How to Clean a Dishwasher Filter and Spray Arm

You unload the dishwasher and run a finger across a glass. It feels like fine sand. The plates smell a little off, and the bottom rack has a film on it that wasn't there last month. Most people respond by changing detergent, running a hotter cycle or rinsing everything first. Usually the real culprit is a part you've never seen: the filter at the bottom of the tub.

Why dishes come out gritty

A dishwasher doesn't run on clean water. It sprays water over the dishes, collects it at the bottom, and sends it back up through the spray arms. A filter screen sits in that path to catch food bits. When the screen is packed with old scraps, the water gets pushed around dirty. The grit on your glasses is often the debris that filter was supposed to catch, redeposited on a fresh load.

The spray arm is the second suspect. Its small holes clog with seeds, label scraps and mineral flecks, and a clogged arm means weak spray and dishes that never get properly rinsed.

How to pull and clean the filter

Check your manual for the exact style, since models differ, but the job is about the same everywhere. Start with the bottom rack out of the way and a towel on the floor.

• Take out the bottom rack and set it aside so you can see the floor of the tub.
• Find the filter near the drain. Many twist a quarter turn and lift out; some come apart in two pieces, a cylinder and a flat screen.
• Lift it out and expect it to be unpleasant. That's normal, and it tells you how long it's been.
• Rinse it under warm running water, then scrub the mesh with a soft brush and a little dish soap. An old toothbrush reaches into the corners.
• Look into the well where the filter sat and remove anything you find: seeds, bits of glass, label paper, a stray bone.
• Wipe the well with a damp cloth, then set the filter back and turn it until it locks. A filter that isn't seated lets debris straight through.

Go2Girl Cleaning's job photos show this routine. One is a dirty filter held up to the camera; another is the parts laid out on a granite counter, laid out and ready to go back in; the last is the open dishwasher with the racks back in place and the tub clean. It's a before-and-after most people never see in their own kitchen, because nobody pulls the filter out until something goes wrong.

Don't skip the spray arm

Most spray arms lift off or unscrew from their mount. Again, check your manual. Take it out and hold it under running water to see which holes are blocked. Poke each clogged hole with a toothpick or a straightened paperclip, then rinse until water runs from every hole. Do the upper arm too, if you have one.

Put the arm back and spin it by hand. It should turn freely without catching on a rack or a bent tine. A stiff arm that won't spin won't clean either, and it's worth finding that out now instead of mid-cycle.

The door seal and the edges

While the door is open, wipe the rubber seal around the opening and the lip under the door, where splashes dry into a gray layer. Run a damp cloth around the vent and the detergent dispenser, too. These spots don't affect the grit, but they're why a dishwasher smells like old dishwater even after the filter is clean.

How often, and when to call for help

If you cook most nights and don't scrape plates first, check the filter every month. If your household is smaller or you scrape everything, every two or three months is plenty. Either way, clean it right away if you notice any of these:

• Dishes or glasses that feel gritty or look cloudy after a normal cycle.
• A sour or musty smell when you open the door.
• Standing water at the bottom after the cycle ends.
• A visible layer of food or film on the filter when you look into the tub.

If water still stands after a clean filter and a clean spray arm, the problem is probably in the drain line, and that's a job for an appliance repair person, not a cleaner.

Go2Girl Cleaning cleans dishwasher filters and spray arms as part of move-out, turnover and deep cleans across Modesto; call or text Sara at (209) 486-5223.