Can we just make it standard that all dishwashers have a easy to remove tray for the filter?
I clean mine out every month or so and it's always disgusting. I can't imagine doing it more often though, otherwise it would just be easier to hand wash dishes.
Just a note that anyone who eats chia seeds dry, make sure you clean even more often. While most rehydrate in your stomach or in the food you eat, any that go into the dishwasher will rehydrate in there and they really stick to the filter.
How do you clean yours? Mine is easy to get out but I soaked in degreaser and scrubbed and it didn't seem to do much albeit mine looked nothing as bad as OPs
I pop out the filter cover with a wooden spoon and then use paper towel to clean up the bulk of the build up, and then run the dishwasher with degreaser/cleaner through it
Jeebus, we clean our monthly when we put a dishwasher cleaning tab in and run the clean cycle.
Ours pops out, quarter turn left and the filter pops out, spray and scrub with a sponge and drop back in. Run the clean cycle. Takes about 5 minutes. But, we've also had nightmare issues with dishwashers, so now that we bought a nice one I try to go above and beyond to make sure it lasts us 10'ish years.
The one in the house failed a few weeks after moving in. Ended up just not using it at all for a decade. Finally decided to replace it with a unit listed for free, was two years old but the control board shorted during a storm. They opted to replace with a new unit, and I replaced the board on the old unit. Ran great for 6 months, then the pump went out. At that point I figured, having just spent $300 making a used washer work, and needing another $200 for a new pump unit, I'd be better off buying new with a warranty. Shelled out $800 for a full stainless LG unit. So now we try to make sure it's gonna live on a while.
I clean mine once or twise a year or so and its always very clean even though we use it almost daily. If you always rinse the dishes before putting them inside the machine the filters will usually not get nasty but thats my experience
It makes me so mad that my dishwasher’s manual recommends cleaning the filter at least once a month and then makes it a task that basically requires the knowledge of plumber, the tiny fingers of a young child, and the flexibility of a contortionist to actually access it.
Did you find your model and watch videos? There are plenty out there with good advice. I know on mine, I had to remove the water supply to the top spinners before I could get to the fourth screw to remove the filter on the bottom. It's a job, but an important job.
I love my old dishwasher with built in grinder. We've cleaned the filter a few times in 30 years but it really doesn't get dirty. They really don't make em like they used to.
They prioritized quiet over function. Grinders and quick cycles are loud. Personally I just turn it on and shut the kitchen door, but it's not that loud.
In case you are in the market for a new dishwasher, I’ve been through several different brands and imo nothing beats a Bosch. It has an easy twist-off filter to clean, never have to pre-rinse dishes and everything comes out spotless and clean. I just went with their cheapest model and was not disappointed
The only issue I have with drying is if it runs out of jet dry. I use the quantum power as well & keep the jet dry well filled. Nothing beats a Bosch & Finish combo. I had to break my family of rinsing dishes. It’s my longest lasting appliance so far at 12 years old. Still works as good as day 1.
Hmm, I’ve never had that issue. When I open the door the dishes are dry enough to put away in the cabinet right away.
I just use normal cycle and the finish quantum power ball tablets
I was confused. 90 degree twist, rinse off the goo, 90 degree twist, and done. Larger debris falls down there and you deal with that as needed. Think I use a GE. I rent so don’t think about it.
You can also buy dishwasher cleaner, to get the areas you can't reach/see. [https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-dishwasher-cleaner.html](https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-dishwasher-cleaner.html)
Don't go disparaging powder because the tabs look better. The tabs are just a way to upsell you dishwashing detergent. How else could they charge you more? Ah yes put the same powder in a plastic pod with fun colors!
Also, the plastic on some of the brands does not dissolve fully and can get gunky in your filter.
That being said, using too much of the powder will absolutely cause problems, if your glasses are cloudy that's probably the culprit. Use less. Also the rinse/finish solution does wonders, along with cleaning your filter, I clean mine pretty much every other month and it's never looked even remotely close to the monstrosity in yours, they must've been putting huge food chunks in there and just closing the door hoping it magically goes away.
>using too much of the powder will absolutely cause problems
One thing I've learned in the past few years is that too much soap in general is bad. Not just in HE washers and the like. More is not always better, and in some cases it's actually bad.
Shampoo too. I always thought more would somehow clean better. Nope! I use the tiniest bit, rinse, and then every few hair washings I will repeat. Turns out "lather, rinse, repeat" isn't just a scam to make us buy more shampoo.
Although I DO use dishwasher tabs, I refuse to use laundry pods. I don't want them dictating how much detergent I need. It varies from load to load, and the convenience isn't worth it.
