How To Clean A Kitchenaid Dishwasher
If you are wondering how to clean a KitchenAid dishwasher, look no further.
KitchenAid is a brand thats well-known for making dishwashers and other home appliances. While KitchenAid makes high-quality dishwashers, dishwashers work hard to keep plates, cups, bowls, and other tableware clean. Failing to clean a KitchenAid dishwasher regularly can result in poor performance and bad cleaning jobs. The good news is that KitchenAid dishwashers are easy to clean and can be cleaned with household items. KitchenAid also recommends cleaning its dishwashers with Affresh cleaners because it can help remove stains from dishwasher soap/detergent.
We recommend cleaning KitchenAid dishwashers once every 30 days for optimal performance. Our guide takes you through the necessary steps to clean your KitchenAid dishwasher in the simplest ways possible. Well cover cleaning the exterior, interior, filters, and other dishwasher components. Read on to learn more.
How To Clean Kitchenaid Dishwasher: Instructional Guide
KitchenAid is a quite popular brand that is well-known for manufacturing dishwashers. These dishwashers work efficiently to clean the kitchen mess created due to dirty dishes, cups, bowls, and glass.
While cleaning the dishes, if you do not pay attention to the dishwashers condition, it will start giving bad performance and wont even clean properly. Thats why taking care of your dishwasher must be your priority to keep things on track.
The following steps are involved in
What About A Budget Pick
If you want to spend less on a dishwasher, we recommend a cheaper variant of the Bosch or Whirlpool Corporation models weve written about. Keep an eye out for the Bosch 100 Series or the Whirlpool WDT730PAH in particular. They clean just about as well as their pricier siblings and should be just as reliable. On the downside, the cheaper models are noisier and worse at drying, and the racks arent as adjustable or capacious.
You can find even cheaper options out there from various brands . Most of these models that weve tested have been good at cleaning dishes, and theres no indication that theyre less reliable than pricier models . But they tend to be loud, the racks are rickety, and their food filtration is not always great. We think its worth spending a little extra for a nicer machine if you can swing it. But if you want or need to spend as little as possible, a super-cheap model can be okayyou wont be throwing your money away, in other words.
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Cleaning The External Surface Of Kitchenaid Dishwasher
To keep your KitchenAid dishwasher working in good condition, you must also maintain the cleanliness of the exterior. If there are piles of dust present on the outside of your dishwasher and at the door, that dust can get into the interior to create more mess.
It is not rocket science to clean the dishwasher door but using the accurate method is significant. You can use soap and a warm cloth for this task. Just wipe the exterior and all surrounding areas where you find any dirt.
We recommend avoiding using an abrasive material to clean the exterior, as some KitchenAid models are stainless steel. The abrasive objects can scratch the outer surface and make your dishwasher lose its original shine.
How To Clean Kitchenaid Dishwasher With Vinegar

I know that it sounds gross, but Ive been doing it for years and I love it! Heres what I do:
Take a big handful of baking soda and put it into your dishwasher. I do it every time I run the dishwasher and every time the cycle ends. It takes me 5 to 10 minutes to do this.
When the dishwasher runs, the water and the soap go through the machine and come out the bottom of the dishwasher. The dirty water and soap go down the drain. The rest of the dirty water goes into the sump pump.
The sump pump sends the dirty water down the sump drain. The sump drain is in the basement.
There is a small hose in the basement that connects the sump drain to the storm sewer. This is where the waste water goes.
If you have a garbage disposal, make sure it is not running when you are doing this. You dont want the disposal grinding up the baking soda into a powder.
Now, take a spray bottle and fill it with a few cups of white vinegar.
Open the door to your dishwasher and put the spray bottle into the sink. Then close the door.
Let the spray of vinegar go into the dishwasher for a few minutes.
Do the same thing with the baking soda.
This is what happens when the door opens and closes. The spray of vinegar goes into the sump drain and the baking soda goes down the drain.
Tutorial Video How to Clean Your Dishwasher with Baking Soda and Vinegar
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How To Remove The Filter
Some filters will require tools to unscrew them, but most simply twist off. Use a flashlight to look closely at the top of the filter in your dishwasher as many will have arrows to indicate the direction to turn it for removal. You can unlock the filter by giving it a quarter-turn clockwise and gently pulling it out. If your dishwasher has a lower filter, it has a hole in the middle through which the cylindrical one is installed. Typically, this lower filter is not locked in place. Simply lift the lower filter and pull it forward to remove it.
