What is wrong (or what are we doing wrong) with our dishwasher?

[Anonymous]

Obama badgers, hit the political forum and kindly leave this one alone. People were being nice here until you arrived and started a heated debate. No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are the spinning things blocked or partially blocked by a spatula or something that would hinder the water/soap spraying over the dishes?

This has been our problem. We have a Bosch too. The spinning things on the top and the bottom have little vents that the water exits, and these vents get filled up with tiny bits of eggshells, tiny bits of vegetables, and other gross stuff. The drain at the bottom that's supposed to catch all the food doesn't catch it all, and somehow it ends up in the spinning things. We actually replaced the last dishwasher, also a Bosch, because it wasn't cleaning well, but now I think it's this and we totally wasted $500 or $700 or whatever it was.

Power cleansers won't get those tiny bits of eggshells out. And even if enough water is getting through to clean the dishes, you still may not want this grossness in your dishwasher. So instead, every 6 months to a year I remove the spinning things from the dishwasher and run full-strength tap water over them to push the lodged bits and pieces back inside and then out through the big center hole where the spinning thing attaches. Sometimes the petrified grossness is so lodged in there that tweezers are needed. Sorry for TMI, but this might save you from buying a new dishwasher.

[Anonymous]

OUr repairman said (and it has proven to be true) that the food grinders in the bottom of the dishwasher don't work well, even in expensive dishwashers, and eventually they get clogged. You really have to rinse off all solid food particles before you put them in.

[Anonymous]

You need to add phosohates, it keeps the dishes clean and also keeps your dishwasher parts clean as well. Phosphates are not illegal in most states just banned.

You can buy glass magic or make your own. This is a good guide how to remove the deposits and continue to use phosphates.

http://www.columbiatribune.com/weblogs/word-from-a-mother/2011/jan/31/i-know-whats-wrong-with-your-dishwasher/

http://www.dishwasherdetergentphosphate.com/make-your-own-phosphate-dishwasher-detergent/

You can buy it online.

http://www.amazon.com/SAVOGRAN-CO-LB-TSP-Cleaner/dp/B0001GOGQW

[Anonymous]

Another tip, the ban does not apply to commercial operations like restaurants, here you can buy cascade commercial with phosphates http://www.restockit.com/cascade-automatic-dishwasher-detergent-85-oz-(34953pg).html?source=IDx20111014x00001a&utm_term=34953PG&bvar7=googleproduct&bvar10=google&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=34953PG

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its the dishwasher. Kitchen Aid for dishwashers is crap. We put one in in 2005 when we redid our kitchen. After 5 service calls in 4 years, we bought a Kenmore tha works like a champ. We had the same issue.

I adore my kitchen aid dishwasher.

[Anonymous]

We use 7th Generation dishwashing powder, and it works great. In fact, unless we have run out of the green brands, we have used non-phosphate detergents for years, and haven't had the problem, except when we overload the dishwasher. Perhaps you (or other people having this problem) are overloading the machine?

[Anonymous]

I had the same problem and I just noticed that the doohickey on top that cleans the glasses, was not lined up properly with the doohickey on the bottom. It fell off a while ago, and I put it back on while the baskets were pulled out. They need to be pushed all the way in and then you can line the doohickies up. It made a huge difference. Of course my dishwasher is pre-columbian so I am sure a modern dishwasher works differently.