How to Clean Your Dishwasher Filter for Cleaner Dishes

If your dishwasher is leaving grit on glasses, food specks on “clean” plates, or giving off a musty smell, there’s a good chance the filter is clogged. It’s the most common — and most overlooked — dishwasher maintenance task, and cleaning it takes about five minutes. Most dishwashers made in the last decade have a removable filter that should be rinsed monthly.

Why the filter matters

The filter’s job is to catch food particles so they don’t get redeposited on your dishes or recirculated through the spray arms. When it clogs with grease and debris, water can’t flow properly, cleaning suffers, odors develop, and the dishwasher may even start to drain slowly. Older dishwashers used a self-cleaning “hard food disposer” (essentially a grinder), but most modern, quieter models use a manual filter you have to clean yourself.

How to clean the filter, step by step

1. Pull out the bottom rack to expose the floor of the dishwasher.
2. Find the filter — usually a round, cylindrical piece near the base of the spray arm, sometimes with a flat secondary filter around it.
3. Twist the cylinder counter-clockwise and lift it out. If there’s a flat mesh filter underneath, remove that too.
4. Rinse under warm running water, using a soft brush (an old toothbrush works) to clear trapped food, grease, and buildup. Avoid wire brushes, which can damage the mesh.
5. Wipe out the filter housing and sump — check for glass, labels, or food chunks sitting in the well.
6. Reinstall the flat filter first, then drop in the cylinder and twist clockwise to lock. A loose filter can rattle or let debris through, so make sure it’s seated.

While you’re at it

Run an empty hot cycle with a dishwasher cleaner (or a cup of white vinegar on the top rack) once a month to dissolve grease and limescale, and wipe down the rubber door gasket where gunk and mold collect. Scrape plates before loading, but don’t pre-rinse — modern detergents need some food residue to work against.

If cleaning the filter doesn’t fix it

Persistent poor cleaning usually points to clogged spray-arm holes, low incoming water temperature, or a worn wash pump. See our guide to a dishwasher not cleaning dishes, and if you’re weighing a bigger repair, our dishwasher repair-or-replace guide walks through the math.

How often should I clean my dishwasher filter?

About once a month for an average household — more if you run it daily or don’t scrape plates first.

Need a hand? Appliance Recovery offers same-day appliance repair across Arlington, Fort Worth, and the DFW area, with a one-year warranty on parts and labor. Call (817) 900-8324 or schedule online.