The Ultimate Guide To Kitchenaid Dishwasher Clean Filter
If you own a KitchenAid dishwasher, you know how important it is to keep the clean filter free of dirt and debris. But what if you dont have time to clean it every week? Thats where this guide comes in! This blog post will show you how to easily clean your KitchenAid dishwasher clean filter in just a few minutes no scrubbing required! Well also give you some tips on avoiding cleaning it as often. So if youre looking for an easy way to keep your dishwasher running smoothly, be sure to read on!
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Dishwasher Not Cleaning Dishes Heres What To Do
Is your dishwasher not cleaning well lately? That can be a serious problem if youre a busy person. There are several possible causes for an ineffective dishwasher, including a dirty filter, clogged spray arm, or broken soap dispenser.
If youve noticed that your dishwashers not getting dishes clean, its time to investigate using the guidelines below.
When your dishwasher is not getting dishes clean, cleaning the machine may fix the issue. After that, regular maintenance should keep your unit running. However, dirty components are not always the root of the problem.
Here are some likely reasons that your dishwashers not cleaning:
Things accumulate on the inside of your dishwasher: grease, tiny food bits, mineral deposits from hard water, soap scum, etc. Cleaning the interior of your dishwasher is a good first step when the dishwashers not cleaning dishes. If buildup is minor, try running a vinegar cycle: Pour 3 cups of white vinegar in the bottom, and run through a full cycle. To remove stubborn grime, use these dishwasher cleaning tips. Bonus: If your whole kitchen could use some cleaning, reach out to Molly Maid®!
- Clogged Spray Arm
- Broken Soap Dispenser
- Low Water Temperature
- Detergent and Related Issues
- Water Volume or Pressure Issues
- Failing Inlet Valve
What Can You Do If Your Dishwasher Isnt Washing Your Dishes
Follow these troubleshooting procedures before contacting a service expert if your dishwasher is still not washing dishes correctly after performing these measures.
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How Do You Use The Sanitize Cycle On A Dishwasher
When you select the sanitize cycle at the beginning of your wash, the appliance takes in hot water and heats it even further. When you press the button to start the wash, an electrical heating element does most of the heavy lifting, making it possible for the internal compartment of the dishwasher to rapidly increase the temperature and withstand the concentration of heat.
And to help you discover how specific sanitize features work, weve narrowed down a few select dishwasher models from Bosch, KitchenAid, and Whirlpool.
Most Bosch stainless-steel dishwashers come equipped with an NSF/ANSI Standard 184-certified sanitize option that eliminates up to 99.9% of bacteria. This cleaning cycle features PureDry technology, which concludes each wash with an extra hot rinse, heating the water to 162F to thoroughly clean, sanitize, and dry dishes.
And if youre worried about all that water and moisture building up inside your dishwasher, Boschs AutoAir feature releases the door at the end of each wash to let any pooled moisture escape and allow plenty of fresh air in to keep your sanitized dishes clean as can be.
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Do All Kitchenaid Dishwashers Have Filters
As we can see from the different dishwasher models, KitchenAid dishwashers always include a filter. However, the way to access the filter varies from model to model.
The older KitchenAid dishwashers will have harder-to-access filters. It’s typically a mesh filter on the underside of a larger assembly. Modern KitchenAid dishwasher filters are easy to access.
You might need to twist the filter to unlock it. Otherwise, it’s as easy as lifting it out.
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The Dirty Truth About Filters And Food Grinders
All dishwashers have filters that trap loose food particles inside the tub. Some dishwashers also have a grinder behind the filter that can annihilate any chunks of food large enough to clog the drain in the extremely unlikely case that they slip through the filter. Either system works well, and we recommend both types. But a grinder is kind of a gimmick, and most people will be perfectly happy with a simpler, quieter, filter-only dishwasher.
One common concern weve heard is that filter-only models dont clean as well as dishwashers with grinders and need much more unpleasant hands-on maintenance.
Theres a kernel of truth here: You do need to remove and rinse most filters under running water from time to time to maintain the dishwashers performance . Starchy, greasy gunk builds up and eventually clogs the filter. If you put a lot of starchy soils into your machine and use non-enzymatic detergent and have hard water, you might have to rinse the filter as often as every few weeks.
But realistically, most people should be able to get away with rinsing their filters as little as twice a year, because filters tend to stay clean enough on their own. Enzymatic detergents weaken the structure of the toughest types of soils . All of those pre-softened foods that are caught in the filter eventually get shredded in its fine mesh as the wash water circulates through the machine. The remnants eventually get flushed down the drain.
What Is The Duration Of The Kitchenaid Express Wash

KitchenAid Dishwasher Cycle Times are Long
The time it takes for a dishwasher cycle to complete ranges from 1.5 to 4 hours. Some wash and rinse cycles have an automated pause until the water reaches the appropriate temperature. Some versions include an optical sensor wash that detects the temperature of the water, the quantity of dirt, and the amount of detergent used.
