How can I get rid of that ugly, white, powdery film in my dishwasher?

Question

It's on the spinners, and on the inside of it. It also leaves some on some of the dishes after they're washed.

Is there a way to clean the inside of the dishwasher?

Answer 1

Vinegar is a great cleanser for buildup
do an empty load with vinegar instead of soap....and use the longest cycle without using the heated dryer - using the heated dryer is not necessary at all and I prefer not to use it - it bakes on soap residues.

Answer 2

It is caused by hard water in almost all cases. Even if you have a water softener, you will likely find (by finding the exact point your dishwasher taps in and tracing the piping back) that the feed to your dishwasher is NOT softened. You probably also see some wash cycles everything is almost pristine and others it's like the devil's brat was fingerpainting. Things like Jet Dry are simply overwhelmed. So long as the water is flowing, they work well enough, but as soon as it begins to sit, the sheer quantity of muck is too much to help with. Drying cycles with a steamy mist just make it worse. We still suffer from the problem as I am simply too lazy and usually out of time to get after shifting the tapping in point to the softened side of the water piping. I use Jet Dry because when I don't, every variation shifts up a notch in residue deposit. I also run an empty cycle now and then when I think we're near the heavy deposit end of the scale. But sadly, the only real working solution for us at the moment (until I shift the water source) is to open the dishwasher as soon after I notice the wash/rinse cycles are over and hand dry everything so I avoid the extra deposits from the drying cycle and wipe off the muck that's already there when I wipe off the water. Tedious, but pretty successful. By the way, that's the stuff left on you after a shower in unsoftened water. Often in a house, only the bathroom and hot water are softened as the softening process is said to leave a slightly salty taste in the water. I've never tasted it so I suppose I wouldn't care, but it's said to drive some people bonkers. Lastly, shift that source tap in for the dishwasher and you will need noticeably more softener salt.

Answer 3

Get a generic spray bottle and a small bottle of white vinegar. Heat the vinegar in a bowl in the microwave for about thirty seconds. Using a funnel, gently pour into spray bottle. Spray entire bottle into the dishwasher, paying close attention to where there is the most buildup. Using a damp sponge, wipe off excess after one minute, then run dishwasher with soap on hottest and longest setting. Be sure to use heat dry and not air dry. That always does the trick in my house!

Answer 4

Vinegar or a commercial product like CLR (Calcium, Lime, Rust) would be best to clean the calcium and mineral deposits from inside the dishwasher.

IF you're still getting stains on the dishes AFTER cleaning, you may want to look into a water-softener

Answer 5

If you have any powdered drink mix of any kind sweet/nonsweet.. run that through the dishwasher on an empty cycle.. The citric acid in the drink mix will take hard water build-up off the coils/racks... It will also freshen the dishwasher... I do this once a month....It's cheaper than buying jet dry.....

Answer 6

Run the washer empty with vinegar or tang. That should clear it up. Some dishwasher have a filter that people never clean. The filter traps all of the crud and you are washing your dishes with crud.
Also check your water softener.

Answer 7

You can use vinegar to clean off the surfaces. The powder may be undissolved detergent due to the water temperature not being high enough. 130 to 140 degrees is recommended.

Answer 8

Vinegar