how to clean a dishwasher

aeromint2

Hi,

Why not try putting a cup of vinegar in yr empty d/washer, and then putting it on your quickest cycle. It works for me!

nuttybabe

mine did this. i took all the bits out and washed and made sure no blockages. and then i put it on a hot wash with nothing in except a cup of soda crystals. worked fine ever since.

zippychick

ive merged this with our thread on cleaning a dishwasher. Do let us know what works

Zip

musogirl295

As the title says, I am loosing the will to live with my dishwasher! (And no, I don't mean my OH!)

Dishwasher is approx 3 years old and never seems to clean properly, particularly the glasses which often come out coated in a grainy substance that is even difficult to clean by hand.

I wash the filters regularly and check the spray arm holes for blockages. The tablets seem to dissolve ok most of the time (I use Finish all in ones). I stack the dishwasher carefully and rinse off anything that's really gunky. I use rinseaid.

The only thing I'm not sure of is the salt. Ever since we've had it the salt hole has been full of water so when you pour the salt in everything overflows. I'm guessing this isn't normal but its not possible to get the water out.

Any suggestions before I take the unthrifty way out?

Thanks

Blackpool_Saver

pour in the salt slowly, it should go down

meer53

As you pour the salt in, the water comes out. Just keep adding salt until you see it at the top of the hole.

maman

I've never managed to get the salt to go in very tidily but the excess just washes away and does no harm at all. I do find that using Lidl's salt helpful as it comes in a box with a pourer. Lidl's tabs and rinseaid are good too if you want to be a bit more mse.

hilstep2000

Just keep pouring when it reaches the top it's full. Yu could try and give it a clean with soda crystals. Fill the powder bit and I also shake some over the bottom. Run it empty on the hottest cycle. Cleans all the pipes too.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Have you cleaned the pipe that leads out of the back of the DW into the drainage?

Have you checked the drainage pipe itself as well?


The stuff that gets through the filter can build up in the pipes on the other side - an easy-ish way to check is to put a bucket underneath the pipe connection, unscrew (some water drains out) and then check for gunk in there and in the bit it connects to - if it shares drainage with the sink and the washing machine, it's very likely there's a buildup of crud.

(And usually, to check how well the DW is pumping, if you press and hold the on button on most models, that starts an emergency empty - hold the pipe in the bucket - and that'll take out extra water that sits at the bottom between cycles)

musogirl295

Thanks everybody!

Will give the salt another go first and failing that check the pipe work.