How to Clean Old Whirlpool Dishwasher Filter

Keeping your Whirlpool dishwasher clean is an important part of home maintenance. Your dishwasher may be exposed to food particles, hard water elements, and more on a regular basis, and these particles come together to create a truly dirty dishwasher. When the dishwasher’s filter and other various parts are filthy, the dishwasher understandably cannot clean your dishes as effectively as needed.

Cleaning your old Whirlpool dishwasher’s filter is an important part of dishwasher maintenance, and it should be completed together with a full appliance cleaning session on a regular basis. What steps are required to keep your entire dishwasher clean and running well?

• Clean the Filter

Before you spend time scrubbing down your dishwasher, you need to clean the gunk off of the filter. Your Whirlpool’s filter is located at the bottom of the dishwasher. You may notice everything from food particles to fruit stickers and even small pieces of glass covering the top of the filter in a mushy mess.

If your filter can be removed, you should do so before trying to clean off the debris. Scrape the gunk into the trash can, and then clean the filter by hand with vinegar and warm water. If the filter is not designed to be removed, you will need to scrape off the gunk manually by leaning into the dishwasher. You can also wipe down the filter with vinegar and water while it is in place.

The filter must always be secured properly in place before you run the dishwasher, so it should be replaced immediately after cleaning it. If your filter is damaged in any way, you should replace it promptly with a new part that is designed specifically for your model of Whirlpool dishwasher.

• Run a Vinegar Cycle

While you can buy cleaning tablets that are specifically designed to remove grime from the interior of your dishwasher, you can save money by using the white vinegar and baking soda that is already in the dishwasher. This process begins when you fill a large cup with white vinegar. This cup will be placed upright on the bottom rack. Allow the vinegar to work its magic by running a wash cycle. The vinegar should be run without any type of detergent in the washing machine. In addition, turn off the heat cycle so that the dishwasher can air dry.

• Clean with Baking Soda

Once your dishwasher has been cleaned with a cycle of vinegar, you are ready to move to the baking soda phase. Pour a cup of baking soda evenly across the dishwasher’s floor. Run the dishwasher using hot water and without a heated drying cycle. Once the vinegar cycle and the baking soda cycle have been completed, your dishwasher will look and smell fresh and clean.

• Repeat as Necessary

Each time you unload your dishwasher, you should observe the cleanliness of the filter. All food particles and other grime should be removed as soon as it is discovered. The baking soda and vinegar cleaning sessions should be completed every few weeks. If you discover that your dishes do not feel and look as clean as you need them to, this is a sure sign that it is time to sanitize your dishwasher with vinegar and baking soda again.

• Going Forward

Cleaning your dishwasher’s filter as needed is one of the best steps that you can take to keep your appliance running as designed and to keep your dishes clean. The frequency that this project should be completed is based on how filthy the dishes are when they go into the dishwasher. If you normally rinse and wash the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, you may only need to clean the filter and the dishwasher once or twice each year.

On the other hand, if you scrape and rinse the dishes, the process may be required twice annually. Scraping and not rinsing the dishes may take the recommended timeframe up to four times per year. Keep in mind that this is a flexible schedule that is based on how filthy your dishes are when they are loaded into the dishwasher and how many loads you normally run per week.

Maintaining a clean dishwasher filter is important to effectively clean your dishes. Aside from dishes, if you need help in keeping your home immaculately clean but want to skip the hassle and stress of cleaning it by yourself now is the best time to put our professional service providers to work. Contact us today, to learn more about our home cleaning services.