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Dishwasher Not Cleaning Dishes Properly: Causes & Fixes

Water entering the dishwasher below the recommended temperature (manufacturers cite ranges roughly between 120°F and 150°F) does not clean or melt away grease effectively; documented by GE, Samsung, and iFixit, and implicit in Whirlpool's temperature guidance.

Before you work on your dishwasher

  • Power: Unplug the dishwasher or switch off its circuit breaker before removing panels or touching wiring.
  • Water: Turn off the water supply valve before disconnecting hoses or the inlet valve.
  • Heat: Water and the heating element can be hot right after a cycle; let the dishwasher cool first.
  • Sharp debris: Wear gloves when reaching into the filter or sump; broken glass often collects there.
  • Stop: If you smell burning, see smoke or sparks, or find water near wiring, switch off the breaker and call a technician.
  • Disconnect power before accessing internal dishwasher parts: Unplug the dishwasher or switch off the circuit breaker that powers it before removing panels, the filter, or the drain pump cover, or before reaching into the sump.
  • Heavy appliance: two-person lift: A dishwasher is heavy and can tip. Do not pull it out of the cabinet, tilt it, or lift it by yourself; get a second person to help.
  • Hot water and steam scald risk: Open the dishwasher door carefully during or right after a cycle. Hot water or steam can escape and cause burns; wait until water noises stop and steam subsides before fully opening the door.
  • Hot water supply temperature: Keep the water heater setting for the dishwasher supply at or below 149°F (65°C); hotter water can cause severe burns.
  • Sharp debris near the filter and drain pump: Wear gloves and use caution when removing the filter, pump cover, or other parts for cleaning; broken glass or other sharp debris can collect near the drain pump impeller.

Why your dishwasher is not cleaning dishes properly

  1. Filter clogged with food or grease: Food, grease, or debris clogging the dishwasher filter reduces wash performance and leaves dishes dirty; documented by Whirlpool, GE, Samsung, and iFixit. Difficulty 1/5.
  2. Overloading or improper dish loading: Overloading the racks or loading dishes so they touch, nest, or block the spray arm/nozzle restricts water circulation and leaves items dirty; documented by Whirlpool, Samsung, and iFixit. Difficulty 1/5.
  3. Wrong type or insufficient amount of detergent: Using the wrong type of detergent (such as liquid dish soap), a low-quality detergent, or too little detergent for the soil level or water hardness leaves dishes dirty; documented by Whirlpool and iFixit. Difficulty 1/5.
  4. Incoming water not hot enough: Water entering the dishwasher below the recommended temperature (manufacturers cite ranges roughly between 120°F and 150°F) does not clean or melt away grease effectively; documented by GE, Samsung, and iFixit, and implicit in Whirlpool's temperature guidance. Difficulty 2/5.
  5. Spray arm holes clogged or arm obstructed: Spray arm holes clogged with food particles, or dishes/items obstructing the spray arms from turning, prevent water and detergent from reaching all dish surfaces; documented by GE, Samsung, and iFixit. Difficulty 1/5.
  6. Hard water mineral buildup / film: Hard water mineral deposits can coat dishes and interior surfaces, making it difficult to achieve good cleaning; Samsung and Whirlpool both document this and recommend testing to distinguish hard-water film from glass etching. Difficulty 1/5.
  7. Low water pressure or flow: Low water pressure or weak flow into the dishwasher, outside the roughly 20-120 psi range manufacturers specify, is documented by Whirlpool and GE as a cause of poor cleaning. Difficulty 3/5.
  8. Dishwasher not level: A dishwasher that is not level from side to side and front to back can develop cleaning problems; GE documents leveling as an installation check for poor wash performance. Difficulty 2/5.
  9. Circulation (wash) pump failed: If the dishwasher fills, heats, and drains normally but dishes still come out dirty, iFixit identifies a defective circulation (wash) pump, which forces water up through the spray arms, as the likely cause. Difficulty 3/5.

Find the cause for your dishwasher

Before anything else: do you smell burning or see smoke or scorch marks around the dishwasher?

