I have a dishwasher that does not clean the dishes properly. It leaves stuff that looks almost like ....

I have the same problem with my dishwasher. I have tryed everything as to loading, water temp, changed soap and still have the problem of having residue on the dishes. I can not see the stuff left on the dishes, but I can feel it when I take them out. Please help me, this was installed May 4, 2006. The repair man has looked at it & he doesn't know why this is happening.

I had the same problem upon further investigation,
we found a build up of junk and mold behind the filter screen and under the cover at the bottom of the dishwasher where we also found standing water that was not draining. Yuck! my conclusion is that it is grime and muck.

what about a clog in the water supply line from the pump on the bottom to the upper spray arm under the top rack

I had this sand residue just on the top shelf and found that the upper spray arm was not rotating around. (I opened the door a few times when it was washing to find the spray arm in exactly the same position). I had a quick look at the spray arm holes but did not notice any obstructions... However on closer inspection, I discovered a small hole pointing sideways at each end of the spray arm. The spray from these holes propel the spray arm to rotate. Both were blocked by a small ball of hair like substance. I had to use a needle to remove this and this solved my problem.

Ive found that the problem is not enough water in being pumped to the center spray arm. With my dish washer in particular, you can see the water trickle upward to the upper nozzle...but it does not have enough pressure to properly function. I tapped the delivery tube that feeds this nozzle and the water pressure jumped imediately. So the problem lies either with the pump or maybe the impeller....for some reason the full flow of water is not making it to the upper spray arm.

I had the same problem and found a different solution. The problem was not enough water to get the arm to spin. To test this just add a pan of water to the wash cycle and see if the arm spins. If it does then the problem may be with the water intake line. There is a screen at the connection where the intake line enters the dishwasher. So turn the supply valve off and disconnect the intake line and remove particles that may be traped in the screen. The cause of the particles is from the hot water tank that tend to accumulate a bit of corrosion on the bottom of tank. To remedy this just open the valve at the bottom of the hot water tank and drain it in a pan until the water is clear.

fill the salt container up to 2 bags
make sure it finishes the cycle

use only one tablespoon of dishwashing powder, most people think more is better, but it's actually too much.

dishwasher is not rinsing correctly.

The sand like substance may very well be undissolved abrasive material from your dishwasher soap. Most people don't realize dishwasher soap needs to be fresh. Buy a package that you can use in a month. As it ages, it looses effectiveness. Also consider switching to another brand.
Another possibility is the way you are loading the dishwasher. If dishes interfer with the wash arms spinning freely or you overload the dishwasher, you will get poor wash results and poor rinsing and thus grit left behind on the dishes.

I was advised by an engineer that there is not enough salt in the dishwasher & that is what causes the sand like residue on dishes. sometimes even when you use an all in 1 dishwasher tablet this may still not contain enough salt for the hardness of the water in your area. Using salt regular helps keep the dishwasher clean.

I had the same problem with a low end Kenmore that came with our new home. After several trips the service technicians(2) still couldn't figure out what was causing the problem. They said they would replace it. Because of the problems with that model, we decided to upgrade to a higher end model. Once it was replaced, we didn't have problems with the new dishwasher. They checked the filter, our upper arm was moving, tried using vinegar to clear out residue, nothing worked. So if it is still under the warranty, I'd ask them to replace it if they can't fix the problem. They replaced ours 5 months after we moved in. The problem seemed to keep getting worse.

buy a water softener

Better look at your upper arm. I have same problem. Saw that my upper arm does not spin. Frigidaire. Now I must find why arm does not move.

There isn't a solution for this problem. I'm convenced it is a lemon and that it needs to be replaced by the mfg company with a different model.

the problem is hard water going into your dishwasher. it leaves the residue you are talking about. there is a new affordable product called the dishwasher filtration system it filters out the hard minerals that cause this before they enter your dishwasher leaving your dishes spot free with every load. you can get it at www.dishwasherfilter.com. use promo code DFMTEN and you will also get 10% off.

I have a kitchen-aid dishwasher that was showing the same symptoms. The upper tray has a spray arm that was not moving. It is supposed to mate with a hole at the back of the dishwasher where the water comes from. The pipe had slipped out of a collar and was therefore not mating with the hole at the back. I reseated it in the collar and it is working fine now.

help

I had the same problem with my dishwasher leaving sandy residue on my dishes. I looked at the filter and it was disgusting. I cleaned it and the I checked my sink. It was not draining as fast as it use to so I put some draino max gel and used my plunger alittle and it started running smoothly and my dishwashers is now draining properly and all is well !

Also a short cycle will not break down the detergent...liquid detergent is better....but you still need to run a "long" cycle

Better look at your upper arm. I have same problem. Saw that my upper arm does not spin. Frigidaire. Now I must find why arm does not move.

I had this problem and it was a faulty seal on the upper washing arm. Problem solved with a new one purchased for £8.95.