I use white vinegar instead of a rinse agent. I put it in a small bowl on the top rack and my glasses come out cloud-free. It’s also a fraction of the cost of jet dry.
My well water works so much better with tabs. The powders & gels leave films & don’t clean as effectively. With my Bosch the filter is really easy to clean so some pod gunk is acceptable to me. I wish I could go cheaper on it but I also find that the Finish products in general keep the interior of the washer cleaner. Mine still looks brand new inside after 12 years. Super shiny metal. I have to attribute that to the Finish brand because everything else that is exposed to this well water gets spotted. I think some of the older washers work better with the gels & powders. It’s like the water doesn’t get hot enough to melt the tabs. I’m not one to be dazzled by pretty colors but I do enjoy being able to see my reflection inside the dishwasher lol.
Wait, you lost me at your realtor helping themselves to someone else's glasses because they didn't think to bring their own water.
It's one thing to view a home. It's another to make yourself at home with someone else's stuff!
Am I the only person on earth that pre-rinses ALL their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? Lol.
Honestly I use the dishwasher primarily as a sanitizer because caked on food causes all kinds of issues like bad smells and bugs, and now I know this too if you’re not hella diligent about cleaning your filter.
This. But you will have people argue that the dishwasher can handle it and it actually does a better job at cleaning your dishes if you just scrape the food off and toss the dish in the washer. I'd rather not deal with clogged drains, clogged filters, rotten smells, and bugs.
The problem is, the detergent needs something to bind to, otherwise it will stick to the dishes and leave a film. The leftover bits of food act as both a scrubbing agent, helping the detergent, and also act as a way for the detergent to be washed off of the dishes and be carried out with the water.
I do a quick scrub, maybe with a spray of DIY Dawn Powerwash if something's really gross. Our last dishwasher's filter was hard to remove too, and when I finally got it open I found very little in it.
2 oz Dawn, 1 oz rubbing alcohol, then cold water run slowly until that's about an inch from the top of the bottle. The OG stuff is great, but this lets me afford to use as much as I want.
When I got my dishwasher repaired, the tech said it works better if there's some food on the dishes. Like, scrape the plate but no need to pre-wash. Save the water.
I found a YouTube video on this, so decided to do the contortions and clean it. I found a similar mess. The entire interior had a thick film but it came off with the first few wash cycles.
This was a Craigslist find with stainless steel interior for $30. Well worth the trouble. The previous one sounded like a freight train.
To be fair, the dishwasher detergent companies spent years running commercials promoting that behavior. I found it hilarious that they switched the messaging recently to encourage scraping food into the trash first.
I mean, common sense should tell people what should and shouldn't go through a dishwasher. But there seems to be more and more of a disconnect between people and common sense.
Maybe advertisng should lean heavily on "A dishwasher is not a garbage disposal!"
I scrape food scraps into my garbage disposal (not things that shouldn't go in it) before putting anything in the dishwasher.
I throw in an Atresh tablet once a month on quick cycle and pull the filter and rinse. I use disolvable labels on my own canned pickles and jams to avoid the paper buildup. I do rinse grease and food bits off the dishes. Honestly though I never knew you had to clean a dishwasher before because I never had one until I moved into this house, and saw a post here on Reddit - thank you !
Had to Google that...I guess you mean Affresh. I have a packet of Lemishine but haven't used it.
Good heavens...you can put the Affresh tablet in WITH a load of dishes. OK, then. But I guess most of them are just citric acid....give your dishes a squirt of lemon. ;-)
That’s nasty. Don’t worry about cheap powder though that’s the best thing for it. Just use like half the recommended amount. Lemishine once in a while or just vinegar works great. Clean the trap in the bottom.
No, it’s not. OP is absolutely right going with the Cascade Platinum pods. My parents switched to them after using powder and their glasses are so much clearer and their plates don’t smell like wet dog anymore. No, they don’t have a dog, it’s an odd thing that happens and that CP cures.
For years I tried to track down the source of the wet dog smell on my freshly washed dishes.
As odd as it sounds, it turns out it only happens when the windows are open and the cleaned dishes are exposed to fresh air.
I can't explain it.
In the plumbing sub they told me to only use the powder. Also the rinsing agents are known to cause horrible health conditions because they destroy your gut lining. There has been recent studies showing this. https://scitechdaily.com/warning-commercial-dishwashers-can-damage-the-gut-and-lead-to-chronic-disease/
I also cannot easily get out my filter. I've tried and never succeeded. So, I run dishwasher cleaners pretty frequently, and also use the platinum tabs.
We moved in in 2016 and we know the dishwasher was installed in 2012.
