How to Clean a Dishwasher: Filter, Spray Arms and Vinegar

To clean a dishwasher, start with the filter at the bottom of the tub: twist it out, rinse it, and brush it with a soft brush. Then clear the spray arm holes, wipe the door seal and the bottom front of the tub, and finish with an empty cycle with a cup of white vinegar. Skip the vinegar if your owner’s manual says not to use it.

How do you clean a dishwasher, step by step?

You clean a dishwasher from the dirtiest part outward: filter first, then spray arms, then the seals and walls, and a cleaning cycle last. A cleaning cycle can’t pull a wad of food out of a filter, so if you run vinegar first and skip the filter, the smell usually stays.

Before you start, find your owner’s manual (or look the model number up online), because filters and spray arms come out differently on every brand. Turn the dishwasher off and let it cool if it just ran. You’ll want a towel, a soft brush (an old toothbrush is fine), wooden toothpicks and dish soap.

1. Pull out the bottom rack.
2. Remove the filter, rinse it, and brush it with a soft brush.
3. Take off the spray arms and clear any blocked holes with a wooden toothpick.
4. Wipe the bottom front of the tub, the door edges and the rubber door seal with warm water and mild dish soap.
5. Put the filter and spray arms back, and check that both are locked in and spin freely.
6. Run one empty cycle with white vinegar in a cup on the rack (details below), no detergent.
7. Wipe the outside: the front, the handle, the control panel and the top edge of the door.

How do I clean a dishwasher filter?

A dishwasher filter is the mesh basket or cylinder at the bottom of the tub that catches food from the wash water, and you clean it by rinsing it under running water and brushing it gently. Whirlpool’s instructions go like this:

1. Turn the upper filter assembly a quarter turn counterclockwise and lift it out.
2. If there’s a flat lower filter underneath, lift it slightly and pull it forward.
3. Rinse both pieces under running water until most of the soil is gone.
4. For stuck-on food or white hard-water deposits, use a soft brush. Whirlpool warns that a wire brush or a scouring pad can damage the filter.
5. Put the filters back and turn the upper one until it locks. If it still turns freely, it isn’t locked.

Never run the dishwasher with the filter out. Whirlpool says that can damage the machine.

Greasy filter? A few drops of dish soap on the brush help. Can’t find a removable filter at all? Check the manual before you start prying at the tub floor.

How to clean dishwasher spray arms

Spray arms are the spinning bars with small holes that throw water at your dishes, and you clean them by clearing each hole and rinsing the arm through. Bits of rice, seeds, label paper and mineral scale can lodge in those holes. Whirlpool notes that a blocked spray arm can delay detergent release and soil removal.

On many machines the lower arm lifts straight up and the upper arm is held by a nut or clip you turn a short way. If yours doesn’t come off easily, check the manual. Don’t force plastic.

1. Remove the lower arm and, if your model allows, the upper arm.
2. Look through each hole toward a window or a light. You’ll spot the blocked ones fast.
3. Clear them with a wooden toothpick. iFixit’s spray arm guide warns against metal picks, which can enlarge or damage the holes, and that’s our rule too.
4. Rinse each arm under hot running water, aiming the water into the center opening, until it runs out of every hole.
5. Clear any slow hole again and rinse once more.
6. Put the arm back, then spin it by hand. It should turn freely without catching. If it catches, take it off and reseat it.

Scale that won’t budge? Soak the arm in warm water with a splash of white vinegar, then go back in with the toothpick.

Cleaning a dishwasher with vinegar

Cleaning a dishwasher with vinegar means running an empty cycle with white vinegar in an upright cup on the rack, without detergent, to help clear odors and residue from the inside. Do the filter and spray arms first. The vinegar cycle is the finish, not the whole job.

