Get the Most Out of Your Dishwasher
Nobody wants to set a dinner table with cloudy glassware or dishes that aren’t 100% clean. Family and friends notice these kinds of things! Here are a few tips to help your dishes, glasses, pots, etc. look their best:
Cloudy Glasses
While your dishwasher may be to blame for cloudy glassware, there may be other causes as well.
- Too Much Detergent – Cloudiness or etching on your glasses could be caused by using too much detergent. Try cutting the amount you use in half.
- Gel Detergent – While gel detergent is a trend, it’s not always the best for your dishes and glasses. The gel can sometimes leave a residue that can cause cloudiness. Change to a powder or tablet detergent and see if that helps.
- Hard Water – Depending on where you live, the water coming into your house can be hard, meaning it has a high mineral content. These minerals can build up over time, leaving a film on your glasses. You can get a water hardness test at your local hardware store to see if this is the cause.
- Water Drainage – The food your dishwasher gets off of your dishes can build up and clog your dishwasher’s drain leaving you with dirty dishwater. Take a look at the filter and drain area and remove any food build-up you might find. You may need to replace the filter if it’s damaged.
- Water Flow – There may be a problem with your dishwasher that restricts water flow. We have a repair help page that can help you troubleshoot this issue. Also, make sure your water temperature is at least 130°F, most detergents need hot water to work best.
Dirty Dishes
Don’t you hate it when you’ve run your dishwasher yet some of the dishes stay dirty? We have a few suggestions on why this is happening.
- Dishwasher Not Loaded Correctly – Yes, your parents were right … There’s a correct way to load your dishwasher. Make sure you’re not overloading the machine and that the dirty areas of the dishes face the center of your dishwasher for the best results. Here are some more helpful tips on how to load a dishwasher.
- Worn or Broken Parts – Dishwashers, like all appliances, need a little extra help once in a while. If your dishwasher isn’t cleaning the dishes, it could mean a worn or broken: water pump belt, water inlet valve, upper or lower wash arm assembly, circulation pump, pump and motor assembly, wash impeller, circulation and drain pump motor or upper wash arm spinner. This repair help page will help you determine if there’s a part that needs replacing.
- Dishwasher Odor – If your dishwasher is working well but doesn’t smell good, it’s easy to deodorize it. You can either run a regular cycle with some white vinegar or use these special dishwasher cleaners to get the job done.
You can find other troubleshooting help on the Repair Clinic Dishwasher Repair Help page or by looking through our library of dishwasher repair help videos.
Repair Clinic as millions of appliance parts available for same-day shipping and we offer a 365 return policy guarantee. Call 800-269-2609 if you need help placing an order today.
