Pull out the bottom rack and look for a cylindrical filter assembly near the center or back of the tub floor. Twist it counterclockwise, lift it out, and rinse it under warm water. That’s the core of it. Most dishwashers built after about 2010 have a manual filter that needs cleaning every month or so, and most owners never do it.
Why your dishwasher isn’t cleaning well
The filter’s job is to catch food particles so they don’t recirculate onto your dishes. When it clogs, water can’t drain properly through it, spray arms lose pressure, and grit that should’ve been trapped ends up back on your glasses. You’ll usually notice cloudy dishes, a gritty film on the bottom of cups, or a smell that doesn’t go away no matter how much detergent you use. A clogged filter is the first thing I check when a customer calls saying their dishwasher “just stopped cleaning.”
Older machines (roughly pre-2010) had self-cleaning filters with a grinder that pulverized debris. Louder, but low maintenance. Newer quiet models shifted to manual filters because grinding made noise. The tradeoff is you have to clean them yourself.
How to clean it, step by step
- Pull the bottom rack out completely.
- Locate the filter, usually a round cylinder with a flat mesh screen around its base.
- Twist the cylinder counterclockwise and lift it straight up. The flat screen usually lifts out separately.
- Rinse both parts under warm running water. Use a soft brush (an old toothbrush works) to scrub the mesh.
- If there’s grease buildup or stubborn film, soak it for 10 minutes in warm water with a few drops of dish soap.
- Reassemble by lowering the flat screen back into place, then setting the cylinder in and twisting clockwise until it locks.
Don’t use anything abrasive on the mesh. Don’t force the twist. If it’s not locking, it’s not seated right, and an unseated filter means debris bypasses it entirely.
While you’re in there
Check the spray arms too. The holes in the arms clog with mineral deposits and small food bits. Pull them off (how they detach varies by brand, but most twist or lift straight up), hold them up to the light, and clear any clogged holes with a toothpick. Run the dishwasher empty on a hot cycle with a dishwasher-safe cup of white vinegar placed upright on the bottom rack once a month. It won’t fix a broken machine, but it helps with mineral buildup between filter cleanings.
Also look at the door gasket, the rubber seal around the tub opening. Food collects in the folds. Wipe it down with a damp cloth. It’s usually what’s causing the musty smell even after you’ve cleaned the filter.
What happens if you skip it
A clogged filter makes the pump work harder. Over time, that can wear on the pump motor. You might also get standing water at the bottom of the tub after a cycle, which is a drainage issue, but a blocked filter is often the starting point. Beyond that, dirty dishes are just annoying and expensive to ignore since you end up hand-washing things anyway.
I’ve seen machines that were headed for replacement turn completely around after a filter cleaning. It’s not always that simple, but it’s always the first thing worth ruling out.
When the filter isn’t the problem
If you’ve cleaned the filter and the spray arms and the machine still isn’t cleaning right, or if there’s standing water, error codes, or the machine won’t run at all, that’s a different story. Drainage problems can come from a blocked drain hose, a failing drain pump, or a garbage disposal connection that still has its knockout plug in place (a surprisingly common one on new installs). Heating element issues will cause wet dishes even when cleaning is otherwise fine. Those aren’t DIY territory for most people.
Water inlet valves, control boards, and door latch assemblies are also things that fail over time. At a certain point, diagnosing the machine properly takes a meter and some disassembly, not a toothbrush.
When to call
If the filter is clean and the problem persists, or if you see water pooling, the machine is stopping mid-cycle, or you’re getting an error you can’t clear, it’s worth having someone look at it. A good technician can usually tell you in the first few minutes whether it’s worth repairing or not.
We work on most major brands across the Tri-Valley and East Bay. If your dishwasher isn’t cutting it and a filter cleaning didn’t help, you can book a diagnostic at adriumservice.com.