Manufacturers don’t all agree on the details, so here’s what three sources say:

Source	How much white vinegar	Where it goes	Cycle	Warning
Whirlpool	2 cups (500 mL)	Upright glass or dishwasher-safe cup, lower rack. Place it, don’t pour it	Full cycle, air-dry or energy-saving dry, no detergent	Vinegar is an acid, and using it too often could damage the dishwasher
LG	About 7 to 10 oz	Shallow bowl, upper rack. Don’t pour it into the base	Auto cycle, no detergent	Excessive use may damage the machine
Arm & Hammer (baking soda maker)	1 to 2 cups	Dishwasher-safe bowl, top rack	Hot cycle, heated dry off, no detergent, empty machine	Run the baking soda as a separate second cycle

The common ground is easy to follow:

1. Empty the dishwasher completely.
2. Set an upright, dishwasher-safe cup of white vinegar on the rack your manual names.
3. Run a full hot cycle with no detergent and the heated dry turned off.
4. Open the door when it’s done and let the tub air out.

Notice the warning column. Both Whirlpool and LG say too much vinegar can harm the machine, so treat it as an occasional rinse. If your manual says no vinegar at all, believe the manual over any blog post, this one included.

Can you use vinegar and baking soda together?

Not in the same cycle. Vinegar is an acid and baking soda is a base, so mixed together they neutralize each other into fizz and salty water. If you want both, run them one at a time. Arm & Hammer’s method runs the vinegar cycle first, then sprinkles 1 cup of baking soda along the bottom of the empty tub for a short hot cycle, heated dry off and no detergent. Baking soda is a freshener. It won’t do the filter’s job for it.

Never add bleach

Don’t add bleach to a dishwasher that has vinegar or detergent in it. Washington State’s Department of Health warns that bleach mixed with an acid gives off chlorine gas, and it lists vinegar and automatic dishwasher detergents and rinses among those acids. Bleach with ammonia makes toxic chloramine gas. One product per cycle, and only what your manual allows.

Why does my dishwasher smell, and is it mold?

A dishwasher smell usually traces back to food rotting in the filter or water left sitting in the bottom of the tub. Whirlpool lists unpleasant odors as a sign the filter needs cleaning, and it names water left at the bottom by a drainage problem or a blocked filter as a cause.

Work through it in this order:

1. Clean the filter. It’s the first place to look.
2. Wipe the door seal. Whirlpool says to use a damp cloth and mild detergent on the rubber seals around the door. Get into the folds and the bottom corners of the door, where drips and crumbs collect.
3. Wipe the bottom front of the tub, where Whirlpool says soil tends to build up.
4. Check the sink side. Whirlpool suggests checking the drain and the garbage disposer for obstructions, then running the disposer to clear them.
5. Run the vinegar cycle if your manual allows it.

Dark spots or slime on the seal can be mold or mildew. Clean them the way the EPA describes for hard surfaces: scrub with detergent and water, and dry completely. After that, leave the door cracked open for a while after each cycle so the tub dries out.

Don’t run it daily? Whirlpool suggests a rinse cycle on a partial load until you have a full one, so food doesn’t sit in the tub for days.

How often should you clean your dishwasher?

Clean the filter about once a month, and every two weeks if you run the dishwasher every day. That’s Whirlpool’s rule of thumb. The rest follows what you see and smell.

Part	How often	Source
Filter	Monthly; every 2 weeks with daily use or a big family	Whirlpool
Door seal and bottom front of the tub	Whenever you do the filter	Whirlpool (how), our habit (when)
Spray arms	When dishes come out dirty or the holes look blocked	Whirlpool, iFixit
Vinegar cycle	Occasionally, not as a routine every week	Whirlpool, LG
Outside: front, handle, control panel	Weekly wipe, with the rest of the kitchen	General practice

Does hard water matter in Georgia?

Hard water leaves white calcium deposits (Whirlpool mentions them on the filter), and Whirlpool strongly recommends a water softener when hardness is 15 grains or more. The Metro Atlanta and Northeast Georgia utilities we checked report soft water; Gwinnett County lists about 1.34 grains per gallon. Our soap scum vs hard water guide has the local figures. If you’re on a private well, yours may be very different.

