Your dishwasher has a filter and it’s probably dirty – here's how to clean it!
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Did you know that your dishwasher has a filter that needs to be cleaned regularly?
It seems that a lot of people on TikTok don't know this and were surprised when told that this could be the cause of that bad smell in their kitchen that they couldn't just seem to pinpoint.
‘Public service announcement: Dishwashers have filters, and you should clean them,’ Darbi McGlone says in her video, which has over 21,000 likes.
In the clip, she explains where the filter is located and how to take it out without damaging the device.
Cleaning your dishwasher filter is simple and can improve your machine's performance. Credit: Home Made Simple.
Cleaning your dishwasher's filter is very easy and can make a huge difference in how well your machine works. In addition to that, making sure the filter is clean should help a great deal in getting rid of that unpleasant odour!
Here are the things you will need if you are looking to give your dishwasher a thorough cleaning (luckily for us, most of these are already in our pantry):
And here are the steps to follow:
Clean out the drain
Maintaining a clean drain is essential to maximise the dishwasher's cleaning potential and avoid costly repairs.
Empty the dishwasher and take out the bottom rack. A drain can be found at the basin's base, beneath the spray arm. Use a paper towel to get rid of any food that is stuck in the drain. You'd be surprised at how much rubbish goes down there.
Try to make it a habit to clear the drain after every wash cycle and make sure any big pieces of food are scraped off the dishes.
Many dishwashers have removable filters. Credit: The Spruce.
Wash the filters
This is the part that a lot of people don't know. Many dishwashers have filters that you can take out.
Most dishwashers have a round filter that sits under the spray arms at the bottom of the interior. Some versions include a second metal coarse filter, which is held in place by the cylindrical filter.
If you don't know where your filters are, you can look in the manual for your appliance. If you already know, simply turn the filter counterclockwise and lift it straight up to take it out. If you have a coarse filter in your dishwasher, the metal plate will release along the cylindrical filter.
Use hot, soapy water to clean both filters.
Check to see if there are any solid pieces of food or other debris in the sump, which is the hole where the cylindrical filter slides in. Clean things up if necessary. If it's clean, put the filter back in.
Use hot, soapy water to clean both filters. Credit: The Spruce.
Run a wash cycle with vinegar
White vinegar can be used to clean, get rid of smells, and keep things tidy. And it can also help your dishwasher's interior!
Simply pour white vinegar into a dishwasher-safe cup and put it on the highest shelf of the dishwasher. Run a cycle on your dishwasher using the hottest water setting.
Run a wash cycle with baking soda
Baking soda is used not just for giving cakes their characteristic airy texture, but also as an effective cleaning product.
Simply add a cup of baking soda to the dishwasher's bottom after the vinegar cycle is finished, and run a brief cycle using the hottest water setting. Baking soda eliminates odours and cleans any stains that you may have missed.
If you use your dishwasher often, you should clean the filter about once a month. Credit: Whirlpool.
Wipe the rubber seal
With regular use, the rubber gasket that surrounds the door could also become soiled and dirty. To remove any muck that may be stuck to the gasket, you can use a towel dipped in hot, soapy water.
Wipe the front
Of course, the inside shouldn't be the only thing that gets a thorough cleaning. You also have to clean the outside! Rinse a dish towel in clean, hot, soapy water, and then use it to wipe down the front of the machine.
If you have a dishwasher made of stainless steel, use stainless steel cleaner to make it shine like new.
There you have it, folks! At this point, you might be wondering: So, how often do I really need to do this? Assuming you use your dishwasher fairly often, you should clean the filter about once a month.
A tip from us: Try to spend a little more time scraping and rinsing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher between filter cleanings!
By doing this, you'll reduce the number of food particles your filter has to deal with and ease some of the strain on it.
Happy cleaning, everyone!
It seems that a lot of people on TikTok don't know this and were surprised when told that this could be the cause of that bad smell in their kitchen that they couldn't just seem to pinpoint.
‘Public service announcement: Dishwashers have filters, and you should clean them,’ Darbi McGlone says in her video, which has over 21,000 likes.
In the clip, she explains where the filter is located and how to take it out without damaging the device.
Cleaning your dishwasher filter is simple and can improve your machine's performance. Credit: Home Made Simple.
Cleaning your dishwasher's filter is very easy and can make a huge difference in how well your machine works. In addition to that, making sure the filter is clean should help a great deal in getting rid of that unpleasant odour!
Here are the things you will need if you are looking to give your dishwasher a thorough cleaning (luckily for us, most of these are already in our pantry):
- distilled white vinegar
- baking soda
- a kitchen towel
- dish soap
And here are the steps to follow:
Clean out the drain
Maintaining a clean drain is essential to maximise the dishwasher's cleaning potential and avoid costly repairs.
Empty the dishwasher and take out the bottom rack. A drain can be found at the basin's base, beneath the spray arm. Use a paper towel to get rid of any food that is stuck in the drain. You'd be surprised at how much rubbish goes down there.
Try to make it a habit to clear the drain after every wash cycle and make sure any big pieces of food are scraped off the dishes.
Many dishwashers have removable filters. Credit: The Spruce.
Wash the filters
This is the part that a lot of people don't know. Many dishwashers have filters that you can take out.
Most dishwashers have a round filter that sits under the spray arms at the bottom of the interior. Some versions include a second metal coarse filter, which is held in place by the cylindrical filter.
If you don't know where your filters are, you can look in the manual for your appliance. If you already know, simply turn the filter counterclockwise and lift it straight up to take it out. If you have a coarse filter in your dishwasher, the metal plate will release along the cylindrical filter.
Use hot, soapy water to clean both filters.
Check to see if there are any solid pieces of food or other debris in the sump, which is the hole where the cylindrical filter slides in. Clean things up if necessary. If it's clean, put the filter back in.
Use hot, soapy water to clean both filters. Credit: The Spruce.
Run a wash cycle with vinegar
White vinegar can be used to clean, get rid of smells, and keep things tidy. And it can also help your dishwasher's interior!
Simply pour white vinegar into a dishwasher-safe cup and put it on the highest shelf of the dishwasher. Run a cycle on your dishwasher using the hottest water setting.
Run a wash cycle with baking soda
Baking soda is used not just for giving cakes their characteristic airy texture, but also as an effective cleaning product.
Simply add a cup of baking soda to the dishwasher's bottom after the vinegar cycle is finished, and run a brief cycle using the hottest water setting. Baking soda eliminates odours and cleans any stains that you may have missed.
If you use your dishwasher often, you should clean the filter about once a month. Credit: Whirlpool.
Wipe the rubber seal
With regular use, the rubber gasket that surrounds the door could also become soiled and dirty. To remove any muck that may be stuck to the gasket, you can use a towel dipped in hot, soapy water.
Wipe the front
Of course, the inside shouldn't be the only thing that gets a thorough cleaning. You also have to clean the outside! Rinse a dish towel in clean, hot, soapy water, and then use it to wipe down the front of the machine.
If you have a dishwasher made of stainless steel, use stainless steel cleaner to make it shine like new.
There you have it, folks! At this point, you might be wondering: So, how often do I really need to do this? Assuming you use your dishwasher fairly often, you should clean the filter about once a month.
A tip from us: Try to spend a little more time scraping and rinsing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher between filter cleanings!
By doing this, you'll reduce the number of food particles your filter has to deal with and ease some of the strain on it.
Happy cleaning, everyone!