We’ve all come home after a busy day and needed just one task to go as planned. Sometimes the simplest of things complicate our lives that much more. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why on Earth is my dishwasher not cleaning dishes?” You’re not alone.
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Dishwasher Not Cleaning Dishes
There’s a lot of frustration that comes along with your dishwasher not cleaning dishes, and we understand why. Not only should a dishwasher sanitize your dishes, but it should also clear them of all the food, right? Appliances were made to make life easier…dishwashers are supposed to save us time from having to hand wash every single dish. So, when we end up having to use the dishwasher and scrub it by hand, we end up feeling defeated.
The good news is that most answers to this common problem are simple fixes! We’ve put together a list of the reasons why your dishwasher may be failing you, but if it’s something a bit more involved, we recommend contacting Home-Tech for help.
The Interior Is Dirty
A dishwasher filled with bits of old food, grease, and soap scum is a dishwasher that won’t run as it should. If this is your problem, it should be easy to detect and easy to fix. Run a cycle with white vinegar! As a simple tactic, pour three cups of white vinegar at the bottom of your dishwasher and run a full cycle. This will also remove any funky smells coming from your dishwasher.
Extra Dirty Dishes
You shouldn’t have to put elbow grease into cleaning your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, but you should give them a good rinse before washing. Your dishwasher might be able to handle ketchup smeared on a plate or crumbs of food, but rinsing before washing is an easy task to complete.
Low Water Temperature or Pressure
If your water isn’t hot enough, the dishes may appear dirty but will also be dirty. Water needs to reach a temperature of between 120 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit to easily sanitize dishes. It removes pieces of food, and also allows the dishes to come out germ-free. To test this, run your sink water right after you start a load of dishes. Fill a glass with the (hopefully) hot water and measure that it’s in the temperature range it needs to be. If it’s not, adjust your water heater temperature accordingly.
A possible culprit for your dishwasher not cleaning is low water pressure. If you notice that your faucet or shower head’s water pressure has been lacking lately, it may be time to point fingers as to why your dishwasher is also failing you. You’ll need to call in a professional for this.
Make Sure There’s Water Running
Obviously, your dishwasher needs water to run properly in the first place. If you find your dishes are coming out completely dirty and exceptionally dry, this may be the issue. To test it, place an empty cup on both the bottom and top racks, facing up. If the cycle ends and the cups are full of water, you’ll know you have running water. If you realize you don’t have running water, contact a professional for help.
Check the Spray Arms for Obstructions and Clogs
The spray arms are located at the bottom of the washer. Manually spin them to make sure nothing is in their way. If something’s blocking them from spinning completely, your dishes have less of a chance of getting cleaned evenly. Also, make sure there are no large pieces of food or other debris clogging the spray arm. This will help with draining, in addition to cleaning.
Broken Soap Dispenser
Without soap, your dishes certainly won’t be getting cleaned or sanitized! Try dissolving any debris in the soap dispenser by cleaning it with a brush, warm water, and white vinegar. Also, check to make sure the dispenser itself doesn’t have any broken or chipped pieces. If the gasket is broken, the soap won’t dispense properly. If this needs replaced, contact Home-Tech for a dependable repair!
Load Your Dishes Evenly
The best rule of thumb for this is that if the water can’t reach it, it can’t clean it! Piling in dishes because you think you’re saving time not handwashing them only causes headaches in the end. Be sure to leave enough room for soap and water to pass through each and every dish. If you don’t, you’ll be handwashing more than just a couple of dishes every cycle!
It’s Time to Call Home-Tech
If these simple solutions don’t work, it’s time to call Home-Tech. A dishwasher not cleaning dishes can be frustrating and complicated. The fact is – appliances are tricky, which is why our technicians receive specialty training to learn how to fix each one of them. By requesting service from Home-Tech, you’re getting a knowledgeable, drug-tested, and background-checked technician sent to your doorstep in a two-hour time frame. You can’t beat that! Fill out a service request online or call us at 800-800-8356.