Poor Cleaning Results from your Dishwasher

It is a chore most of us have to do these days, whether we like it or not, and that is emptying the dishwasher. This is time-consuming enough without having rejects to deal with. Rejects are those items that are left contaminated with food or debris. In most cases this is not caused by a fault with your dishwasher, and before you take any action to contact an engineer you should work through the possibilities and solutions below.

Causes and Solutions

Incorrect or damaged detergent. You must ensure that your detergent is stored in a cool, dry place, and you do not keep it for too long. If the outer box is damp it is very likely that the detergent will not be effective anymore, and you may as well just throw it away. Buying low quality detergent can also mean that you will not get the cleaning results you require. It is always a good idea to try out a few different types and brands – look for free samples – and this should help you decide which gives the best results for your dishwasher
Insufficient or no Rinse Aid or Salt. Many people believe using a 3 or even 4 in one product means you no longer need to add rinse aid or salt, but this is a fallacy. In order to keep your dishwasher performing to its best, you should always add both these items when called for by your appliance. It may well be that you use much less if you are using a combined product, but you will really notice the difference when you use both rinse aid and salt.
Correct programme selection. It makes sense that if you are just washing items from a light meal for instance, that you will only need to run a short programme, however, if you have pots, pans and many plates it would be necessary to use a much longer programme. This gives your appliance the time to deal with this heavier wash.
Regular maintenance. It is a good idea to regularly clean your dishwasher, empty and clean the filters and check the spray arms have not become blocked. If you carry this out regularly you will limit the amount of rejects you get from a wash. It may also be useful to run one of the branded dishwasher cleaners through every now and then to ensure the inside of the appliance is as clean as possible.
Correct loading of the dishwasher. You should try to avoid overloading the appliance, as this will only result in a poor finish. Try to ensure there is sufficient space around each item to allow the water to be sprayed efficiently. It is more economic to run two washes than to try to cram it all in in one go and have a failure. It is a good idea to rinse off any heavily soiled items, such as plates and saucepans. This should also help to give you the end result you want.

However, if you have worked through all these points, it may be that you do have a problem with the dishwasher itself and you may need to call in an engineer. However, it will make his job simpler and, therefore, quicker and cheaper if you can assure him that you have carried out all the necessary checks first.

Disclaimer: The information provided has been prepared as a guide only and the steps taken are likely to vary for different appliance models. We strongly recommend using a qualified engineer to undertake major repairs and fault finding.