Your dishwasher cleans your dishes every day — but who’s cleaning the dishwasher? If you’ve never thought about it, you’re not alone. Learning how to clean a dishwasher properly can eliminate bad odors, remove hidden grime, and keep your appliance running efficiently for years. This guide walks you through everything, from a quick weekly rinse to a deep monthly clean.
Why You Need to Clean Your Dishwasher Regularly
Most people assume a dishwasher self-cleans. It doesn’t.
Over time, food debris, grease, soap scum, and hard water minerals build up inside the machine. This leads to:
- Bad smells coming from inside the dishwasher or your dishes
- Cloudy or spotted glassware due to mineral deposits
- Poor cleaning performance because water jets get clogged
- Mold or mildew growth in the door gasket and filter area
Cleaning your dishwasher once a month — and doing a quick wipe-down weekly — keeps all of this under control.
What You’ll Need to Clean a Dishwasher
Before you start, gather these simple supplies:
- White distilled vinegar
- Baking soda
- Dish soap or mild detergent
- A soft toothbrush or small cleaning brush
- A microfiber cloth or sponge
- A toothpick or thin wire (for unclogging spray arm holes)
No harsh chemicals needed. Vinegar and baking soda do most of the heavy lifting.
How to Clean a Dishwasher: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Empty the Dishwasher Completely
Remove all dishes, racks, and utensil holders. You want full access to the interior. Set the racks aside — you may want to wipe them down too.
Step 2: Clean the Dishwasher Filter
This is the most important step most people skip.
The filter sits at the bottom of the dishwasher and catches food particles. A clogged filter is the #1 cause of a smelly dishwasher.
How to clean it:
- Locate the filter — it’s usually a cylindrical or flat mesh screen at the base of the tub.
- Turn it counterclockwise and lift it out (check your manual if it’s stuck).
- Rinse it under warm running water.
- Use a soft brush and a drop of dish soap to scrub away grease and debris.
- Rinse thoroughly and reinstall.
Do this at least once a month, or more often if you run the dishwasher daily.
Step 3: Clean the Spray Arms
The spray arms have small holes that jet water onto your dishes. These holes can get clogged with mineral deposits or food particles.
How to clean them:
- Remove the spray arms by unscrewing or unclipping them (usually they just pull off).
- Hold them under running water and shake to dislodge loose debris.
- Use a toothpick to poke through any blocked holes.
- Rinse well and reattach.
Step 4: Wipe Down the Door, Gasket, and Edges
The rubber door gasket (the seal around the inside of the door) is a prime spot for mold, mildew, and food grime.
How to clean it:
- Dip a cloth or old toothbrush in a mixture of warm water and white vinegar.
- Run it along the entire gasket, getting into the folds.
- Wipe the interior door panel, including the top edge and sides.
- Pay attention to the corners — grime loves to hide there.
Step 5: Run a Vinegar Wash Cycle
White vinegar is a natural disinfectant and descaler. This step removes mineral buildup and deodorizes the machine.
How to do it:
- Place a dishwasher-safe cup or bowl filled with 1 cup of white vinegar on the top rack.
- Leave the dishwasher empty (no dishes, no detergent in the dispenser).
- Run a full hot water cycle.
The vinegar will spread through the wash cycle, breaking down grease, soap scum, and hard water deposits.
Step 6: Run a Baking Soda Cycle
Immediately after the vinegar cycle (or the next day), do a baking soda refresh.
How to do it:
- Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda across the bottom of the empty dishwasher.
- Run a short hot water cycle.
Baking soda neutralizes lingering odors and brightens the interior of the tub. Your dishwasher should smell noticeably fresher after this.
Step 7: Clean the Exterior
Don’t forget the outside. Wipe the control panel and door exterior with a damp microfiber cloth. For stainless steel finishes, wipe in the direction of the grain to avoid streaks.
How Often Should You Clean Your Dishwasher?
| Task | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Wipe door gasket and edges | Weekly |
| Clean the filter | Monthly |
| Vinegar + baking soda cycle | Monthly |
| Deep clean spray arms | Every 2–3 months |
| Full deep clean of interior | Monthly |
How to Clean a Dishwasher That Smells Bad
If your dishwasher has a persistent odor, here’s the quick fix:
- Check and clean the filter first — a dirty filter is almost always the cause.
- Run a hot vinegar cycle as described in Step 5.
- Check the drain hose for blockages if the smell persists.
- Leave the door slightly ajar after cycles to allow moisture to escape and prevent mildew.
A dishwasher that smells like rotten eggs usually means food is decomposing in the filter or drain.
How to Clean a Dishwasher with Hard Water Buildup
If you live in an area with hard water, you’ll see white, chalky deposits inside the tub and on glassware.
What to do:
- Run the vinegar cycle monthly — vinegar dissolves mineral scale naturally.
- Use a rinse aid in every cycle to reduce spotting.
- Consider a dishwasher cleaner tablet (like Affresh) once a month for stubborn buildup.
- If the buildup is severe, apply a paste of baking soda and vinegar directly to deposits, let it sit for 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse.
Can You Use Bleach to Clean a Dishwasher?
Only if your dishwasher does not have a stainless steel interior.
A small amount of bleach (½ cup placed in the bottom of the tub) can kill mold and bacteria effectively. However, never use bleach on stainless steel — it will cause pitting and permanent damage. When in doubt, stick to vinegar.
Also, never mix bleach and vinegar — this creates toxic chlorine gas.
Common Dishwasher Cleaning Mistakes to Avoid
Even well-meaning cleaning habits can backfire. Here are the mistakes people make most often:
- Skipping the filter entirely — It’s the most-neglected part and the biggest cause of odors and poor performance.
- Using too much detergent — Excess soap leaves residue and can clog the machine over time.
- Closing the door immediately after a cycle — Traps moisture and encourages mold. Crack it open for at least 20–30 minutes.
- Running vinegar and bleach in the same cycle — Dangerous. Always use one or the other, never together.
- Neglecting the spray arms — Even if the filter is clean, blocked spray arm jets mean dishes won’t get properly rinsed.
- Using the wrong cleaning products — Harsh abrasives or non-dishwasher-safe cleaners can damage plastic parts and seals.
Final Takeaway
Cleaning your dishwasher doesn’t need to be a big production. Once you build the habit of a monthly deep clean — filter, spray arms, a vinegar cycle, a baking soda cycle — you’ll notice better-smelling dishes, cleaner glassware, and a machine that just works better.
The whole process takes about 20 minutes of actual hands-on time. The rest is letting the machine do the work for you.
The quick version:
- Clean the filter monthly
- Run a vinegar cycle monthly
- Follow with a baking soda cycle
- Wipe the gasket and door weekly
- Leave the door cracked after each cycle
That’s it. A clean dishwasher, a better-smelling kitchen, and dishes you can actually trust are clean.
