Dishwasher not cleaning the dishes

What is actually happening

Cleaning depends on hot water being sprayed hard through the arms. Anything that slows the water — blocked spray jets, a clogged filter, or a full salt and rinse-aid reservoir left empty in a hard-water area — shows up as poor results long before the machine reports a fault. It is one of the more fixable complaints without an engineer.

The usual causes

• Blocked spray-arm jets, usually with limescale or food debris
• A clogged filter recirculating dirty water
• Salt and rinse aid empty in a hard-water area
• Items blocking the spray arms from turning, or a badly packed load
• A failed heating element, so the water never gets hot enough to shift grease

What you can safely check yourself

Work through these in order. Anything past this point — panels off, testing parts, anything to do with the wiring — is an engineer's job, and not one to attempt with the appliance plugged in.

1. Take the spray arms off and clear each jet with a cocktail stick, then rinse them through
2. Clean the filter and the sump under it
3. Top up the salt and rinse aid, and check the softener setting matches your water hardness
4. Spin both arms by hand to check nothing in the racks is fouling them

Common questions

Why is my dishwasher not cleaning the dishes?

The cycle runs to the end but the dishes come out gritty, filmed or still dirty. Cleaning depends on hot water being sprayed hard through the arms. Anything that slows the water — blocked spray jets, a clogged filter, or a full salt and rinse-aid reservoir left empty in a hard-water area — shows up as poor results long before the machine reports a fault. It is one of the more fixable complaints without an engineer.

Can I fix a dishwasher not cleaning the dishes myself?

Take the spray arms off and clear each jet with a cocktail stick, then rinse them through. Clean the filter and the sump under it. Top up the salt and rinse aid, and check the softener setting matches your water hardness. Spin both arms by hand to check nothing in the racks is fouling them. This one usually clears with those checks and rarely needs an engineer at all.

How much does it cost to repair a dishwasher not cleaning the dishes?

£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Other dishwasher faults

• dishwasher not draining
• dishwasher will not switch on
• dishwasher not drying the dishes
• dishwasher leaking
• dishwasher not heating the water
• dishwasher lights flashing
• dishwasher beeping mid-cycle
• dishwasher door will not close

Repairs we cover near you

• Dishwasher Repairs — what we charge and how it works
• Dishwasher Repairs in Nottingham
• Dishwasher Repairs in Arnold
• Dishwasher Repairs in Beeston
• Dishwasher Repairs in West Bridgford
• Dishwasher Repairs in Bulwell

Written by our own engineers from their repair notes. If your appliance is showing a code as well as this fault, our error-code guides cover 708 codes across 24 makes.