Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Ashley Matuska. Ashley Matuska is a Professional Cleaner at the Founder and Owner of Dashing Maids in Denver, Colorado. Ashley has over seven years of experience in the cleaning industry. She and her team specialize in offering sustainable deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning services.
This article has been viewed 34,122 times.
If you’re noticing a bad smell coming from your dishwasher or are seeing food particles on your dishes after the dishwasher has run, it might be time to clean the filter. Fortunately, cleaning the filter takes no more than a few minutes and involves just soap and water. Once you determine where the filter is, you can remove it piece-by-piece, clean it, and put it back. At that point, your dishwasher will start working normally again!
Steps
Get Product Support Solve Any Problem
We’re sorry we don’t have the product, brand, or model you are looking for. Please enter its name below so that we can add support for it.
Move the bottom rack out of the dishwasher to uncover the filter. Open your dishwasher and pull the bottom dish rack out to uncover the back of the machine. You should see 3 things: a spray arm, a cylindrical filter, and a coarse mesh filter. The cylindrical and coarse mesh filters are the parts of the dishwasher you’ll need to clean.[1]- If the bottom rack is in your way, you can remove it from the dishwasher entirely. Be sure to take out any dishes that might be on the rack before you do this.
Did you know? Many newer dishwashers come with self-cleaning filters, which don’t need nearly as much maintenance as manual filters. While they are a bit noisy, they don’t need to be cleaned every few months like manual filters. If you see a series of holes or plastic grid at the base of your machine, you have a self-cleaning filter.
Turn the cylindrical filter counter-clockwise and lift it straight up. Move the spray arm so that you can pull the cylindrical filter straight up without hitting your hand on the arm. Then, turn the cylindrical filter sharply to the left and lift it out of the dishwasher.[2]- If there is gunk built up on the filter, you’ll need to clean it thoroughly.
Did you know? Another name for the cylindrical filter is fine mesh filter.
Advertisement
Slide the coarse filter out of its place in the dishwasher. This is a flat, U-shaped filter with a hole in the middle of it where the cylindrical filter goes. Slide it out of the dishwasher and check to see if there’s buildup on its surface.[3]- Once you’ve removed the 2 filters, place your hand in the hole where the cylindrical filter sits. That’s called the “sump”, and it might contain food particles or other gunk. If you feel anything in that hole, remove it immediately and throw it away.
Turn on the faucet to get a stream of hot water. Leave the faucet running until the water is hot to the touch. While you’re waiting, put some dish soap on a damp sponge. Squeeze the sponge to spread the soap around.[4]- You can use warm water to clean your filter. However, the hotter the water, the more thorough the clean.
Scrub the gunk off the filter parts with a soap-covered sponge. Vigorously scrub both filters with the sponge. Clean both the inside and outside of the cylindrical filter and be sure to wipe away any gunk that has built up on either side of it. Then, scrub both sides of the flat, coarse filter to get rid of all the gunk on its surfaces.[5]- Depending on how much gunk has built up, you might need to use a separate sponge for each filter. This way, you won’t put any gunk back onto the filter.
Place the filters directly under the faucet to rinse them. This ensures you’ll remove every last bit of gunk on the filters.[6] Make sure the water is hot and run each part of both filters under the stream.[7]- You don’t need to use a sponge for this step, as the water should remove the remaining gunk by itself.
Put the coarse mesh and cylindrical filter back in the dishwasher. Slide the coarse mesh filter into place first. The filter should sit flush in the dishwasher. Once the coarse mesh filter is in place, put the cylindrical filter in the hole and turn in clockwise to lock it back into place.[8]- You should hear a clicking sound when the cylindrical filter locks into place.
Tip: Spin the spray arm to make sure it doesn’t hit the filter.
Perform this task every 3 months to keep your filter fresh. Manual filters need to be cleaned every few months to be at their best.[9] Put a reminder in your phone to remove and clean the filter once every 3 months.[10]- Most dishwashers last around 10 years, so the filter doesn’t need to be replaced very often. If you clean it consistently, it will last for a decade or more.
- Someone manufacturers suggest cleaning your filter every 2-3 weeks. Check the owner’s manual to see what it says.
Tip: To look up the owner’s manual online, look for a sticker inside the dishwasher. The sticker should be on the wall to the left of the dish racks. Google the model name on the sticker to bring up the owner’s manual.
Expert Q&A
- QuestionHow often should I clean my filter?
Ashley MatuskaAshley Matuska is a Professional Cleaner at the Founder and Owner of Dashing Maids in Denver, Colorado. Ashley has over seven years of experience in the cleaning industry. She and her team specialize in offering sustainable deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning services.
Professional CleanerI clean my dishwasher filter every couple of months. Aim for every 3 months or so.
Tips
Things You’ll Need
- Hot water
- Dish soap
- Damp sponge
References
- ↑ https://www.bhg.com/homekeeping/house-cleaning/tips/how-to-clean-dishwasher-filter/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-clean-a-dishwasher-filter/
- ↑ https://www.bhg.com/homekeeping/house-cleaning/tips/how-to-clean-dishwasher-filter/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck3RtAhtuZk#t=1m36s
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-clean-a-dishwasher-filter/
- ↑ Ashley Matuska. Professional Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 April 2019.
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-clean-a-dishwasher-filter/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck3RtAhtuZk#t=1m57s
- ↑ Ashley Matuska. Professional Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 April 2019.
About This Article
Reader Success Stories
"Shows how to take areas apart and what products are best in certain times, like vinegar and baking soda. I have hard water and have concerns about it ruining my machine quicker than it should."..." more
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
