Most people run the dishwasher but never run it through a cleaning cycle. Over time, grease, limescale, food residue, and soap scum build up inside the machine — on the filter, spray arms, door seals, and inner walls. The result is dishes that come out less clean, odours that linger, and a machine that works harder than it needs to.

A proper dishwasher cleaning cycle takes under 30 minutes of active time and should be done every one to two months. Here’s the full process.

Related Services: Dishwasher Repair in Vancouver

Step 1: Clean the dishwasher filter

The filter is the first place grease and food debris accumulates, and the most commonly neglected part of dishwasher maintenance. On most modern dishwashers, it’s a cylindrical filter at the bottom of the tub, inside the lower spray arm area.

1. Remove the lower rack.
2. Locate the filter — it’s usually a round assembly that twists counterclockwise to unlock.
3. Pull out the cylindrical filter and the flat mesh filter underneath it.
4. Rinse both under warm running water. Use a soft brush (an old toothbrush works) to scrub away grease and debris.
5. For heavy buildup, soak in warm soapy water for 10 minutes before scrubbing.
6. Reinstall — twist clockwise until it clicks into place.

Don’t use a wire brush or abrasive pad on the filter — it damages the mesh. Clean the filter every 2 to 4 weeks if you run the machine daily, or monthly for average use.

Step 2: Clean the spray arms

The spray arms distribute water throughout the dishwasher. When the nozzle holes clog with limescale or food debris, cleaning performance drops — some areas of the load don’t get washed properly.

1. Remove the lower spray arm by pulling straight up or unscrewing a retaining nut.
2. Remove the upper spray arm — it typically slides off the fitting or unscrews counterclockwise.
3. Hold each arm under running water and look through the nozzle holes. Blocked holes won’t pass water.
4. Use a toothpick to clear any clogged holes.
5. Soak in white vinegar for 20 minutes to dissolve limescale if scaling is present.
6. Rinse and reinstall.

Step 3: Clean the interior walls, door seals, and edges

The inside walls of the dishwasher accumulate a greasy film. The door seal (rubber gasket around the door perimeter) collects food particles and mould. Both need regular wiping.

• Use a damp cloth with a little dish soap to wipe down the inner walls, door interior, and the bottom of the tub.
• Pay attention to the door seal — run your finger along it and use a cloth to clean any debris from the folds.
• Wipe the dispenser area and the spray arm fitting at the bottom.

Step 4: Run a white vinegar cleaning cycle

White vinegar dissolves limescale and removes odour-causing buildup. It’s safe for all major dishwasher brands and costs almost nothing.

1. Remove all dishes and racks.
2. Place a dishwasher-safe bowl or cup filled with 2 cups of white vinegar on the bottom rack (or directly on the bottom of the tub).
3. Run a full hot water cycle — don’t add detergent, just the vinegar.
4. The hot water will distribute the vinegar throughout the machine, stripping grease and mineral deposits.

Step 5: Run a baking soda cycle (optional, for odours)

After the vinegar cycle, sprinkle one cup of baking soda across the bottom of the dishwasher. Run a short hot cycle. This neutralizes remaining odours and brightens the interior.

Don’t run vinegar and baking soda in the same cycle — they neutralize each other before doing much useful work. Do them as separate cycles.

Best dishwasher cleaning tablets — what to look for

Commercial dishwasher cleaning tablets (like Affresh, Finish, or Cascade) are a convenient alternative to the vinegar/baking soda method. They’re formulated to dissolve grease and limescale in a single cycle.

• Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner: Widely available in Canada. Use one tablet per cleaning cycle, without dishes, run on a hot cycle.
• Finish Dishwasher Cleaner: Available at most grocery stores. Effective on limescale buildup.
• Cascade Platinum ActionPacs: Can be used as a monthly maintenance cycle in addition to regular dishwasher detergent.

Tablets are particularly useful if you have hard water (which Metro Vancouver generally doesn’t have — Vancouver water is naturally soft, so limescale isn’t as aggressive here as in other cities).

How to use rinse aid properly

Rinse aid significantly improves drying and prevents spots. Fill the rinse aid dispenser (usually next to the detergent dispenser) with any major brand rinse aid. The setting on most machines adjusts from 1 to 6 — start at 3 or 4, and adjust up if dishes still spot or down if there’s a soapy residue on glasses.

How often should you run a cleaning cycle?

• Light use (a few times per week): Clean the filter monthly; run a cleaning cycle every 2 months
• Daily use: Clean the filter every 2 to 3 weeks; run a cleaning cycle monthly
• Family with heavy use: Clean the filter weekly; run a cleaning cycle every 3 weeks

Signs your dishwasher needs more than cleaning

Cleaning resolves most performance and odour issues. If after a full cleaning cycle your dishwasher still leaves food residue, smells bad, or isn’t draining, the problem is mechanical:

• Persistent drain issues → pump or drain hose problem
• Persistent cleaning issues after clear filters and spray arms → pump pressure or heating element
• Odour that won’t clear → possible mould in the door seal or drain hose; the drain hose may need replacement

Vancouver Appliance Service handles dishwasher repairs and inspections across Metro Vancouver. If cleaning doesn’t solve it, we can diagnose and fix the underlying mechanical issue in a single visit.