How Do I Clean a Dishwasher? The Parts That Actually Need It

Deal with the food you can see

If there are crumbs scattered across the bottom, we'd remove those before choosing a cleaner because leftover food can recirculate during the next load. Grease, undissolved detergent and water minerals also collect on the filter and interior walls, so picking out food and treating buildup do different jobs.

The basic routine is to clear food residue, wipe the inner door and controls, clean the applicable filter and finish the outside. An interior-cleaner cycle tackles deposits inside the cavity, including places that are hard to reach with a cloth.

Find out which filter you have

Slide out the bottom rack and clear food residue and debris, including wet scraps of labels. Check your dishwasher's Use & Care guide before removing its filter because some filters aren't removable. This preparation belongs before either the tablet clean or the household-ingredient cycles.

A maintenance-free filter skips the manual washing step. KitchenAid identifies True Self-Cleaning Filtration on selected dishwashers as a system that captures food particles and cleans itself when the machine drains.

For a filter that needs manual cleaning, follow your model's removal instructions. KitchenAid's removable-filter method (opens in a new tab) gives you this sequence:

1. Find the filter below the spray arm at the bottom of the dishwasher. Unlock it and lift it out.
2. Wash it in warm, soapy water, using a soft toothbrush to remove stuck-on food from the mesh and plastic components until the particles are gone.
3. Rinse the filter and return it to the dishwasher, locking it back into place.

For its filters, Thermador instructs you (opens in a new tab) to unscrew and disassemble the filter, then rinse it under running water with a soft brush to remove debris. Reassemble it, put it back in the bottom of the dishwasher and lock it in place.

Give the door edges and seal some attention

Use a damp microfiber cloth or sponge on the inside of the door, its edges and the control panel. Wipe away the residue you can reach, following KitchenAid's door-cleaning guidance (opens in a new tab).

The gasket is the rubber seal lining the door. Gently work a soft toothbrush into its crevices to remove grime, without putting excessive pressure on the seal.

Look at the spray-arm holes

Look for debris blocking the spray-arm nozzles. Limescale can obstruct these openings and keep the dishwasher from cleaning well, so a blocked hole deserves attention alongside the dirty filter.

In Thermador's spray-arm cleaning procedure (opens in a new tab), the bottom arm sits at the bottom of the dishwasher and the upper arm is beneath the upper rack. Remove the arms, wash them under running water and use a toothpick through the nozzles to clear trapped debris. Reinstall the arms when you've finished.

Bosch's cleaning guidance uses running water as a check for blocked spray-arm holes. If you find an obstruction, use a toothpick to loosen the debris caught in the opening.

Choose the cleaner before choosing the cycle

Before using a tablet, check both your dishwasher's manual and the cleaner's instructions. Follow the affresh package directions if that's your chosen product. An empty cycle with water or regular detergent can leave deposits behind that a dishwasher cleaner is designed to tackle.

Whirlpool says affresh dishwasher cleaner helps remove odor-causing residue, limescale and mineral buildup, and permits using it with or without dishes. During a loaded wash, it can also help remove limescale that contributes to cloudy glassware. That permission to leave dishes in applies to the affresh method below.

For Whirlpool's affresh method (opens in a new tab), put one tablet in the detergent tray when the dishwasher is empty. If there's substantial buildup, you can put a second tablet in the bottom of the machine.

If you're cleaning with dishes loaded, put one tablet in the bottom beneath the lower rack and your normal detergent in the main detergent tray. With either arrangement, run a normal wash cycle.

For its own dishwasher cleaner, Bosch recommends a different method (opens in a new tab): add one box to the bottom of an empty dishwasher and run the hottest, longest cycle. Bosch recommends that treatment a few times a year to remove grease, starch and protein residue.

Use household ingredients only where they're compatible

Check your appliance's Use & Care guide before using either vinegar or baking soda. Some dishwasher interiors aren't compatible with vinegar, so the material inside your machine matters when choosing this method.

Whirlpool broadly recommends deep cleaning every 30 days with tablets or vinegar and baking soda, but its vinegar instructions reserve acid cleaning for a needed deep cleanse. Maytag and KitchenAid also warn that frequent vinegar use can damage the dishwasher and recommend occasional use. We'd follow that ingredient-specific limit when planning a regular routine.

For Whirlpool's household-ingredient method (opens in a new tab), empty the dishwasher and complete the applicable filter cleaning first. Never use vinegar and baking soda together; they belong in separate cycles. Choose distilled white vinegar because it lacks coloring agents that could stain surfaces.

1. Pour two cups of white vinegar into a glass measuring cup or another dishwasher-safe container. Set the container upright on the lower rack.
2. Run a normal cycle with heat dry turned off and no detergent. Let the vinegar cycle finish.
3. Sprinkle one cup of baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher, then run a separate hot-water cycle to completion.

KitchenAid's vinegar method (opens in a new tab) specifies a dishwasher-safe glass containing two cups of white vinegar placed on the bottom of the dishwasher, with no detergent. Use a complete regular wash with air-dry or energy-saving dry. Afterward, wipe remaining spots or grime with a soft, damp cloth.

For its separate baking-soda treatment, KitchenAid specifies one cup sprinkled along the bottom, a short hot-water cycle and air drying afterward. The treatment can help remove stains and lingering odors.

Wipe the outside without scouring it

Wipe the exterior door panel, sides and handle with a soft, damp cloth and mild detergent. On stainless steel, move back and forth with the grain. Avoid abrasive cleaning products because they can damage the finish.

For its stainless steel surfaces, Bosch specifies lukewarm water and mild soap (opens in a new tab) on a soft cloth, and also prohibits chlorine-based cleaners and abrasive sponges.

A stainless steel appliance cleaner is an option only where it's applicable to your finish. Read the chosen cleaner's directions before using it, as Maytag's exterior-cleaning guidance (opens in a new tab) requires. For its non-stainless surfaces, Thermador calls for a damp cloth and a small amount of liquid soap.

Set a schedule for each part

Maytag recommends cleaning tablets about monthly, depending on use, and household-ingredient cleaning less often. Whirlpool notes that hard water may call for more frequent deep cleaning to deal with mineral buildup.

Filter intervals vary between manufacturers. KitchenAid recommends about monthly for filters that need manual cleaning, while Bosch recommends every few months. Thermador recommends every one to four months depending on use, plus after loads with large amounts of food soil and starch.

Bosch recommends cleaning spray arms every few months too. For the outside, clean smears and smudges as needed instead of waiting for the next interior clean.

After each load, remove leftover food and debris from the bottom to help prevent it from recirculating. For food caught in the drain, KitchenAid recommends a rag or paper towel, and it also advises removing food dropped during loading.

Whirlpool warns that washing non-dishware items may mean you need to clean the dishwasher afterward to avoid cross-contamination. That can add a cleaning occasion between your regular deep cleans.

What you should notice afterward

Look for less residue inside and fewer odors from accumulated food, followed by cleaner dishes on later loads. Those are the improvements routine cleaning can support. KitchenAid notes that severe white spots or detergent film may need more than one affresh treatment.

If you run a load only every two or three days, KitchenAid recommends trying a rinse-only cycle each day until you've collected a full load. That can help control odors between washes.

If you need help following the cleaning instructions for your appliance, contact Thermador's US customer support (opens in a new tab) at 1-800-735-4328 or Bosch's US customer support (opens in a new tab) at 1-800-944-2904, as applicable.