Dishwasher Issues - Peoria,AZ

I was having the same problem so I too was gonna get a new one but then a friend told me to go to Walmart (I have now found it at Frys etc..) but it's called Dishwasher magic or something to that effect you put it in the dishwasher by itself run on hot wash & it takes the calcium buildup off I used it 2 x's at first cause it was so messed up but now I just use it once a month & so far so good.. they also have it for wash machines..

In July 2010 phosphates were removed from dishwasher detergents (among others) due to new EPA restrictions. Last September, my 2 yr old dishwasher began having the same symptoms you describe--soap crystals on the dishes and very cloudy glasses. It was so bad that I was rewashing every load by hand for a few weeks. Please consider trying the product LemiShine to clean your dishwasher and remedy your hard water issue before buying a new one. I did just that and now my dishwasher is working great again. LemiShine can be purchased at most grocery stores and Walmart for about $3.50 each. Best wishes.

Have you put a rinsing aid in the dishwasher? There should be a little compartment for stuff like jet-dry or something like that. It really helps to keep the water from leaving marks on dishes. If it really does turn out to be the dishwasher, I would say to turn it to a cycle that doesn't dry your dishes, and just pay really close attention to it. Dry the dishes with a towel yourself.. that way the water won't stand on them.

For what it's worth... it sounds like your dishwasher is broken if it has standing water in the bottom of it. Ours began doing that a few months ago, and was not cleaning the dishes and was leaving a film of nasty stuff on there. We had an appliance repair man come out, and he found a little plastic gizmo had broken - it was the piece that was supposed to grind the little bits of food so they could go down the drain. Well, with that little thing broken, the drain got clogged and that meant that the dishes were being rinsed with water that had food particles in it - hence dishes that had a film of gunk, and the standing water. The little part was about $5, and his time was $75, and our dishwasher works great now! Before you go and buy all new (unless it's a really old dishwasher to begin with), why not just have yours checked out? You would save a few hundred dollars and it could resolve your problem completely. Just a thought!

If you do have hard water, use a rinse aid like Jet Dry. We have very hard water here, and Jet Dry keeps the dishes looking nice. (Changing to a new dishwasher will not have an effect on the hard water, though. You have to treat the water.)

My fiancée is from Peoria, not sure if it is where he lives or the city in general but sweet mother I had no idea what is hard water until I saw his dishes and glasses. Most of them we threw away rather than move them here, they were that bad.

Having said that there is not dishwasher that would be able to contend with that level of minerals, granted he had none. About the only thing he could have done was have a water softener unit for the whole home. As it is everything that had water run through it or sit in it was ruined. Even the fish filters were gunked up.

Have you looked into a water softener for your house? It would also help with your shower heads getting blocked up and your toilets not flushing right.

One thing that really works for hard water is "LemiShine" it is sold in the grocery stores. I was told to use it everytime i ran the dishwasher. I do use vinegar about once a month as well. The standing water is usually because something is not connected right (like the hose not draining properly). I have a large family and have had many dishwashers (I am old). if you are going to replace it i'd recommend the bottom of the line bosch model---never had an issue with it and i have very hard water. I have had cheaper and more expensive dishwashers and that is the only one i am really happy with. I currently have 3 dishwashers in my home (religious reasons) and run them often (we don't usually use paper or plastic dishes). the bosch even lets me run only the top part if i have a light load. I also notice that once there is a problem with a dishwasher there usually continues to be a problem and you seem to be taking it apart again months later again...Oh, and new dishwashers come with warantees especially if you have the store deliver and install (like Sears...)

I am guessing if you have hard water then the people in the hardware store does as well. They should be able to answer your questions about what hard water does to a dishwasher.

I would guess you just need a new dishwasher or it needs repair. As much as these repair people charge it would be easier to get a brand new one with some bells and whistles on it.

Hi.... I'm not sure if this could be the problem.... but this video explains one reason why this could be happening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_0OWuFVLNw

Or... maybe your dishwasher drain hose is clogged or there's something wrong with it and you need a new drain hose.

Also... an appliance repair guy once told me to use one cup of vinegar in the dishwasher (with dishes in it) and let it go through a cycle. He said to do this once a month to help with the soap scum stuff that lays on top of the cups. Of cours use a rinse aid too when you wash. (Could that area be empty? and maybe you just need to refill it?) My last dishwasher only lasted 5 years and water on the bottom was the problem. We didn't look into fixing it because we wanted to redo our whole kitchen anyway and start with all new s.s. appliances.
Good luck!

You need to clean out the trap/screen regularly and maybe your trap is under that tray that you can't get out.

Try to run it with CLR a few times (w/no dishes in it). Good luck!!!

here's another solution to cloudy dishes. A company in Florida created a new product just for this problem. It's all-natural, contains no phosphate, bleach, or chlorine, and it works GREAT. It cleans the white film off my dishes, dishwasher....even my sink. It's a powder you add to each wash cycle (and you can use a lot less detergent so it pays for itself). not yet available in stores...see website at www.CitriClean.net

Haven't read other responses but one way to clean a dishwasher is take Tang, the drink mix and run it through the dishwasher like its soap. We tried it and it helped a lot. I had to do it twice when it was empty but it made a difference. Good Luck!

Try running some vinegar through the dishwasher. I just fill up the wash cups ( where the detergent goes). That may help. But, it won't help with the standing water problem. If your dishwasher is fairly old, I'd replace it.