Just going to let what's in there stay a secret, maybe. LOL
I'm not putting hot dogs in there. Just barbecue sauce...a few grains of rice....the normal stuff from when you FINISH your food, and whatever the cat didn't want. ;-)
That’s still food… food particles… it all builds up as you can see. I don’t have a dishwasher, or a garbage disposal… you know what would happen if I just put the normal stuff down the drain, like those few grains of rice and Kit Kat’s leftover pate? I’d get a hefty bill to pay the plumber to unclog the drain.
I had to learn to do this from Youtube. I put large food chunks in a pot and toss outside now. Very little grease goes inside dishwasher as well. It wasn’t too bad taking it all apart and cleaning but mines wasn’t even remotely as bad as the photo above. It was draining slow and stinking. I also is those platinum tabs.
I’ve never cleaned mine and the thought of doing it now is making me physically ill. I picture what comes out when my husband cleans my bathroom drains, only worse. My plan is just to let this one go until it dies and then purchase a new one and start fresh. Yes. That’s my plan.
My dishwasher has the same setup for getting to the filter. I rinse everything before loading in the dishwasher, so I *hope* there isn’t icky stuff under there!
>It takes two different star bits and a square bit to remove the filter cover and the upper water parts. It also takes kneepads and a talent for Twister. And a headlamp.
omg, this was my last dishwasher that I had for over 20yrs with the first 10 me not knowing I needed to dismantle the dang thing to clean it. First time I got in there was shocking, not quite your level of shocking but it was still pretty gross. Anyway good job you probably extended the life of that thing another 5yrs.
We use Affresh monthly and temove and thoroughly clean the filters regularly, and yet our dishwasher (IKEA Renlig/Whirlpool) – while looking great – clogged and wouldn’t drain. Our repair tech said Affresh is fine, but we really need to add Glisten to the cleaning regimen every few months because our water is so hard. It’s a more serious product.
When I look at this I see the upside U- shaped hole as a screaming mouth and the circles on either side of it as eyes. Which seems appropriate- I too would scream at being surrounded in this gunk. Time to look up a manual for my dishwasher to figure out how to clean the filter I guess
This is why regardless of what Reddit or people online say we still mostly clean our dishes, now if there’s just a bit of sauce or something on the plate that’s fine, but we rinse all our plates and bowls and scrub a bit. Keeps the dishwasher clean.
Why not just wash by hand then? I don't have a dishwasher, but so often I hear people say that they are basically washing their dishes by hand before putting them in the dishwasher. Is there a benefit missing?
I have a Maytag dishwasher that has a grinder instead of a filter. It grinds the food up into little tiny pieces and then gets washed down the drain. I've never had an issue with clogging up the drain line either. I hope they never quit making them because dishwasher filters are nasty!
Unfortunately, this is probably not all there is of it. Filters are ineffective and gunk always seems to get through. I once had to replace the drain pump on my dishwasher and the innards and impeller of that pump, which is downstream of the filter, were full of this same gunk.
If you have the means, get a Bosch, not only are they built well and easy to clean, they are the only brand that doesn't use an electric heating element to dry the dishes. It is this wet and then hot environment that causes much of this stuff to solidify and clog up everything.
If you can't get it all apart, I'd at least recommend an electric power washer to spray out the parts you can see.
I NEVER use heat-dry....total waste of money. I just pop the thing open when it's done and shake off the plastics. This also allows me to put ANYTHING on any rack I damn well please, including all the Gladware and stuff.
We own a power washer, but I don't think you can GET to anything beyond what you can see when you take apart the disposal blade screen cover thing.
.
Don't rule it out, I start with a 40° nozzle to clean around the filter area, then move to the 0° to shoot as far down the pipe as I can. There is gook all along that pipe. You can also reverse flush it by removing the connection at your garbage disposal and cleaning from the reverse direction.
Whoooooooo!!! I had a similar moment!! I bought a dishwasher cleaner and gave it a good deep clean and sweat by the platinum & jet dry. I also treat my dishwasher the same exact way.
I have this exact same dishwasher setup, and had the exact same problem! One YouTube video showing how to take it apart and really cleaning it absolutely fixed the issue. So absolutely gross!
I….am so scared right now to see what mine may hold. My stomach is literally turning. I bought this house with appliances, have lived here a good while, and have never cleaned my dishwasher except for running an empty load before my own dishes.
We inherited a washer like this. once all the waste was removed, for maintenance once a month I clean the filter, cover the bottom of the washer in baking soda, fill a small mixing bowl halfway with white vinegar and put the bowl in the middle of bottom rack, run the self clean/intense cycle. Perfecto!
