Pull the filters out about once a month and rinse them under the tap. A clogged filter causes standing water, odors and poor cleaning, and it is the cheapest problem to prevent. The steps take about five minutes.
How to Do It
- Remove the lower basket and set it aside.
- Lift out the cylindrical filter and the flat fine filter beneath it, following your owner’s manual for how they release.
- Rinse both under warm water. Use a soft brush for the mesh, never a wire brush.
- Check the sump under the filters for glass chips, seeds or toothpicks.
- Seat the filters back firmly. A filter set loosely lets debris into the pump.
What You Might Find
Gray slime means food residue and too little hot water. Gritty white powder means mineral scale. A cracked filter or torn mesh needs replacing, since it no longer protects the pump. Bits of broken glass in the sump are a reason to stop and clear them by hand before the next cycle.
What Cleaning Cannot Fix
If water still sits in the tub after the filters are clean, the problem is further along: a drain hose kink, a clogged drain connection at the sink, or a weak pump. Those need testing, and we cannot guess which from the filters alone.
Houston humidity and hard water speed up buildup in machines that have been in the house a decade or more, so a monthly habit pays off. Our dishwasher repair page covers what else we inspect.
Write the date on a sticky note inside the cabinet door each time you clean the filters. After a few months you will see how quickly your household and your water build up residue, and you can adjust the schedule. Homes with very hard water often need cleaning every two or three weeks.
If the water still will not leave, call us or fill out the online form and we will set up a visit for testing the pump and drain.