How to Deep Clean a Dishwasher in 3 Easy Steps

Before you begin the deep clean make sure your dishwasher is unloaded. Fill a dishwasher safe mug (or measuring cup) with 3/4 cup of white vinegar. If you can find it I prefer to use cleaning vinegar as it is more concentrated, and in my opinion does a better job at cleaning.

Place the full cup on the bottom rack and run a wash cycle. If your dishwasher has an extra hot or sanitizing cycle choose that one.

Once the wash cycle is complete open the dishwasher door and slide out the bottom rack. You might notice some debris at the bottom of the machine. This is all the build up and gunk the vinegar broke apart. Using a paper towel simply wipe out the debris and discard.

And now for the worst part of this whole process… cleaning out the filter. Every dishwasher model will be different, but for this particular dishwasher all I have to do is give it a slight turn and the whole filter lifts out.

You might be surprised at what you see on the other side (especially if this is something you have never done).

This is what the dirty filter looks like after a month of use. This particular filter comes apart in two pieces, so before cleaning it I disassemble it.

Now you can see why it is so important to regularly check and clean your filter. If the filter is not clean your dishes won’t be either. I’m always surprised at the state of the filter, as I am someone who likes to thoroughly rinse the dishes before loading them in the machine.

To clean the filter run it under very hot water to remove all of the buildup. If your filter is very dirty you can soak it in hot soapy water and wipe with a gentle cloth. Make sure to thoroughly rinse before installing it back in the dishwasher.

Now that the interior is clean, all that is left to do is clean the exterior. I like to use damp microfiber cloth and a touch of vinegar to wipe everything down. Make sure to get in the grooves all the way around the door.

Very carefully and gently wipe the rubber seal that goes around the exterior.

Finally, don’t forget to clean the front of the door. You can use the same microfiber towel to do this, or a stainless steel cleaner.

I find that these wipes work incredibly well at shinning up the stainless steel and buffing out any scuffs or fingerprints.

This task takes barely any time to complete, but is one that should not be neglected.

Cleaning your dishwasher regularly will not only ensure that your dishes are clean, it will also extend the life of the dishwasher itself.

The dishwasher now looks brand new again, and it’s ready to tackle many more loads of dirty dishes!

I really love this method, it breaks up all of the nasty buildup and leaves your dishwasher sparkling clean!