Start with the filter under the lower rack
- Turn the dishwasher off, let the tub cool and remove the lower rack.
- Release only the filter pieces designed to come out. The release may be a twist handle, retaining posts or a separate cover.
- Empty trapped food, rinse each removable piece, and gently wash away grease with mild dish soap and a soft sponge or brush.
- Put every piece back in order and lock it before running a cycle. Leave a fixed self-cleaning screen in place.
Gritty dishes, visible scraps and a food smell are good reasons to look at the filter. It catches food before that debris can land back on dishes or reach the pump. We'd start at the tub floor, because the release style tells you which pieces you can wash without damaging their retainers.
- Turn the dishwasher off and open the door. Unplug it or switch off its circuit breaker before removing or cleaning filter pieces. Wait for the tub and parts inside to cool if a cycle has just ended.
- Slide out the lower rack. Look on the tub floor around the lower spray arm and in the rear corners for a cup, mesh plate or release handle.
- Identify the release before moving a piece. A handle that turns or a plate held by rotating posts signals a removable assembly; a fixed cover with no owner release stays in place. If you see screws instead of a release, find your model's filter diagram before loosening them.
Find out which pieces come out
The usual removable filter is a cylinder set into a flat lower screen. Identify how yours releases before moving it; the way its edges meet the tub floor also shows where it must sit when you put it back.
Another assembly has a handle on a cover over a cylindrical micro filter. Turning the handle frees the cover first; the cylinder underneath comes out second. A lift-out glass trap or coarse filter can look much like a cylinder, but it may contain hard or sharp objects. These parts all get washed after removal, then returned in the reverse order of their release.
A self-cleaning system may have no owner-removable filter. Leave a fixed screen seated and wipe reachable food from the tub floor and drain area with a wet dishcloth. Some maintenance-free systems also have a separate foreign-object cup near the front below the lower rack. If that cup is full, press its center tab, lift it out, empty it into the trash, then put it back in its opening and push down until it locks.
Remove and wash a two-piece twist filter
Use this sequence when the upper cylinder has a twist handle and the lower screen is a separate removable piece. The common release is about a quarter turn counterclockwise. Follow the arrows on your assembly if they show the opposite direction.
- Grip the upper handle, turn it about a quarter turn counterclockwise and lift the cylinder straight out. It should release by hand without bending the handle.
- Lift the lower screen slightly and pull it forward. Notice which edges fit under the tub's locating tabs and how its opening lines up with the opening below.
- Empty the food and objects trapped in the cylinder into the trash. Wipe reachable loose debris from the exposed filter rim so it cannot hold the screen up when you refit it.
- Rinse both sides of each removable piece under warm running water. Gently wash greasy or stuck areas with mild dish soap and a soft sponge or brush. Use a sponge on very fine mesh, which a brush can damage.
- If food still clings, soak the removed piece in warm water for a few minutes, then wipe or brush it gently again. Rinse away the soap and loosened food. You should be able to see through clear mesh openings.
- Put the lower screen back first. Align its opening with the tub opening, slide its edges under the locating tabs and press it flat. A raised edge means it needs to be repositioned.
- Insert the upper cylinder and turn it clockwise until it stops or locks. Give it a gentle lift and turn by hand: it should stay seated and should not spin freely. Refit the lower rack only after both pieces pass that test.
Quarter-turn filter steps (opens in a new tab) show the lower-screen order. Do not pry at the mesh, and keep wire brushes, steel wool and scouring pads away from it. They can damage the filtering surface.
If yours has posts, a cover or a glass trap
For a plate held by two rotating posts, remove the smaller central filter first. Turn both posts counterclockwise, lift the plate, and rinse it under warm water. Wash stubborn soil with mild dish soap and a sponge or very soft brush, then rinse it. Lay the plate flat, turn both posts clockwise to secure it, and lock the central filter. The plate should not rise at either post.
For a cover over a micro filter, turn the cover handle counterclockwise and lift off the cover before lifting out the cylinder. Empty debris, rinse both pieces and gently wipe away remaining food. On this cover-first micro-filter design, dry both pieces thoroughly before refitting them. Return the cylinder, replace the cover and turn its handle clockwise until it locks. Cover-first filter steps (opens in a new tab) show the drying and locking order.
For a lift-out cylinder or glass trap, turn the handle counterclockwise when its release markings show that direction, then lift it out. Carefully empty its contents into the trash and rinse it. Remove and wash a separate coarse filter if it has one. Put the coarse piece back before the cylinder, then secure the handle so the trap cannot lift freely. A soft sponge or bottle brush can dislodge food from a trap without scraping its mesh.
