How often should you clean a dishwasher filter?
Updated July 2026
Twist out and rinse your dishwasher's bottom filter once a month, and step it up to once a week if you scrape plates instead of pre-rinsing them. The filter sits under the lower spray arm and catches the food the machine washes off; on most units built since about 2010 it lifts out with a quarter turn. Plenty of owners never learn their dishwasher even has one, which is exactly why grit and film end up back on the "clean" glasses.
What changes the interval
| Your situation | Interval | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You scrape plates, not pre-rinse | Once a week | More loose food reaches the mesh every cycle |
| You pre-rinse everything | Every 4–6 weeks | Less debris means the filter loads slowly |
| Daily loads, big family | Every 2 weeks | Debris scales with the number of place settings |
| Dishes come out gritty or spotted | Clean it now | A packed filter recirculates the same food onto the load |
| Standing water in the sump | Clean filter, then check the drain | A clogged filter is the first thing to rule out |
| A sour smell when you open the door | Clean it now | Trapped food in the mesh is what is rotting |
The cost of skipping it
What skipping it costs: a filter packed with food first shows up as grit on glassware and a musty odor, then as water that will not drain out of the tub. That food slurry gets forced through the drain pump, and a jammed or burned-out pump is a $150–350 repair. Chronic strain shaves years off a dishwasher's typical 9–12 year life, and a replacement installed runs $450–1,000. Rinsing the filter costs nothing and takes about a minute.
How to do it (2 minutes · DIY, no tools)
- Pull out the bottom rack to expose the floor of the tub.
- Find the cylindrical filter under or beside the lower spray arm and twist it counterclockwise to unlock it.
- Lift the filter assembly out and separate the fine mesh cup from the coarse upper filter if they come apart.
- Rinse both under hot running water and scrub stuck-on food with a soft brush (skip wire brushes, which tear the mesh).
- Drop the filter back in, twist clockwise until it locks, and confirm it seats flush before the next load.
Knowing the interval is the easy half. OnOtto reminds you at the right interval, and it won't let you snooze it into next year. Tasks persist until they're done, and completing dishwasher filter cleanings schedules the next one automatically.
Put this on autopilot, free for 30 daysFrequently asked questions
How do I know if my dishwasher even has a removable filter?
Look under the lower spray arm for a round twist-lock cylinder, usually about the size of a soda can. Quieter dishwashers built in roughly the last fifteen years almost all use a manual filter, while older units often had a self-cleaning hard-food grinder that chews debris instead. If you cannot find a filter and the machine is loud, it likely has a grinder and no filter to pull. Your owner's manual, or the dishwasher maintenance checklist, confirms which type you have.
Can I clean the filter with vinegar instead of scrubbing?
For light buildup, a rinse under hot water and a soft brush is enough. When grease has caked the mesh, soak the filter for 10 minutes in warm water with dish soap, or in a bowl of white vinegar, then brush it clear. Do not run the filter through the machine on its own, since the dishwasher needs the filter installed to work. Pair this with a monthly cleaning cycle; see how often to descale a dishwasher.
Why are my dishes still gritty after I cleaned the filter?
Three usual suspects remain. The spray-arm holes may be plugged, so poke them clear with a toothpick. The incoming water may be too cool, since detergent needs water around 120°F to dissolve and rinse fully. Or you may be overloading, which blocks spray from reaching every dish. If grit persists with a clean filter, hot water, and a lighter load, look at hard-water scale on the jets rather than the filter itself.
Does pre-rinsing mean I can skip cleaning the filter?
You can stretch the interval, not skip it. Even rinsed plates shed some starch, grease, and food film that the filter still traps, so a pre-rinsing household can go about 4 to 6 weeks instead of one month. Heavy pre-rinsing also works against modern detergents, whose enzymes need a little food to grab onto, so a quick scrape plus a monthly filter rinse cleans better than blasting every plate at the sink first.