Why You Should Clean Your Dishwasher Filter (original) (raw)

A quick 101 on your dishwasher filter

A dishwasher filter is actually amazing. Think of it as the first line of defense against major damage to the machine. The filter not only helps make it possible to skip prerinsing your dishes, but it also filters the water and catches food particles as the machine washes. It prevents major clogs that can cause leaks or break the pump, too.

Without a periodic inspection and rinse, food can build up and cause a blockage. Most of the appliance experts we spoke with told us that a dirty filter primarily causes a stench and less clean dishes, but in rare cases it can cause much more serious problems with drainage or even cause damage to the pump. This is why it is so important to check and rinse the filter. Fortunately, it’s easy to maintain your filter so your dishwasher is ready for whatever comes its way. Here’s how.

What you’ll need

a bottle brush for scrubbing in crevices
hot water

Locate, remove, rinse

The inside of a dishwasher that has had its rack removed and looks very clean.

Photo: Andrea Barnes

First, locate the filter. It’s always best to check your manual for specifics, but in most machines it is located below the propeller. When your dishwasher is empty, remove the bottom rack and set it aside. In the bottom of the machine, you will see the propeller. In most cases, you can easily remove the propeller and locate the filter underneath.

A person holding up a dishwasher filter that has a few leaves stuck to it.

A quick twist and pull removes the filter from the machine. Photo: Andrea Barnes

Rinse debris off the filter with hot water. You can use a brush to clean any hard-to-reach places. I recommend using a bottle brush to get into the smaller crevices, if necessary. I cleaned my filter recently, so it wasn’t nearly as gross as it can get.

Once it’s clean, gently place it back into the machine. Return the bottom rack, and you’re done. This simple maintenance hack can save you a major headache, especially if you’re hosting Thanksgiving and plan to stuff your dishwasher with a lot of dirty dishes.

Skip the prerinse—with a catch

Here at Wirecutter, we are big proponents of not rinsing your dishes before loading your dishwasher. And yes, that means cleaning the filter more often; Bosch suggests three to six times a year if you rinse your dishes beforehand and four to 12 times a year if you do not. Miele notifies users every 50 washes to check the filter. Whirlpool has an extensive online guide to filter cleaning with different guidelines that depend on whether you scrape and rinse. If you are unsure about your own dishwasher, reference the manual for specific guidelines. And if after this Thanksgiving your dishwasher starts to clean less effectively or smell funky, be sure to check the filter first.

This article was edited by Brittney Ho, Ingrid Skjong, Amy Koplin, and Sofia Sokolove.

Sources

Miele Great Britain, How to access and clean the drain filter and pump of Miele Dishwashers, YouTube, August 20, 2019