4 signs your dishwasher filter needs cleaning

When your dishwasher filter isn't functioning properly, you may find yourself putting on another cycle or washing up individual items by hand, racking up your energy and water bills as you do. 

To avoid this happening, we'd recommend cleaning the filter. A good dishwasher filter is vital to catch particles of food so they don't end up back on your dishes and glasses. It also prevents clogs that can lead to leakages or even break your machine's pump entirely. 

Thankfully, cleaning the filter is a simple job. See the signs to look out for that indicate it needs a clean, plus step-by-step advice on how to quickly sort it.

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1. Food remnants

If you find that your dishes come out of the dishwasher with bits of food clinging to them, it could be the result of a dirty filter. 

The filter is designed to trap food waste, but if it isn’t rinsed regularly, that same debris can get flung back on to your crockery and cutlery during a cleaning cycle.

For the best cleaning results, read our advice on how to load a dishwasher

2. Unpleasant odours

If you open your dishwasher and recoil at the smell, it may be that the filter is clogged up with congealed and decaying food. 

It’s certainly not pleasant to remove supposedly clean dishes out of a machine that stinks and could be a breeding ground for bacteria.

To help remove any bad smells, take a look at our guide on how to clean a dishwasher

3. Water not draining

Opening your dishwasher and finding a pool of water is never an enjoyable experience. 

Again, the most common culprit is a blocked filter that isn’t allowing the water to escape and drain away properly. 

If cleaning the filter doesn't do the trick, check our guide to fixing common dishwasher faults 

4. Build-up of debris

A simple visual inspection of the filter will often tell you that it’s time to clean it. Is it covered in food? If the answer is yes, it’s time to do something about it. 

The same is true if you notice that there’s debris on the sprayer arm or scattered around the bottom of the machine.

Don't buy a dud. Check out the best dishwashers according to our rigorous testing

How to clean your dishwasher filter

You should clean your dishwasher filter once or twice a month, but you can even do it weekly to get the best results.

First, you need to locate the filter, which is often found at the base of your machine below the spray arms. It’s often easier to access it by removing the bottom rack of the dishwasher and setting it aside. The filter is usually removable with a simple twist and pull. Take this opportunity to wipe away any debris from the bottom of the machine with a soft, damp cloth.

Now move on to the filter itself. The outer casing simply needs rinsing with hot water to get rid of the debris. A gentle, soft brush will help you access the harder-to-clean areas of the inner filter. 

Once you're happy that it's clean, simply put it back in place the same way that you removed it and replace the lower basket.

While cleaning the filter won’t solve every single problem, it’s a good place to start. You may be surprised by just how much your machine’s performance improves. 

Keep your kitchen sparkling with our guidance on how to deep clean your kitchen appliances

Don’t buy a dishwasher with a bad filter

While cleaning the filter on a regular basis is a normal job, a dishwasher with a poor one will often force you to do this far more often than needed. 

You may even find that the machine blocks up entirely and can't complete a cycle, which could result in a horrible scene like the one above. 

We’ve identified several Don’t Buy dishwashers to avoid – many of which have an inadequate filtering system. Some were so bad that we couldn't even complete our tests properly because it immediately clogged.

Check all our dishwasher reviews to find the right machine for your home