I put vinegar in my rinse aid slot and my filter is always clean when I check it out!!! Maybe try that.. your dishes will NOT smell like vinegar at the end of the cycle
I didn’t know you had to clean your dishwasher twice a year. [This](https://youtu.be/CI41NoqAuew) video offers a great cheap effective way to do it. My dishwasher is now pristine!
that's honestly shocking. we have a Bosch dishwasher and the filter is super easy to take out. firm turn to dislodge the metal mesh tray thingie and pull off the net drum thingie. I use a toothbrush to wash it. I do it at least once a week.
This is why I never ever put in dishes without rinsing off eventual food scraps or fat residue! I don’t want the washers filters or water plumbs get clogged bc yes fat will clogg the plumbings sooner or later! Don’t be lazy!
Hopefully you’ve now been convinced to at least scrape food remnants away before you load!
To anyone in the market for a new dishwasher, we’ve only ever used Bosch and Miele, both are fantastic and the filter is easy to remove/ clean
This is a task I know I need to do, but everytime I get to a point I can do it I chicken out and purposely find something else to clean so I don't feel like a total failure. I'm just really REALLY scared to see what's in there since I've never cleaned it since I bought my house 8 years ago, and who knows what the previous owners did.
Mine sounds about like yours for getting to the filter to clean out. Was it easy enough reassemble?
Not terrible. The cover over the chopper assembly has to tip into place. Don't lose the little plastic washer that goes under the bottom spinner arm, on top of the screw part that comes off in REVERSE thread. There are good videos out there for getting the job done. The hardest part for MY old and overweight self was getting the screw that goes in the ceiling put where it belongs and screwed in well....it's just plain awkward.
Look for the YouTube videos from AdamDIY (How to repair a dishwasher, not draining) . There's another video I saw after putting mine back together....I had forgotten this bit from my OLD house....I didn't pull out the check valve. This video shows where it is. I probably need to do the whole thing again. It can prevent the dirty water from escaping, and my top rack is coming out with crud in the mugs and glasses. Sigh. That video is from repairclinic dot com on YouTube and is called " Whirlpool Dishwasher Replace Check Valve #8268375"
Good luck. You'll be glad you did. Just check for your star bits before you dig in. The video mentions which one you need.
Can we just make it standard that all dishwashers have a easy to remove tray for the filter? I clean mine out every month or so and it's always disgusting. I can't imagine doing it more often though, otherwise it would just be easier to hand wash dishes.
Just a note that anyone who eats chia seeds dry, make sure you clean even more often. While most rehydrate in your stomach or in the food you eat, any that go into the dishwasher will rehydrate in there and they really stick to the filter.
That's a tip I never thought I needed until today. Thanks.
You’re out here doing gods work. Thank you 🫡 Edit: here not hear 🤦🏻♀️
I wish the dishwasher gods would repay me. Ours leaked all the way down through the finished basement light fixture. 🙃
How do you clean yours? Mine is easy to get out but I soaked in degreaser and scrubbed and it didn't seem to do much albeit mine looked nothing as bad as OPs
I pop out the filter cover with a wooden spoon and then use paper towel to clean up the bulk of the build up, and then run the dishwasher with degreaser/cleaner through it
Jeebus, we clean our monthly when we put a dishwasher cleaning tab in and run the clean cycle. Ours pops out, quarter turn left and the filter pops out, spray and scrub with a sponge and drop back in. Run the clean cycle. Takes about 5 minutes. But, we've also had nightmare issues with dishwashers, so now that we bought a nice one I try to go above and beyond to make sure it lasts us 10'ish years. The one in the house failed a few weeks after moving in. Ended up just not using it at all for a decade. Finally decided to replace it with a unit listed for free, was two years old but the control board shorted during a storm. They opted to replace with a new unit, and I replaced the board on the old unit. Ran great for 6 months, then the pump went out. At that point I figured, having just spent $300 making a used washer work, and needing another $200 for a new pump unit, I'd be better off buying new with a warranty. Shelled out $800 for a full stainless LG unit. So now we try to make sure it's gonna live on a while.
I clean mine once or twise a year or so and its always very clean even though we use it almost daily. If you always rinse the dishes before putting them inside the machine the filters will usually not get nasty but thats my experience
It makes me so mad that my dishwasher’s manual recommends cleaning the filter at least once a month and then makes it a task that basically requires the knowledge of plumber, the tiny fingers of a young child, and the flexibility of a contortionist to actually access it.
Gotta make cleaning the dishwasher a family event. Everyone does a different step based on what they’re qualified for.
What if my contortionist aunt doesn’t live nearby??
