Dishwasher leaving 'grit' all over the dishes...

cazs

I've a built-in Smeg dishwasher (DWI 45.1) that is driving me crazy.

Almost always when I take out a load, I have up to 2/3 of the contents covered in a odd grit substance, particularly on the bowls/mugs/glasses on the top rack though less frequently and to a lesser extent on the bottom.

I've cleaned out the filter and the spray arms, top and bottom. I use good quality tablets (Finish) and use salt and rinse aid and I scrape the plates before putting them in.

Despite this I am still getting this awful residue and it is driving me crazy then washing up by hand everything the dishwasher has made more dirty than it was when it went in.

When I contacted Smeg to ask their advice once they found out it was out of warranty they said there was nothing they could do.

I can't even yank the machine out to see if there's anything odd going on behind it as it's utterly wedged in under the counter.

If anyone can help I would be most grateful....

mildred1978

Run it on a very hot wash a capful of vinegar or a bottle of dishwasher cleaner.

cazs

I tried this with dishwasher cleaner and a mug of vinegar on the top rack and the dishes came out slightly cleaner than usual with just a little grit the next load I did after that.

However, I've now used it again and it's back to usual making them all gritty.

I am at my wit's end. I don't know what else I can do to erradicate this problem.

loracan1

Is it anything left on the dishes when you put them in? I avoid putting anything with the slightest remnant of weetabix because it disperses everywhere, doesn't happen with anything else.

faerie~spangles

Put smaller items on the side where the detergent dispenser is.

splishsplash

This used to happen with my dishwasher. I think the problem was caused because the top arm wasn't turning during the wash, so the stuff on the top tray wasn't getting rinsed properly.

IIRC, the solution was to take off the arm and clean it thoroughly. That involved spending ages clearing out each hole with cotton buds, sandwich bag wires and an old toothbrush. I also cleaned the filter thoroughly and ever since then, I run an empty hot cycle with one of those bottles of dishwasher cleaner about every month or so.

I also check the holes on the spray arm to make sure there's no more gunge forming. It's truly nasty.

ed110220

I know you say you've cleaned the spray arms, but this does sound like the problem I get if the nozzles on them get blocked. It can be a bit difficult to tell if they are blocked and they are fiddly to clean. Rice and sweetcorn seem to be the worst culprits - even a few grains can cause problems!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

There's likely to be a load of the stuff in the drain pipe leading from the DW to the sink/drain.

Check the U bend/P trap/bottle trap as well.

Mrs_Arcanum

splishsplash wrote: »

This used to happen with my dishwasher. I think the problem was caused because the top arm wasn't turning during the wash, so the stuff on the top tray wasn't getting rinsed properly.

IIRC, the solution was to take off the arm and clean it thoroughly. That involved spending ages clearing out each hole with cotton buds, sandwich bag wires and an old toothbrush. I also cleaned the filter thoroughly and ever since then, I run an empty hot cycle with one of those bottles of dishwasher cleaner about every month or so.

I also check the holes on the spray arm to make sure there's no more gunge forming. It's truly nasty.

Used Tepes are perfect for this job along with a very small crochet hook. Clearing the arms of bits is the only thing that works long term apart from a good clear out of all the internal pipes.

Often it is something like a grain of rice causing the problem.