For a fixed screen, wipe food you can reach from the tub floor and drain area with a wet cloth. Leave the cover seated. If the dishwasher drains normally after the wipe, use the empty cleaning cycle and detergent instructions specified for your model. The cycle should finish and drain without loose debris left in the reachable area.
If the filter sticks or will not lock
First, look again at the release. A cover-first design will resist if you pull on its cylinder before freeing the cover, and a retained plate will resist until both posts turn. Clear food from the rim and tabs with a soft cloth. Press down gently while turning the handle in its marked release direction. Stop if ordinary hand pressure will not move it; a pry tool can break the handle or the fixed seat.
If a cleaned cylinder keeps turning or lifts easily, clear food from the rim, then reseat the flat lower screen and try the marked locking direction again, usually clockwise. If the cylinder still moves freely, leave the dishwasher off. A tapping sound during a cycle can also point to an unsecured filter.
Replace a cracked mesh piece, worn filter or broken removable tab with a part matched to the dishwasher's model number. Fit the replacement in the same order as the cleaned pieces and test its lock by hand before running a cycle.
A filter that still will not lock after a replacement matched to its model number is fitted, or a visibly cracked fixed retaining seat, ends the owner job. Contact the maker's support team or an appliance repair technician; use an authorized servicer when your warranty requires one. Give them the model number, purchase date, which pieces you cleaned or replaced, whether the filter locks, and any visible damage, pooling, error or rattle.
Filter costs, upkeep and common questions
An independent technician's first-hour visit to clean and reseat a removable dishwasher filter costs $70 to $130, including diagnosis. A model-matched removable filter costs $20 to $45 for the part, or $90 to $180 installed within that first hour. For a Bosch dishwasher using its large factory drain mesh plate, fitting a new plate within the first-hour visit costs $220 to $280 (Bosch's filter-cleaning instructions (opens in a new tab)). The service visit includes its first hour; extra time or dishwasher removal adds to the bill. Look at the appliance's parts and labor warranty terms before booking, since coverage can change what you pay.
Across small inserts and larger assemblies, an owner-installed replacement filter part costs $10 to $150 before tax and shipping. For a dishwasher with a separately replaceable locking nut or handle, fitting that piece costs $77 to $140 during the first-hour visit. For certain older dishwashers, replacing a factory sump or filter housing costs $98 to $220 when the job finishes within that visit; further disassembly and labor change the bill. Match any replacement to the appliance model number.
Pooling after a clean filter needs drain checks. Odor after a clean filter needs odor checks.
Scrape large food scraps off dishes before loading them so less debris reaches the filter.
How can I tell the filter is clean and back in correctly?
No visible food or greasy film blocks the mesh, and water passes through it. After every piece is seated and locked, an empty Normal test cycle should finish and drain; less grit or food odor on the next load shows the cleaning helped.
How often should I clean the filter?
Inspect a removable filter monthly with regular use. Heavy use can call for cleaning every two weeks; light use with little debris can stretch to every few months. Clean sooner for scraps, greasy mesh, gritty dishes, poorer cleaning or food odor. Wipe reachable debris from a fixed self-cleaning screen instead of removing it.
Can I use a toothbrush or soak the filter in vinegar?
Yes to a soft old toothbrush on sturdy removable filter surfaces; use a sponge on very fine mesh, and avoid wire brushes and abrasive pads. Soak stuck food in warm water for a few minutes; for mineral deposits, use mild dish soap and a soft brush, then rinse. Skip vinegar unless your filter's care instructions expressly allow it, since a vinegar soak is design-specific.
Can I run the dishwasher with the filter out or loose?
No. On a dishwasher designed for a removable filter, refit every rinsed piece before running a cycle. A cover-first micro-filter design calls for drying its pieces before refitting.
What will it cost if the filter is broken or will not seat?
An owner-installed replacement filter part costs $10 to $150 across small inserts and larger assemblies. A diagnostic visit that ends without repair costs $50 to $150. Some providers credit that charge toward an approved repair. A matched replacement that still will not lock points to a different retaining-seat or housing repair.
How do I clear a Clean Filter light?
On a dishwasher with the Clean Filter button described for this reset, reinstall the cleaned filter, hold the button for 3 seconds, then open and close the door. The indication should clear.
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