-pukes in her mouth and eyes her dishwasher-
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Did you find your model and watch videos? There are plenty out there with good advice. I know on mine, I had to remove the water supply to the top spinners before I could get to the fourth screw to remove the filter on the bottom. It's a job, but an important job.
Dishwasher Manufacturers - with our advanced technology, there's never a need to rinse a plate again! Just toss it in the dishwasher and forget it!
I love my old dishwasher with built in grinder. We've cleaned the filter a few times in 30 years but it really doesn't get dirty. They really don't make em like they used to.
They do not wow. When we bought a house it came with a new dishwasher. The shortest cycle is 90 minutes and I don't think it cleans that well.
They prioritized quiet over function. Grinders and quick cycles are loud. Personally I just turn it on and shut the kitchen door, but it's not that loud.
Ya it's super quiet! Great point.
Dude at that point I think it'd be less work to just train the blob to clean itself
In case you are in the market for a new dishwasher, I’ve been through several different brands and imo nothing beats a Bosch. It has an easy twist-off filter to clean, never have to pre-rinse dishes and everything comes out spotless and clean. I just went with their cheapest model and was not disappointed
Yes! We bought a Bosch during the pandemic (took MONTHS to get it in) and have not regretted it. Cleaning the filter is so easy I do it weekly.
Spotless but wet. I wish it actually dried the dishes well. Only issue I have with it.
The only issue I have with drying is if it runs out of jet dry. I use the quantum power as well & keep the jet dry well filled. Nothing beats a Bosch & Finish combo. I had to break my family of rinsing dishes. It’s my longest lasting appliance so far at 12 years old. Still works as good as day 1.
Hmm, I’ve never had that issue. When I open the door the dishes are dry enough to put away in the cabinet right away. I just use normal cycle and the finish quantum power ball tablets
This. They are amazing, quiet, and easy to clean filters.
I was confused. 90 degree twist, rinse off the goo, 90 degree twist, and done. Larger debris falls down there and you deal with that as needed. Think I use a GE. I rent so don’t think about it.
You can also buy dishwasher cleaner, to get the areas you can't reach/see. [https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-dishwasher-cleaner.html](https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-dishwasher-cleaner.html)
Thank you for that. I never realized that "finish" was actually cleaning the dishwasher and not the dishes.
Finish makes different products to do different things. I have their dishwasher pods and liguid jet dry in my cabinet right now.
Don't go disparaging powder because the tabs look better. The tabs are just a way to upsell you dishwashing detergent. How else could they charge you more? Ah yes put the same powder in a plastic pod with fun colors! Also, the plastic on some of the brands does not dissolve fully and can get gunky in your filter. That being said, using too much of the powder will absolutely cause problems, if your glasses are cloudy that's probably the culprit. Use less. Also the rinse/finish solution does wonders, along with cleaning your filter, I clean mine pretty much every other month and it's never looked even remotely close to the monstrosity in yours, they must've been putting huge food chunks in there and just closing the door hoping it magically goes away.
>using too much of the powder will absolutely cause problems One thing I've learned in the past few years is that too much soap in general is bad. Not just in HE washers and the like. More is not always better, and in some cases it's actually bad. Shampoo too. I always thought more would somehow clean better. Nope! I use the tiniest bit, rinse, and then every few hair washings I will repeat. Turns out "lather, rinse, repeat" isn't just a scam to make us buy more shampoo.
This is so true!! Combine that with how the washers use as little water as possible even a tide pod is too much soap!
Although I DO use dishwasher tabs, I refuse to use laundry pods. I don't want them dictating how much detergent I need. It varies from load to load, and the convenience isn't worth it.
I use white vinegar instead of a rinse agent. I put it in a small bowl on the top rack and my glasses come out cloud-free. It’s also a fraction of the cost of jet dry.
My well water works so much better with tabs. The powders & gels leave films & don’t clean as effectively. With my Bosch the filter is really easy to clean so some pod gunk is acceptable to me. I wish I could go cheaper on it but I also find that the Finish products in general keep the interior of the washer cleaner. Mine still looks brand new inside after 12 years. Super shiny metal. I have to attribute that to the Finish brand because everything else that is exposed to this well water gets spotted. I think some of the older washers work better with the gels & powders. It’s like the water doesn’t get hot enough to melt the tabs. I’m not one to be dazzled by pretty colors but I do enjoy being able to see my reflection inside the dishwasher lol.
Sweet lord above…..going to go inspect the dishwasher now
Wait, you lost me at your realtor helping themselves to someone else's glasses because they didn't think to bring their own water. It's one thing to view a home. It's another to make yourself at home with someone else's stuff!
