Do we have any dishwasher experts in the house?

I lived without a dishwasher for almost five years while living in the city. Older apartments don't have room for them.

Anything that would wash my dishes for me would have been nice. Even if it didn't work that well.

 

There is a simple procedure that you might want to try if not set on getting a new one right away.

1. Make sure that all moving parts move freely (the rotary water jets)
2. Clean the filter(filters) at the bottom of the machine
3. Run it once empty on the highest settings but with soap as usual

Over time the internals of the dishwasher may become dirty so it will not hurt to give it a chance to clean itself and the pipes from it.

 

I'm going to disagree with Snowy. I hated the Bosch lineup of dishwashers. Yes they get things clean, but the plumbing on them is horrible. They are want the lines run in a specific place that can be a bitch if your cabinets are solid and don't allow much room to work with.

We went with the Electrolux and it's been nothing short of stellar. A friend of ours bought an LG that works great as well and they spent about $400 less than we did. Looking back, I probably should have gone for the LG. A few things to consider: Make sure you like the rack layout. You'd be surprised how different the racks can be. Make sure it has a sterilize setting. Make sure it has a hard food disposal. As long as it has those 3 things you really can't go wrong with anything you pick. Most appliances these days aren't made to last more than 5 or 6 years, so I'd say check consumer reports first and then go from there.

Zwei has some good tips there too. You could always try those things before running out to buy a new one.

 

No expert here, but just so happens, that I'm currently cleaning my clothes washing machine with citric acid. A friend told me, she had noticed her machine leaving clothes dirty and she had had to use this acid rinsing several times, until all dirt had come out from the pipes.

I read that citric acid can be used to clean dish washer too, or you can try detergent designed for it. You should always check the instructions on your machine first.

Our dishwasher also leaves dishes dirty at times. We've noticed that a rubber part connecting the water pipe on the back of the machine (inside) to the upper tray sprinkler falls off at times. Then the water is not directed to the right places.

 

What Cyn said...

 

I hope I don't have to run nor change my username

 

If it's a detergent issue, try a cup of vinegar with the detergent or alone. Vinegar also works very well to clean the washer itself as well.

I just replaced a base model GE with a used GE Triton XL, the difference is astounding. Quiet operation and a self cleaning drain are key.

I found in the old GE, when it quit cleaning, it was due to the filter being plugged. There is a raised cover in the back of the dishwasher, you have to pull out the bottom rack to get to it. Remove the 3 screws, pull the cover, pull the screen and clean everything. I found a wet/dry vac helpful in removing the large debris and standing water trapped in the drain.

 

We have a Miele and are pretty happy with it. It is super quiet and mostly washes things well. There is a filter that is easily removed for cleaning. Also, it has a front panel that you can remove so that is can be painted to match your cupboards

 

If you're still thinking about getting a new dishwasher, I'd recommend to consider buying a quiet one.

We had problems at work with a minor thing: the spoon rack was broken on several spots in the bottom, so cutlery would fall through and prevent the jet from rotating. It was so frustrating, since the bottom tray dishes didn't get washed properly.

 

the meile has a shelf for the cutlery - you lay them all out side by side - no basket for them, so you avoid the possibility of breaking the basket.

 

Bosch, 10 years ago we replaced the original 15 year old builder installed cheapie...I never realised how quiet a d/w could be until the Bosch.
We use Cascade Complete, the little packets, no measuring powder and the dishes and glasses are sparkling...(now did I just jinx myself talking about it)

 

We also have a Bosch at the wife's insistence. While I'm not allowed to use it, it seems to do a good job and is also very quiet. I had no problem installing it myself in a log home where everything regarding plumbing is a pain.

 

huh. Maybe I was looking at an old model or the dude was telling me wrong. He kept telling me the plumbing had to be run in a track barely big enough for it and if you didn't run it in the said track it would just clog up and be useless. :shrug:

The electrolux we bought is super quiet, super efficient and gets the job done. The only thing is wasn't is cheap.