How to Clean a Dishwasher Filter (Most People Forget This Exists)

Most households have a dishwasher. Most of those dishwashers have a filter at the base of the interior that catches food particles from the wash water. And most homeowners have never cleaned it — because most homeowners don't know it's there.

This isn't their fault. Dishwasher filters aren't prominently featured in appliance marketing, and modern dishwashers are designed to work quietly and invisibly. The filter does its job without any visible indication — until it doesn't.

When the filter gets clogged, several things happen: the dishwasher starts to smell (a musty or food-like odour when you open the door); dishes come out with a fine grit or residue on them; glasses become cloudy; and washing performance generally deteriorates. All of these are common complaints that lead people to believe they need a new dishwasher when what they actually need is a 5-minute filter clean.

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Where the Filter Is and What It Does

The filter sits at the bottom of the dishwasher interior — the central base, below the lower spray arm. In most modern dishwashers it consists of two components:

The cylindrical filter: A mesh tube that screws into the base. This is the primary food trap and the component most people are referring to when they say "the filter."

The flat coarse filter / base plate: A flat mesh screen that sits underneath the cylindrical filter, covering the base of the dishwasher. This catches larger particles.

Together they prevent food particles from recirculating through the pump and back onto dishes during the wash cycle.

Finding yours: Remove the lower dish rack. Look at the floor of the dishwasher interior. You'll see a round or cylindrical component in the centre, usually with arrows indicating a twist-to-remove action. If you're not sure, check your dishwasher manual — the filter location and removal method is always documented there.

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How to Remove the Filter

The removal method varies slightly by brand, but the most common approach:

1. Twist the cylindrical filter anticlockwise (a quarter to half turn) and lift it out.
2. Beneath it, the flat base filter lifts straight up — it usually just sits in place.
3. You now have two components to clean.

Some dishwashers (particularly older or commercial-style models) have a single-piece filter that lifts out as a unit.

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What You'll Find (And Why It Smells)

On first removal after extended non-cleaning, the filter often contains:

• Compacted food debris — rice grains, vegetable matter, pasta, meat fragments
• Grease and fat residue coating the mesh
• Possibly small shards of broken glass, small bones, or seeds that shouldn't go through a dishwasher
• Biofilm — a bacterial layer on the mesh surface that produces the musty smell in your home

The longer since the last clean, the more significant the accumulation. A filter that has never been cleaned may have months or years of compressed food residue packed into the mesh.

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Cleaning the Filter: Step by Step

What You Need

• Warm running water
• Dish soap
• An old toothbrush or a small soft brush
• A bowl or sink basin

Method

1. Rinse under warm running water to remove loose debris. Hold the cylindrical filter under a steady stream and rotate it — you'll see particles wash away.

2. Apply dish soap to the filter mesh and use the toothbrush to scrub the mesh surface. Work across the mesh in both directions — the toothbrush bristles get into the mesh openings where a cloth can't reach.

3. Pay attention to the interior of the cylindrical filter. Grease and residue accumulate on the inside walls as well as the outside mesh. Scrub the interior too.

4. Clean the flat base filter the same way — rinse, soap, scrub with the toothbrush.

5. Rinse both components thoroughly until the water runs clear and no soap residue remains.

6. Check the filter housing — the area in the dishwasher floor where the filter sits. Wipe it with a damp cloth, and check the drain hole beneath the filter housing for any debris.

7. Inspect for damage. Any cracks or tears in the mesh mean the filter isn't catching particles effectively. A damaged filter should be replaced — they're typically inexpensive (under $30 for most brands) and available from appliance parts suppliers or online.

8. Replace the components — flat filter first, then the cylindrical filter, twisted clockwise to lock.

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How Often to Clean the Filter

Monthly: The recommended frequency for a dishwasher in regular daily use. This prevents significant accumulation and keeps the dishwasher performing and smelling correctly.

Every 2–3 months: Minimum for lower-frequency use.

Immediately if: You notice smell from the dishwasher, dishes coming out with grit, or reduced cleaning performance. These are direct indicators of a clogged filter.

After certain loads: If you've washed heavily soiled items — pots with baked-on food, items with rice or pasta, heavily used baking trays — check the filter more promptly than usual.

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Companion Maintenance: What to Do After Cleaning the Filter

Cleaning the filter is the highest-impact maintenance task, but a few related tasks done at the same time improve the result:

Wipe the door seal. The rubber gasket around the dishwasher door traps food debris and develops mould. Use an old toothbrush with dish soap to clean inside the seal folds.

Check the spray arms. The spray arms have small holes that can become partially blocked with mineral scale or food debris. Remove the arms (they usually unclip or unscrew) and check each hole — a toothpick clears blocked holes. Rinse the arms before replacing.

Run a cleaning cycle. After cleaning the filter, place a cup of white vinegar on the top rack and run the hottest cycle empty. This flushes and deodorises the interior. Follow with a baking soda sprinkle on the base and a short hot cycle for additional deodorising.

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Why Dishes Come Out Gritty: The Filter Explanation

When the filter is clogged, the wash water can't drain through it properly. The pump draws in water for recirculation but the filter restricts flow. Two things happen: first, the spray arms get reduced water pressure so cleaning is less effective; second, fine particles that should be caught by the filter instead remain in the recirculating water and deposit on dishes.

The grittiness people notice on dishes — particularly on glasses and the bottom of plates — is food particle residue from uncaught debris being deposited by the spray during the wash cycle.

Cleaning the filter resolves this completely in the majority of cases. If gritty dishes persist after a thorough filter clean, the spray arm holes may be blocked (check those next) or the water supply pressure may be insufficient.

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Dishwashers That "Don't Need Filter Cleaning"

Some older dishwashers have self-cleaning filters — a grinder mechanism that pulverises food waste so small that it passes safely out through the drain. These were more common in older American-style dishwashers. They're louder in operation (you can hear the grinder running during the wash cycle).

Most modern Australian dishwashers (European-style, which predominate) use manual filters that require cleaning. If you're not sure which type you have, check the manual or look for a filter in the base of the interior. If there's no removable filter, you may have a self-cleaning model.

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For a full kitchen deep clean in Adelaide that includes your dishwasher, contact PF Cleaning Adelaide.

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Written by Victor Jacon — Master Cleaner & Home Detailing Specialist, Founder of PF Cleaning Adelaide.