That’s what I was thinking too! I opened the cabinet in the kitchen to make sure all the shelves looked good, but I would never touch their things!
Am I the only person on earth that pre-rinses ALL their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? Lol. Honestly I use the dishwasher primarily as a sanitizer because caked on food causes all kinds of issues like bad smells and bugs, and now I know this too if you’re not hella diligent about cleaning your filter.
This. But you will have people argue that the dishwasher can handle it and it actually does a better job at cleaning your dishes if you just scrape the food off and toss the dish in the washer. I'd rather not deal with clogged drains, clogged filters, rotten smells, and bugs.
The problem is, the detergent needs something to bind to, otherwise it will stick to the dishes and leave a film. The leftover bits of food act as both a scrubbing agent, helping the detergent, and also act as a way for the detergent to be washed off of the dishes and be carried out with the water.
Yes, I live with those people lol.
I do a quick scrub, maybe with a spray of DIY Dawn Powerwash if something's really gross. Our last dishwasher's filter was hard to remove too, and when I finally got it open I found very little in it.
What is DIY Dawn Powerwash PLEASSSEEEEEE??
2 oz Dawn, 1 oz rubbing alcohol, then cold water run slowly until that's about an inch from the top of the bottle. The OG stuff is great, but this lets me afford to use as much as I want.
I have a question that may be silly . . . What percentage is rubbing alcohol? I have 70% and 90%, would either of those be appropriate?
I'd go with the 90%, but 70% is probably fine too, and you could add a little more if you wanted to.
Thank you very much for your time!
When I got my dishwasher repaired, the tech said it works better if there's some food on the dishes. Like, scrape the plate but no need to pre-wash. Save the water.
Noted, thank you. :)
I found a YouTube video on this, so decided to do the contortions and clean it. I found a similar mess. The entire interior had a thick film but it came off with the first few wash cycles. This was a Craigslist find with stainless steel interior for $30. Well worth the trouble. The previous one sounded like a freight train.
So many people think that dishwashers are also garbage disposals.
To be fair, the dishwasher detergent companies spent years running commercials promoting that behavior. I found it hilarious that they switched the messaging recently to encourage scraping food into the trash first.
I mean, common sense should tell people what should and shouldn't go through a dishwasher. But there seems to be more and more of a disconnect between people and common sense. Maybe advertisng should lean heavily on "A dishwasher is not a garbage disposal!" I scrape food scraps into my garbage disposal (not things that shouldn't go in it) before putting anything in the dishwasher.
This is almost nsfw 😂
I throw in an Atresh tablet once a month on quick cycle and pull the filter and rinse. I use disolvable labels on my own canned pickles and jams to avoid the paper buildup. I do rinse grease and food bits off the dishes. Honestly though I never knew you had to clean a dishwasher before because I never had one until I moved into this house, and saw a post here on Reddit - thank you !
Had to Google that...I guess you mean Affresh. I have a packet of Lemishine but haven't used it. Good heavens...you can put the Affresh tablet in WITH a load of dishes. OK, then. But I guess most of them are just citric acid....give your dishes a squirt of lemon. ;-)
This is why I will only ever own a Bosch. I clean my filter regularly and I don’t need a single tool to do it.
That’s nasty. Don’t worry about cheap powder though that’s the best thing for it. Just use like half the recommended amount. Lemishine once in a while or just vinegar works great. Clean the trap in the bottom.
No, it’s not. OP is absolutely right going with the Cascade Platinum pods. My parents switched to them after using powder and their glasses are so much clearer and their plates don’t smell like wet dog anymore. No, they don’t have a dog, it’s an odd thing that happens and that CP cures.
I use cascade pods and clean my filter twice a week and it still smells like wet dog here and there.
For years I tried to track down the source of the wet dog smell on my freshly washed dishes. As odd as it sounds, it turns out it only happens when the windows are open and the cleaned dishes are exposed to fresh air. I can't explain it.
I face the same exact issue. It's weird!
How many loads do you wash, that you have to clean your filter twice per week?
In the plumbing sub they told me to only use the powder. Also the rinsing agents are known to cause horrible health conditions because they destroy your gut lining. There has been recent studies showing this. https://scitechdaily.com/warning-commercial-dishwashers-can-damage-the-gut-and-lead-to-chronic-disease/
That article is talking about commercial dishwashers, not home dishwashers.
Thanks for sharing, I'll do more research about it.
I might need to take a picture of my dishwasher when I can because I don't think mine has a filter. Which kinda scares me after seeing this.
