how to clean a dishwasher

Horseunderwater

Clean out all the filters and check the spray arms as they sometimes get stuff in them and also need a clean. I find a wash with hot soapy washing up liquid is good to get fat out of drain filters. I also use Soda crystals in the bottom as they are good for cleaning drains out of fatty deposits and if done on a hot wash it works well. I tend not to add extra salt and I use Daisy DW tablets from Tesco £2.15 for 40. But we all have favourites. Vinegar in the rinse aid bit is also very good money saver.

gayleygoo

I use Lidl tablets, they're cheap and I think they got a Which? recommendation (good buy/best buy, can't quite remember but they did score highly). Last time I got Tesco value to try them out, they seem fine but I think they work out more expensive than the Lidl ones.

kaya

Inside every dishwasher there is a chamber filled with resin crystals, this is a water softener and the salt you add into the salt chamber regenerates the resin to allow it to work as a softener, adding salt in with the dishwasher tablets is no more than a sales gimmick as its impossible for it to get to the resin chamber from the dishwasher chamber , its completely pointless . The purpose of the rinse aid is to enable your glassware and plates to dry quickly after the rinse cycle and prevent clouding and staining , adding it to the dishwasher chamber is again a pointless sales gimmick as it all drains away with the main dirty dishwater before the chamber refills with clean water for the rinse cycle , adding a separate dishwasher cleaning solution is yet again a sales gimmick and pointless as everytime you do a wash in your machine you add detergent in the form of a dishwasher tablet and it does a hot rinse at 55degC , which is all it would do with the added expensive gimmicky cleaning detergent . Remove the revolving arms and check the holes are clear , remove the mesh filter in the bottom of your machine chamber and check it hasn't split , replace it if it has , if you have never filled the salt chamber as per your manufacturers instructions it is possible that you have broken down resin crystals or small bits of scale which could be the grit the op is referring to.
So do use the salt chamber and keep it full, buy rinse aid and add it and you will get nice clean stuff out every time , don't waste money on calgon, dishwasher cleaner or tablets with added rice aid or salt either because its just a marketing con , I used to build and repair £20,000 commercial dishwashers so I know a thing or two about them

zippychick

ive merged this with our thread on cleaning a dishwasher

Zip

kitty1233

hi, i think my dishwaster is on the blink,,when i put it on a wash after when its finished there is still grit on the glasses and on the cups,, im thinking maybe the bottom water drum is holding dirty water but i just dont know. any ideas how to solve this or maybe the pipes need cleaned, cant afford a new one this side of xmas, thanks in advance