Step-by-step checks for a dishwasher not cleaning dishes properly

Check detergent type and amount

About 3 minutes

  1. Confirm the detergent used is labeled for automatic dishwashers.
  2. Check the amount against the package directions.

Check incoming water temperature

About 10 minutes

  1. Run the kitchen faucet nearest the dishwasher on hot until it runs consistently hot.
  2. Hold a thermometer in the faucet stream and read the temperature.

Confirm fill, heat, and drain work normally

About 90 minutes

  1. Run a full cycle.
  2. Confirm the dishwasher fills with water, heats it, and drains at the end.
  3. Note whether dishes remain dirty despite all of these working.

Distinguish hard-water film from glass etching

About 10 minutes

  1. Clean a drinking glass inside and out with lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.
  2. If the cloudiness disappears, it is hard-water film; if it remains, it is likely permanent etching.

Inspect the filter for debris

About 10 minutes

  1. Remove the filter.
  2. Check it and the area beneath it for trapped food, grease, or debris.

Review how the load was arranged

About 3 minutes

  1. Check for overcrowding or nested bowls.
  2. Check for large items in the lower rack center that could block the spray arm.

Check that the dishwasher is level

About 10 minutes

  1. Place a level on the open door and on the tub floor.
  2. Check both side-to-side and front-to-back.

Check water pressure and flow

About 10 minutes

  1. Check flow and pressure at the nearest faucet or the dishwasher's fill rate.
  2. Compare against the manufacturer's stated range (roughly 20-120 psi).

How to fix a dishwasher not cleaning dishes properly

Clean the filter

About 10 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Remove the filter and rinse away trapped food and grease under running water.
  2. Scrape heavily soiled dishes before loading to reduce future buildup.
  3. Reinstall the filter.

Reload dishes correctly

About 5 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Reload the racks so dishes face the spray arms.
  2. Avoid nesting or overlapping items.
  3. Do not block the lower rack center or the spray arm's rotation.
  4. Avoid overloading in general.

Switch to the correct detergent and amount

About 2 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Switch to a detergent made for automatic dishwashers (never liquid dish soap).
  2. Use the amount the package recommends for the soil level and water hardness.
  3. Consider high-quality pre-measured tablets or packs.

Treat hard water buildup

About 90 minutes · Difficulty 1/5

  1. Run a monthly cleaning cycle with a dishwasher cleaner, vinegar, or citric acid powder (no detergent).
  2. Use a rinse aid to reduce mineral film.
  3. Consider a water softener if hardness is high.

Increase the incoming water temperature

About 15 minutes · Difficulty 2/5

  1. Set the home water heater so water reaches the dishwasher at least 120°F and no higher than 149°F.
  2. Run the hot water faucet at the kitchen sink before starting a cycle.

Re-level the dishwasher

About 20 minutes · Difficulty 2/5

  1. Adjust the leveling feet so the unit sits level side to side and front to back, per the installation instructions.

When to call a technician about a dishwasher not cleaning dishes properly

  • Have low household water pressure addressed
  • Have the circulation pump serviced

Sources

  1. Dishwasher SP.. Instruction Manual, Bosch Home Appliances US (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  2. Dishwasher SHSM63****, SHS863****, SHS843****, SHVM63****, SHV863**** Operating Instructions, Bosch Home Appliances US (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  3. Dishwasher SMS6HAI01A User Manual, Bosch Home Appliances US (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  4. Dishwasher - Poor Wash Performance, GE Appliances (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  5. Dishwasher Not Cleaning - iFixit Troubleshooting, iFixit (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  6. What to do if the Samsung dishwasher doesn't clean well, Samsung Electronics (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  7. Samsung DW6000J series dishwasher user manual, Samsung Electronics America (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  8. Dishwasher water supply requirements, Samsung Electronics America (retrieved 2026-09-18)
  9. Dishes are not Clean - Product Help, Whirlpool Corporation (retrieved 2026-09-18)

Last updated October 2, 2026 · facts last verified September 19, 2026 · How we source and verify

Guidance only; follow your appliance manual and local codes. If anything looks unsafe, stop and call a qualified technician. Safety disclaimer