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Frigidaire Lg And Samsung: Maybe Okay With Caveats
These three brands all make decent dishwashers that should work well for most people most of the time. But in our tests, they didnt work as well as the other machines weve covered so far, and they have some red flags you should watch out for.
Frigidaire specializes in affordable plastic-tub dishwashers. We tested the super-basic Frigidaire FFID2426TS, which did a decent but not great job cleaning the toughest soils , and the upgraded Frigidaire Gallery FGID2468UD, which was one of the better cleaners we tested overall. The Frigidaire line uses a heated-dry system, and both models we tested were great at drying dishes. They also have some of the shortest cycle times we found: The 2468 has a 34-minute wash cycle that performed pretty well, and both machines normal cycles tended to take less than two hours, which is unusual. But weak owner ratings at retailer sites, Consumer Reports reliability data, and J.D. Powers performance and reliability satisfaction ratings all paint the same picture: Frigidaire dishwashers tend to cause more trouble for their owners than other brands.
How Often Do Kitchenaid Dishwashers Need To Be Cleaned
You should clean your KitchenAid dishwasher once every 30 days. You can get away with cleaning a KitchenAid dishwasher less frequently but waiting longer between cleaning periods reduces the lifespan of the dishwasher. For KitchenAid dishwashers that dont have self-cleaning filters, we recommend cleaning them along with the rest of the dishwasher at least once every 3 months. Cleaning KitchenAid dishwasher filters regularly can extend the lifespan of the filters, which can save you money in the long term.
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Is It Possible To Use Clr In A Dishwasher
To clean your dishwasher, remove the dishwashing rinse agent and pour a 1/2 cup of CLR Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover directly into the bottom of your empty dishwasher. You can leave the racks in the dishwasher, but remove any glasses, dishes or flatware. Run a normal cycle followed by an extra rinse cycle.
Blomberg And Beko: Next Time
Beko, a mainstream European appliance brand, has been a fringe brand in the US under the Blomberg banner for about a decade. As weve understood the situation, the dishwashers work well, but theyve been easy to buy only in certain regions of the US, so weve never recommended them. But the company looks to be expanding its presence, and well try to get one of its machines the next time we test dishwashers.
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Clean The Dishwasher Filter
Another component to check is your dishwasher filter. Your filter will most likely catch all larger particles of food when your dishwasher empties the water at the end of a cleaning cycle.
Heres the best way to clean your dishwasher filter:
Give It A Thorough Clean
If the smell is coming from inside the dishwasher, then the first thing to do is to give it a thorough clean. When you run a wash cycle, loose food particles will get washed out through the filter and down the drain, but sometimes random particles can get stuck, and this can cause a bad smell over time.
Follow these simple steps to give your dishwasher a deep clean:
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Where Is The Kitchenaid Dishwasher Filter
Where is my filter on my KitchenAid dishwasher?
The filters can be found at the bottom center of your dishwasher. The triple filter system consists of 2 parts, an upper filter assembly and a lower filter. The upper filter assembly keeps oversized items and foreign objects, along with very fine food particles, out of the pump.
Do all KitchenAid dishwashers have filters?
Most all automatic dishwashers KitchenAid included come with a filter system inside the dishwasher to catch any food debris before it has a chance to clog your drains. The filter is in the bottom center of the dishwasher beneath the bottom rack and requires periodic cleaning to ensure free flow of the drain.
How do I clean the filter on my KitchenAid dishwasher?
Dishwasher Filter Cleaning YouTube
Does old KitchenAid dishwasher have a filter?
When you crack open the dishwasher, start by cleaning out the filter. KitchenAid dishwashers have a removable triple filter system that you can access by removing the bottom rack. Just twist the cylindrical upper filter counterclockwise, then lift out the mesh lower filter from under the propeller.
Take Care Of The Inner Side

Cleaning inside the Kitchenaid dishwasher plays an important role, as there will be junk foods that will get trapped in the filter.
These kinds of issues cant be noticed easily, and in extreme cases, the trash of food will gum up the work and it will result in the improper cleaning of the dishes.
The first need you need to do once you have opened the dishwasher is clean the filters. You can remove the bottom rack of the dishwasher.
The Kitchenaid dishwasher has a removable triple filter system, so it can be easily removed.
There will be a cylindrical upper filter at the top, which you need to remove by rotating it in the counter-clockwise direction and then taking the lower filter which is found under the propeller.
But remember, while cleaning the filter system, dont use any coarse scrub or brushes or scouring pads. Use a soft brush to remove the debris and then rinse it in the running water.
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