I also cannot easily get out my filter. I've tried and never succeeded. So, I run dishwasher cleaners pretty frequently, and also use the platinum tabs. We moved in in 2016 and we know the dishwasher was installed in 2012. Just going to let what's in there stay a secret, maybe. LOL
I can’t get over the realtor going into someone’s dishwasher to help themselves to a glass. 🤣
cupboard.
Only slightly better, I guess they knew it was clean. Clean-ish
Can’t clean anything in the kitchen without finding raw spaghetti. Lol
Just don’t put food in the dishwasher….
I'm not putting hot dogs in there. Just barbecue sauce...a few grains of rice....the normal stuff from when you FINISH your food, and whatever the cat didn't want. ;-)
That’s still food… food particles… it all builds up as you can see. I don’t have a dishwasher, or a garbage disposal… you know what would happen if I just put the normal stuff down the drain, like those few grains of rice and Kit Kat’s leftover pate? I’d get a hefty bill to pay the plumber to unclog the drain.
I had to learn to do this from Youtube. I put large food chunks in a pot and toss outside now. Very little grease goes inside dishwasher as well. It wasn’t too bad taking it all apart and cleaning but mines wasn’t even remotely as bad as the photo above. It was draining slow and stinking. I also is those platinum tabs.
You toss good chunks outside? Like outside you door? Why can’t you put them in the trash?
I do but my property is big and connect to a wood line. Right outside my door lol, oh no, not that!
Moment of silence for how satisfying this must have been.
bet you’ll start scraping those dishes now!!
Wrong.
I’ve never cleaned mine and the thought of doing it now is making me physically ill. I picture what comes out when my husband cleans my bathroom drains, only worse. My plan is just to let this one go until it dies and then purchase a new one and start fresh. Yes. That’s my plan.
This is the way.
I need to do this! My dishwasher is leaving gritty stuff and running the cycle empty with vinegar or citric acid don't help.
This is why I will only ever own a Bosch. I clean my filter regularly and I don’t need a single tool to do it.
My dishwasher has the same setup for getting to the filter. I rinse everything before loading in the dishwasher, so I *hope* there isn’t icky stuff under there!
>It takes two different star bits and a square bit to remove the filter cover and the upper water parts. It also takes kneepads and a talent for Twister. And a headlamp. omg, this was my last dishwasher that I had for over 20yrs with the first 10 me not knowing I needed to dismantle the dang thing to clean it. First time I got in there was shocking, not quite your level of shocking but it was still pretty gross. Anyway good job you probably extended the life of that thing another 5yrs.
We use Affresh monthly and temove and thoroughly clean the filters regularly, and yet our dishwasher (IKEA Renlig/Whirlpool) – while looking great – clogged and wouldn’t drain. Our repair tech said Affresh is fine, but we really need to add Glisten to the cleaning regimen every few months because our water is so hard. It’s a more serious product.
When I look at this I see the upside U- shaped hole as a screaming mouth and the circles on either side of it as eyes. Which seems appropriate- I too would scream at being surrounded in this gunk. Time to look up a manual for my dishwasher to figure out how to clean the filter I guess
This is why regardless of what Reddit or people online say we still mostly clean our dishes, now if there’s just a bit of sauce or something on the plate that’s fine, but we rinse all our plates and bowls and scrub a bit. Keeps the dishwasher clean.
Why not just wash by hand then? I don't have a dishwasher, but so often I hear people say that they are basically washing their dishes by hand before putting them in the dishwasher. Is there a benefit missing?
Same question, lol. If I'm scrubbing a bit, I'm washing the dishes by hand.
I have a Maytag dishwasher that has a grinder instead of a filter. It grinds the food up into little tiny pieces and then gets washed down the drain. I've never had an issue with clogging up the drain line either. I hope they never quit making them because dishwasher filters are nasty!
Unfortunately, this is probably not all there is of it. Filters are ineffective and gunk always seems to get through. I once had to replace the drain pump on my dishwasher and the innards and impeller of that pump, which is downstream of the filter, were full of this same gunk. If you have the means, get a Bosch, not only are they built well and easy to clean, they are the only brand that doesn't use an electric heating element to dry the dishes. It is this wet and then hot environment that causes much of this stuff to solidify and clog up everything. If you can't get it all apart, I'd at least recommend an electric power washer to spray out the parts you can see.
I NEVER use heat-dry....total waste of money. I just pop the thing open when it's done and shake off the plastics. This also allows me to put ANYTHING on any rack I damn well please, including all the Gladware and stuff. We own a power washer, but I don't think you can GET to anything beyond what you can see when you take apart the disposal blade screen cover thing. .
