Exterior
If the front of your dishwasher has a plastic exterior, use a sponge and hot, soapy water to wipe it down. For a stainless steel dishwasher, a non-ammonia glass cleaner or a cleaner specifically formulated for stainless steel appliances is effective at removing built-up grime, smudges, and fingerprints.
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Step 2: Clear the Filter and Spray Arm
This step is vital for manual-clean filters, which are common on newer machines. These filters eliminate the grinders found in self-cleaning dishwasher filters, which pulverize food scraps and send them down the drain. The manual filter is much quieter, but since its job is to trap food scraps that get washed off dishes, it means you have to clean it out from time to time.
Once every couple of months, pull out the dishwasher’s bottom rack and remove the filter system. It usually consists of several interlocking parts; there’s often a center cylinder that unscrews, allowing you to lift out the filter and take it apart. Rinse and clean the parts individually at the sink, using a sponge or the spray on your faucet; our testers also keep a small brush handy to dislodge small food scraps and grime that can clog the mesh filter material.
This is also a good time to check the spray arm for trapped food scraps. It usually lifts off its base with a gentle tug. Rinse the arm under the faucet, inspecting for clogged holes, which can be cleared with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Some spray arms have an additional hole on their underside that’s meant to shoot water into the filter, keeping it clean. Check it for clogs before reinstalling the spray arm and filter system.
Step 3: Sanitize and Deodorize
Over time, discolorations and odors can build up throughout a dishwasher’s interior. Use a citric-acid-based dishwasher cleaner, such as Affresh or Finish, to remove the deposits monthly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use your particular dishwasher cleaner. Typically, you put the cleaner into the detergent dispenser and run a normal wash cycle (with the machine empty) to give your dishwasher a good cleaning.
If discoloration persists because of severe mineral deposits from your home’s hard water, try using a dishwasher cleaner designed for dealing with stubborn hard-water stains.
If you live in an area with very hard water, you may want to consider adding regeneration salt to the dishwasher’s water-softening system. The salt will help prevent mineral buildup in the dishwasher, and, as a result, prevent spotting and improve cleaning.
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