--- title: "Clean the filter first: the ten-minute fix" description: "Where the filter sits on each type, how to remove and rinse it without tearing the mesh, and how often it needs doing." url: "https://dishwasherrepair.center/guides/clean-the-filter-first/" date_modified: "2026-09-25" --- Troubleshooting # Clean the filter first: the ten-minute fix Knowing how to clean a dishwasher filter covers most wash and drain complaints. On most current models, a cylinder under the lower spray arm twists out a quarter turn, lifting a flat mesh with it. Rinse both under warm water with a soft brush, clear the sump, reseat until it locks, and repeat monthly or more often with heavy use. By [DishwasherRepair.center technical team](https://dishwasherrepair.center/authors/technical-team/) Published September 25, 2026 ## At a glance. The filter sits between the dirty water and the pumps, and it decides how well both of them work. Cleaning it takes about ten minutes, and it answers more poor-wash, slow-drain and bad-smell complaints than any part replacement. Read the whole guide ### Where it is Under the lower spray arm A round cap in the tub floor, usually at the back or in the center. ### How often About once a month More often for a large household or when plates go in unscraped. ### Time needed About 10 minutes Longer the first time, if it has never been cleaned. ### What to avoid Wire brushes and a dishwasher run without it Both let debris reach the pumps. In this guide 1. Why the filter comes before any repair 2. Where to find it on each type 3. What you will find inside 4. Cleaning it without damaging it 5. How often, and the signs it is overdue 6. Step by step 7. Questions ## Why the filter comes before any repair Every drop of wash water passes through the filter on its way back to the circulation pump, and every drop leaving the machine passes it on the way to the drain pump. A coated filter starves both. The spray gets weaker, fine debris lands back on the glasses, draining slows, and the sump starts to smell. Older machines often had a self-cleaning filter with a small chopping blade that ground food and sent it down the drain. Many current models use a manual filter instead, which Whirlpool describes as quieter and easier on water and energy, and that means the owner now does the cleaning the chopper once did. Source: [Whirlpool — Water remains in the filter area](https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/Dishwashers/Dishwasher/Cycle_Concerns/Not_Draining%2F%2FWater_Remains/Water_Remains_In_Filter_Area_-_Dishwasher) — Rinse the filters at least monthly; the filter design is quieter and efficient ## Where to find it on each type ### Built-in and panel-ready Pull the lower rack all the way out. In the tub floor under the spray arm is a round cap with a handle or arrows molded into it, sitting in a flat screen that covers much of the floor. Panel-ready models use the same assemblies as their stainless relatives, so the cabinet front changes nothing inside. ### Dishwasher drawers Each drawer has its own filter in the center of its tub floor, usually under a removable spray arm. In a double stack, clean both even if only one drawer is washing poorly, because they tend to clog at about the same pace. ### Compact and countertop models Compacts use a smaller version of the same cylinder-and-screen pair. Countertop models often have a single cup-shaped filter that lifts straight out and holds far less, so it fills up in fewer loads. Two parts of a dishwasher filter, the fine mesh cylinder and the flat coarse screen, laid on a towel beside a soft brush. ## What you will find inside Expect a gray paste of food pulp and grease on the mesh, and sometimes a surprise or two in the cup at the bottom of the cylinder. Items that turn up regularly: - Paper labels from jars and plastic containers - Broken glass and pieces of ceramic - Seeds, pits and bits of bone - Twist ties, toothpicks and small bottle caps - Fruit stickers and bits of plastic wrap ## Cleaning it without damaging it The mesh is fine plastic or stainless, and it tears. Use a soft dish brush or an old toothbrush and warm running water, and scrub from the inside of the cylinder outward so the debris leaves the way it came in. Greasy film comes off with a drop of hand dish soap on the brush, rinsed away completely before the filter goes back. While the filter is out, look into the opening it leaves. That is the sump, and anything hard that sits there will reach the pumps. Reach in with a gloved hand or a paper towel, because broken glass collects there too. ### Putting it back Lay the flat screen down first so it sits flush, then drop the cylinder through it and twist it clockwise until the arrows line up or it clicks. A filter that is not locked can float up during the wash and let unfiltered water into the pump. Spin the lower arm by hand to make sure it clears the cap. Source: [Whirlpool — Cleaning the removable filtration system](https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/Dishwashers/Dishwasher/Other/Cleaning_and_Odor/Cleaning_and_Maintenance/Cleaning_the_Filter/Cleaning_the_Removable_Filtration_System_-_Dishwasher) — Quarter turn to remove; no wire brushes; never run without filters ## How often, and the signs it is overdue Whirlpool asks owners to rinse the filters at least once a month, and the right interval depends far more on habits than on the brand. A household that scrapes plates into the trash and runs one load a day can go longer; one that runs two loads a day with sauce-covered pans needs a look every couple of weeks. Learning how to clean a dishwasher filter is only half of it; the other half is noticing when it needs doing. The machine usually tells you before anything breaks: - A sour or musty smell when the door is opened after a day or two - Fine gray grit on glasses in the upper rack - A thin layer of water left on the tub floor after the cycle - A wash sound that has grown quieter or uneven - Cycles that run noticeably longer than they used to ### Habits that stretch the interval