Clean the outside last

The outside is where fingerprints and drips show first. Wipe the front, the handle, the top edge of the door and the control panel with a damp microfiber cloth. Spray cleaner onto the cloth rather than straight at the controls. On stainless steel, use a cleaner made for stainless and wipe with the grain.

When to stop and call a pro

Some dishwasher problems aren’t cleaning problems, and more scrubbing won’t fix them. Stop if:

• Water still sits in the bottom after you’ve cleaned the filter and the sink drain.
• It still smells after all of the above. Whirlpool says a clog in the drain hose may be the cause and that it should be diagnosed and fixed by a professional.
• A spray arm won’t spin even after it’s clean and reseated, or a part is cracked.
• There’s mold you can’t reach, or it comes right back after you clean the seal.

For these, call the manufacturer’s service line or a dishwasher service company.

What about us? Our cleaning visits do the outside of the dishwasher, not the inside. On deep cleaning and standard house cleaning, the checklist reads “clean the outside, top, front and sides of the dishwasher and refrigerator,” with a special product for stainless steel. The filter, the spray arms and the vinegar cycle stay with you. If the rest of the kitchen needs a full going-over, our kitchen deep cleaning checklist goes from the range hood down to the floors. You book by home size, you see the total before you confirm, and no payment is taken when you book. You can also see prices for your home size.

Frequently asked questions

How do I clean a dishwasher filter?

Pull out the bottom rack. On many models you twist the filter a quarter turn counterclockwise and lift it out. Rinse it under running water and brush off stuck food or white scale with a soft brush, never a wire brush or scouring pad. Put it back and turn it until it locks. Whirlpool suggests doing this monthly.

Can you clean a dishwasher with vinegar?

Yes, on most models, as long as your manual doesn’t forbid it. Put about 2 cups of white vinegar in an upright, dishwasher-safe cup on the rack, then run a full hot cycle with no detergent. Use it occasionally, not weekly. Whirlpool and LG both warn that too much vinegar can damage the dishwasher.

Can I put vinegar and baking soda in the dishwasher together?

Not in the same cycle. Vinegar is an acid and baking soda is a base, so together they neutralize each other and mostly leave salty water. Run the vinegar cycle first, then sprinkle about a cup of baking soda on the bottom of the empty tub and run a short hot cycle without detergent.

How often should you clean your dishwasher?

Clean the filter about once a month, or every two weeks if you run the dishwasher daily, which is Whirlpool’s guidance. Wipe the door seal and the bottom front of the tub at the same time. Clear the spray arms when dishes start coming out dirty or the holes look blocked, and keep vinegar cycles occasional.

Why does my dishwasher smell even after cleaning?

A smell that survives a clean filter, a wiped door seal and a vinegar cycle usually points to drainage. Check for water left in the bottom after a cycle and for a blocked sink drain or disposer. If it still smells, Whirlpool says the drain hose may be clogged, which is a job for a professional.

How we made this guide

• What our visits include comes from the checklists our team works from on deep cleaning and house cleaning: the outside, top, front and sides of the dishwasher. The inside isn’t on either list.
• Filter steps, cleaning interval and warnings: Whirlpool, How to Clean the Dishwasher Filters and Removing Odors in your Dishwasher.
• Vinegar rinse, the bottom front of the tub, partial-load rinse and drain hose: Whirlpool, Cleaning the Interior, Cleaning the Dishwasher and Food Odors. Spray arms and the 15-grain softener advice: Whirlpool, Spray Arm Not Working.
• LG’s vinegar amount and warning: LG support, dishwasher odor.
• Separate vinegar and baking soda cycles: Arm & Hammer, using baking soda to help clean your dishwasher.
• Spray arm removal and the no-metal-pick rule: iFixit, Bosch dishwasher spray arm cleaning.
• Mold on hard surfaces: EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home. Bleach mixing: Washington State Department of Health, dangers of mixing bleach with cleaners.
• Gwinnett County water hardness: the county’s drinking water quality page.