My Old Dishwasher Runs Like New Again... After Cleaning Out All That Gunk!
So here it is 2 years later from the first time our dishwasher backed up and I was forced to do a major de-gunking in order to get it running back up to speed.
That was then, this is now...
Today, when I glanced at that basket in the back of our dishwasher, I noticed lots of "black gunk" had built up underneath the basket itself.
There was so much blackness in there, that you could actually tell from a distance that there was some serious build-up going on in there. No water backing up this time, just lots of slimey black gunk.
Here's what I did. (Much the same as last time, with 2 new steps...)
Dishwasher Repair - Take 2
I decided to get a jump on it before the dishwasher backed up again like before.
So I armed myself with all of the necessary dishwasher de-gunking materials:
a 1/4-inch wrench (to unscrew those 2 long screws that hold the dishwasher basket in place)
a flashlight (to visually confirm that, upon closer inspection, yes there was some serious black gunk building up underneath that dishwasher basket.)
lots of paper towels (to quickly wipe up most of the mess & toss right into the trash)
a soft cloth, wet (to leave the dishwasher in pristine clean condition after removing all the gunk)
a turkey baster (to siphon out some of the water that had accumulated up to the rim of the basket/flapper; there wasn't water on the tub floor this time)
a mirror (to see way in the back and make sure that I'd removed all of the gunk)
After I removed the basket from the back of the dishwasher, I cleaned out all the gunk. (I'm telling you, this is some thick and slimy stuff!) Then, I put the basket back in place using the steps that I outlined here.
Here's the before and after:
2 New Steps In The Dishwasher Cleaning Process
By the looks of things, I'm guessing I'll have to do this every 2 years or so from here on.
But this time I'm taking a few extra precautions: 4 Tips For Keeping Your Dishwasher Running Smoothly For Years.
The two that I plan to do regularly from now on are:
#1 Each time, before running the dishwasher, run cold water through the disposal for 30 seconds first -- to prevent food and debris that's in your garbage disposal from getting sucked into your dishwasher's drain line and clogging it.
#2 Fill the detergent and the drying-agent dispensers with white vinegar. Then, run the dishwasher empty on the pots-and-pans cycle -- this keeps the drain lines clean and free-flowing, as vinegar is a great de-gunking cleaner.
TIP: Some recommend pouring an entire gallon of vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher and letting it sit for 1 hour. This will loosen the most stubborn scum and gunk that has settled in. Then, run the dishwasher on a short cycle with no detergent.
To Keep Your Dishwasher From Backing Up...
I would strongly recommend that you keep a step ahead of your dishwasher on the de-gunking process. I mean, it's 2 or 3 times the effort (plus, much smellier and messier), if you wait until the water has actually backed up in your dishwasher and wreaks havoc on your floor!
Take a look at the first photo in this article again... see, you can barely tell there's anything wrong. Yet, look at the next picture which shows all of the black slime and food stuck to the underside of the basket. It was also lining the entire tub of the dishwasher under the basket. Ugh!
UPDATE - A tip from The Family Handyman:
When your dishwasher no longer gets your dishes clean, a food-filled filter is most often to blame. If it's clogged, water can't make it to the spray arms to clean the dishes in the top rack. The fix takes 2 minutes. Simply pull out the lower rack and remove the filter cover inside the dishwasher. Then, use a wet vacuum to clean off the screen. While you're there, slide the nearby float switch up and down. If it's jammed with mac and cheese, you won't get any water. If the cover sticks, jiggle it up and down and clean it with water.
Thanks for this - turned into a quick home repair rather than an expensive visit from the repairman. I have one suggested improvement - siphon the water out instead of scooping and using a turkey baster. I grabbed a length of clear plastic tubing (I had a length left over from my aquarium, but it is available at any hardware store for a few dollars). Put one end of the tube in the lowest part of the dishwasher, suck on the other end till the water is almost to your mouth, then put that end into a pot on the floor beside the dishwasher. I sat back and watched while the water emptied itself out of the machine much faster and easier than my bailing. Thanks again!
You're amazing, I just finished taking the cage off of the back... lets see if I can get this under wrap!
You gave me confidence to figure out how to clean out the gunk in my machine. Took a Torx bit (don't know what size )and a 5/16 wrench. Jury is still out - it's rinsing one more time. What a lot of nasty gunk there was in the machine!
I am going to try this. Thanks, going out for 1/4 inch wrench tommorow.
Wow. My husband and I ran our dishwasher four times and it kept filling up, but nothing else. DISGUSTING mess. I found this on Google Search the first time around and I can't believe how easy it was to fix the problem. Thank you! We almost bought a new dishwasher.
this had to be the best solution to the same problem I have with my dishwasher. It's nice to have someone writing in english on the internet for once and not talk about "valve o rings" or ask what kind of "pump motor" i have...
i haven't tried this out but it's definatley going to be my next attempt once i bucket all this water out of my washer. It's too bad i don't own a turkey baster :(
Finally, instructions that make scense. Thank you so much!! I dare not tell my husband the dishwasher is broken...but I can't hardly wait to tell him how I saved him the cost of a repair....then I'll hit him up for a new outfit.
i think i'll try it see wath is happening tanks you give me an idea
I found this write up on Google and.. well... didn't really believe this was my problem. The dishwasher didn't really back up, it just didn't drain completely. I pulled it apart like the instructions said and found some very clean and bleached out fibers, almost like wet dryer lint on the hidden screens. Thanks for the suggestion.