Scrape bones, seeds and rice into the trash rather than into the machine, and peel paper labels off jars and tubs before they go in. Hand-wash anything with a loose sticker. Each of these keeps the mesh clear longer without adding any rinsing at the sink. Source: [Whirlpool — Water remains in the filter area](https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/Dishwashers/Dishwasher/Cycle_Concerns/Not_Draining%2F%2FWater_Remains/Water_Remains_In_Filter_Area_-_Dishwasher) — Rinse the filters at least monthly; the filter design is quieter and efficient ## Where to stop Stop if the filter will not come out with a normal twist, if the housing is cracked, or if you can see a broken blade or a damaged impeller in the sump. Forcing a stuck filter can break its seat, and parts under the sump belong to the pumps, which are a technician's job. Written by [DishwasherRepair.center technical team](https://dishwasherrepair.center/authors/technical-team/). The dishwasher technicians behind the service visits booked here. Each article grows out of problems met in real kitchens and is compared with the maker's manuals and service literature wherever those are published. Sources: [Whirlpool — Cleaning the removable filtration system](https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/Dishwashers/Dishwasher/Other/Cleaning_and_Odor/Cleaning_and_Maintenance/Cleaning_the_Filter/Cleaning_the_Removable_Filtration_System_-_Dishwasher) · [Whirlpool — Water remains in the filter area](https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/Dishwashers/Dishwasher/Cycle_Concerns/Not_Draining%2F%2FWater_Remains/Water_Remains_In_Filter_Area_-_Dishwasher) ## Step by step. Five steps, in the order worth doing them. 01 ### Remove the lower rack Slide it out completely so the whole tub floor is visible. 02 ### Twist out the cylinder Turn it counterclockwise about a quarter turn and lift; the flat screen lifts out after it. 03 ### Brush and rinse Scrub both parts gently under warm running water until light shows evenly through the mesh. 04 ### Clear the sump Wipe out the opening with a gloved hand and remove any glass or hard pieces. 05 ### Reseat and lock Lay the screen flat, insert the cylinder and turn it clockwise until it locks. For the heart of your home. ## Questions owners ask. ### My dishwasher has no removable filter. Is that possible? Yes, on many older machines with a self-cleaning filter and chopper. Those still have a coarse screen worth wiping, and a manual lists what can be removed. ### Can I put the filter in the dishwasher to clean it? No. It has to be in place for the machine to run safely, and the wash spray cannot reach the inside of the cylinder anyway. ### Should I use vinegar or a cleaning tablet on the filter? A soft brush and warm water remove the debris; cleaning tablets help with grease and scale elsewhere in the tub, but they do not unclog a packed mesh. ### Can a dirty filter damage the pumps? Over time it can. A starved circulation pump runs with air in it and wears faster, and hard debris that escapes a loose or torn filter can chip a drain pump impeller. ### The filter is clean but the tub still smells. What next? Look at the places the filter does not protect: the bottom edge of the door, the gasket channel and the drain hose loop. A hot cycle with a dishwasher cleaner, run empty, usually clears a smell that lives there. ## The problems behind it. Each has a page of its own: what it usually means and the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://dishwasherrepair.center/problems/) Problem ### Dishwasher Not Cleaning Dishes 5 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Dishwasher Not Draining 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Dishwasher Smells Bad 5 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Dishwasher Making Loud Noise 5 causes, cheapest first ## When it needs a technician. 15 error codes on this site send owners here first. The repairs on the right are where this guide ends when the checks do not settle it. [ASKO F45](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/asko-f45/) [ASKO F56](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/asko-f56/) [Dacor 3C](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/dacor-3c/) [Fisher & Paykel A6](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/fisher-and-paykel-a6/) [JennAir F7E2](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/jennair-f7e2/) [KitchenAid F6E3](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/kitchenaid-f6e3/) [LG LE](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/lg-le/) [LG nE](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/lg-ne/) [Maytag F7E2](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/maytag-f7e2/) [Miele F14](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/miele-f14/) ### Maintenance A visit that clears the filter, the spray arms and the drain path before they become a repair call. ### Drain and pump repair Water left standing in the tub, cleared by finding where the drain path actually stops. ### Wash motor and circulation The motor that throws the water at the dishes, and the most expensive part most dishwashers have. ## More in troubleshooting. The checks an owner can safely make, and the point where going further is no longer wise. [The whole section](https://dishwasherrepair.center/guides/troubleshooting/) Checks you can make yourself ### Five checks before you call for dishwasher repair Power, the door lock, the supply valve, the filter and the drain path, in about fifteen minutes with no tools. Checks you can make yourself ### Find your dishwasher's model number The label hides on the tub or door edge, visible only with the door open, and it unlocks the manual, the parts and any recall. Guides ### All 18 guides Six sections, by what you are trying to find out. --- **[Read on the site: Clean the filter first: the ten-minute fix](https://dishwasherrepair.center/guides/clean-the-filter-first/)** **[Book a visit with DishwasherRepair.center](https://dishwasherrepair.center/schedule/)**