Dishwasher

Why Your Dishwasher Leaves Dishes Dirty (And How to Fix It)

You load the dishwasher, run a full cycle, open the door… and the dishes are still dirty. It’s one of the most frustrating appliance problems homeowners face. Before you give up and start hand-washing, here are the most common causes — and what you can do about them.

1. Clogged or Dirty Filter

Modern dishwashers have a manual-clean filter at the bottom of the tub. If you’ve never cleaned it, food debris has been accumulating for months (or years), blocking water flow and recirculating dirty water. This is the #1 cause of poor cleaning performance.