dishwasher not cleaning

[bluebird]

There is a film on all the dishes. You can hand scrub the film off. Sometimes it looks like food didn't get washed off just moved to other dishes. We have a water softener. My dishwasher only likes WM brand dishwasher detergent. Is it my dishwasher? This is a bottom line dishwasher the previous owner put in. What can I do? I am ready to buy a different dishwasher cuz this is maddening.

[cat lover]

If your dishwaser is leaving food particles and a slime all over your dishes try these steps:


Start with the simple checks listed below. Notice that the first item is to check the water fill level– this is the most common cause for poor cleaning in your dishwasher.
Check water level when the fill cycle has completed. Should be just under the heating element. If not, you may need to replace the water inlet valve.
Check the water temperature. Should be 125 to 140°F.
Check pump re-circulation. Listen: does it sound like it’s spraying the water around with enough pressure?
Check the spray arm and pump cover for splits or leaks.
Check to make sure dishwasher is draining after each cycle. There should only be a little water in the bottom of the tub.
Make sure the dishes are loaded properly, or dishwasher is not overloaded.
Possibly try a different detergent . Some liquid-gels will bubble and a pump cannot pump bubbles. Make sure the detergent is fresh.

This informatiom is from: fixitnow.com

When I had a dishwasher, I would run white veinegar through it once a month with no dishes in it; 3 to 4 cups poured into the bottom of the dishwasher, and then with each load I used white vinegar as a rinse aid rather than the rinse aids you buy. Always helped!

Hope something helps!

[bluebird]

I cleaned it and ran it with vinegar. I talked to the appl place in town, they said it is my water softener. I will be calling them next week. Grrr......... I have told dh for a year the water softener wasn't working right.

[KSJEn6891]

Thanks for the Q/A Ladies. I have always had a dishwasher in the houses we live(d) in, and never had an issue w/food left on dishes, but I do have a new idea on how to clean the minerals out of the dishwasher every month now.... nothing like opening a white dw and finding yellow insides!

[Haleys grandmom]

Hmmm, I'm having the same problem, my dishes are not clean when they come out. It is a new machine was in the house when we bought it and I had to take the plastic wrapping off. I use cascade gel packs. It's gel on one side and ahrd powder on the other. I also use jet dry. Sometimes the packets of cascade never disolve. What do I do?

[cat lover]

Sounds like your water temperature is not hot enough to dissolve the gel packs. When my DIL had dishwasher problems with those packs not dissolving enough to open she had to have her temperature set at the top limit of 140 degrees for them to work correctly.