How to Clean Your Dishwasher’s Filter

We have good news and bad news regarding this trusty piece of kitchen equipment. The bad news is that your dishwasher has a filter you’ve probably never opened or bothered to clean (and which you might not have even known was there in the first place). The good news, however, is that cleaning your dishwasher’s filter isn’t actually difficult at all.

What do you mean, my dishwasher has a filter?

When you loaded them into the dishwasher for a good cleaning, the food particles and greasy residue on your dishes didn’t just vanish into the ether. They’re actually still inside your dishwasher, neatly tucked into its filter.

If your immediate reaction is something along the lines of, “How could I have never known that?” there’s no need to panic—if you give your dishes a good rinse before putting them into the washer, the filter takes a while to get dirty. But if you skip pre-rinsing (which many experts suggest you do), your dishwasher is probably in need of some TLC.

There will be some glaring signs when your filter is dirty and needs to be cleaned. You’ll likely notice a horrid scent coming from your dishwasher, and the dishes you’d expect to be sparkling clean will start to wind up a bit grimy.

How to Clean Your Dishwasher’s Filter

Fortunately, cleaning your dishwasher’s filter is easy and should take you no more than 20 minutes. All you need is a sponge, an old toothbrush, degreasing dish fluid, and white vinegar. 

The first step, of course, is to find the filter. Look for it in the bottom of your dishwasher, below the lower rack. These filters are usually circular and twist out of the machine. 

After removing it, fill your sink with hot, soapy water. Soak the filter for a few minutes, then scrub it with an old toothbrush to loosen and remove debris. Make sure you also wipe down the area around the filter.

Once the filter is no longer greasy to the touch, you know it’s ready to go. Rinse it well, reinstall it, and remember that in roughly two months’ time you’ll need to repeat the process again. If you want to skip this particular kitchen chore, looking into dishwashers with self-cleaning filters would be wise.

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