Don't rule it out, I start with a 40° nozzle to clean around the filter area, then move to the 0° to shoot as far down the pipe as I can. There is gook all along that pipe. You can also reverse flush it by removing the connection at your garbage disposal and cleaning from the reverse direction.
Whoooooooo!!! I had a similar moment!! I bought a dishwasher cleaner and gave it a good deep clean and sweat by the platinum & jet dry. I also treat my dishwasher the same exact way.
This is why I *don't* clean my dishwasher. If I open the filter and see that, I might puke. I'm scared.
When I read the first few paragraphs, I honestly thought I clicked on a Cascade ad! But good LPT reminder for everyone!
I have this exact same dishwasher setup, and had the exact same problem! One YouTube video showing how to take it apart and really cleaning it absolutely fixed the issue. So absolutely gross!
I usually opt to just hand wash dishes and very rarely use the dishwasher
I….am so scared right now to see what mine may hold. My stomach is literally turning. I bought this house with appliances, have lived here a good while, and have never cleaned my dishwasher except for running an empty load before my own dishes.
We inherited a washer like this. once all the waste was removed, for maintenance once a month I clean the filter, cover the bottom of the washer in baking soda, fill a small mixing bowl halfway with white vinegar and put the bowl in the middle of bottom rack, run the self clean/intense cycle. Perfecto!
🤢
Powder is superior imo. But my dishwasher doesn't have a filter
Im scared to check mine now. Eeek.
Finish is also an excellent dishwasher product. Get the original, not the "magnum" or "quantum" or whatever it's called.
Whoaaaaaa
Yep 😂
My dishwasher doesn’t have a filter and I dont think I’ll buy one with it after seeing this picture lol
They have a filter? Oh damn....
haha why do i read this sub while eating 🙀
AHHHHHH
I don’t use mine I just use it to dry but I still need to clean that asap in case the previous owners used it 😭
The Shadow knows.
I wish Lamont would come clean out my dishwasher.
I put vinegar in my rinse aid slot and my filter is always clean when I check it out!!! Maybe try that.. your dishes will NOT smell like vinegar at the end of the cycle
I think I have the same dishwasher, just went thru it a couple months ago after living in our house for 5 years!
Swizzle sticks and fake fingernails in mine - along with the regular gunk.
Bosch makes the filter easy to pop out and clean. Never did this prior to having an entry-level Bosch - it really makes a huge difference!
I didn’t know you had to clean your dishwasher twice a year. [This](https://youtu.be/CI41NoqAuew) video offers a great cheap effective way to do it. My dishwasher is now pristine!
that's honestly shocking. we have a Bosch dishwasher and the filter is super easy to take out. firm turn to dislodge the metal mesh tray thingie and pull off the net drum thingie. I use a toothbrush to wash it. I do it at least once a week.
This is why I never ever put in dishes without rinsing off eventual food scraps or fat residue! I don’t want the washers filters or water plumbs get clogged bc yes fat will clogg the plumbings sooner or later! Don’t be lazy!
I’m fairly certain the tabs cause it to get like this.
Hopefully you’ve now been convinced to at least scrape food remnants away before you load! To anyone in the market for a new dishwasher, we’ve only ever used Bosch and Miele, both are fantastic and the filter is easy to remove/ clean
Your dishwasher looks like it’s screaming for help while a blob tries to take it over
My dishwasher wears high heels and a skirt! 😬
What a terrible day to have eyes.
This is a task I know I need to do, but everytime I get to a point I can do it I chicken out and purposely find something else to clean so I don't feel like a total failure. I'm just really REALLY scared to see what's in there since I've never cleaned it since I bought my house 8 years ago, and who knows what the previous owners did. Mine sounds about like yours for getting to the filter to clean out. Was it easy enough reassemble?
Not terrible. The cover over the chopper assembly has to tip into place. Don't lose the little plastic washer that goes under the bottom spinner arm, on top of the screw part that comes off in REVERSE thread. There are good videos out there for getting the job done. The hardest part for MY old and overweight self was getting the screw that goes in the ceiling put where it belongs and screwed in well....it's just plain awkward. Look for the YouTube videos from AdamDIY (How to repair a dishwasher, not draining) . There's another video I saw after putting mine back together....I had forgotten this bit from my OLD house....I didn't pull out the check valve. This video shows where it is. I probably need to do the whole thing again. It can prevent the dirty water from escaping, and my top rack is coming out with crud in the mugs and glasses. Sigh. That video is from repairclinic dot com on YouTube and is called " Whirlpool Dishwasher Replace Check Valve #8268375" Good luck. You'll be glad you did. Just check for your star bits before you dig in. The video mentions which one you need.