Do you regularly clean your dishwasher filters? No? It’s easy to forget. It’s easy to overlook the dishwasher filter, which is another part of your kitchen you need to pay attention to regularly. Cleaning your dishwasher filter can be accomplished in a short amount of time and without any special tools. Continue reading to find out how to clean your filter and how often you should do it.
How often should you clean your dishwasher filter?
Dishwasher Filters prevent food from getting back onto your dishes and keep large food wastes out of your plumbing. It is important to regularly clean your filter, as a clogged one will stop your dishwasher draining properly. If you use your dishwasher daily or every other day, then it only needs to be cleaned once per month. If you run it more than once a day, however, clean the filter weekly. If you have just finished a cycle with a dirty or soiled wash, make sure to clean the filter after it finishes.
What you’ll need
Before you begin, gather all the supplies that you’ll need. What you will need is:
- Warm water
- Dish soap
- Scrubbing sponge or brush
- Dishwasher cleaning tablets
- White vinegar (optional).
Step 1: Remove bottom rack
It is easier to remove the bottom dish rack if you can. You can either lift or roll your bottom rack out of your dishwasher to place it elsewhere.
It’s time to clean your bottom rack of the dishwasher. Spray the bottom rack in your sink, then scrub away any food particles that are stuck on.
Step 2: Locate your filter
The filter is located at the bottom of the dishwasher and looks like a circular raised object. You can remove the filter by gently pulling up and twisting it. You may see arrows on your filter indicating which direction to point.
Step 3: Rinse the rims
Concentrate the water flow to the mesh. It may take some time for the mesh to loosen up because it is full of food particles or other grime. Fill a container up with warm soapy water, and soak the filter in there for 15 minutes if your filter is still dirty. After 15 minutes, remove the filter from the water to rinse off any remaining gunk.
Step 4: Clean Dishwasher Floor
Take a few minutes extra to clean your dishwasher’s floor now that you have removed the filter and bottom rack. Food and grime may get stuck and accumulate in the corners of your dishwasher, particularly near its opening or door.
It’s not too difficult to fix with a little elbow-grease. Scrub any stuck gunk with a sponge or brush dipped in soap. You don’t need to rinse it, as you’ll run the dishwasher’s ‘clean’ mode afterward.
Step 5: Restore Everything
To secure your filter, place it back into your dishwasher by twisting it in the opposite direction you removed it. The bottom rack can be rolled back into the dishwasher. Place a cleaning tablet in your dishwasher (or white vinegar in a bowl or mug) and let it run on the ‘cleaning’ cycle. This will give your dishwasher filter the final touch.
How to keep your dishwasher filter clean longer
You can keep your filter cleaner by removing any excess food from dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. Some sauce or crumbs are okay, but avoid putting in a plate that still contains a half serving of last night’s potatoes. It will prevent excess food from getting stuck in the filter.
What else can you do? Regularly clean out your dishwasher. You can use dishwasher cleaning tablets or run a hot-water cycle with a bowl of vinegar in the bottom rack.
