The dishes won't get clean even after being washed twice. I have tried different detergents with the same results.

Hello

There are some things you can try, however, if your Maytag dishwasher is not getting your dishes as clean as you would like. Maytag recommends several processes for fixing this issue with your dishwasher.


Do not run your Maytag dishwasher while hot water is being used in other parts of your home, such as washing clothes or showering. Hot water is needed for your Maytag dishwasher to properly clean dishes.


Run water in the sink in your kitchen until it gets very hot. Then, turn on your Maytag dishwasher. This will ensure that the water cleaning your dishes is the hottest possible temperature.


Clean your Maytag dishwasher to improve the cleaning results for dishes. Run your dishwasher on a short wash cycle and wait for it to fill up with water. Stop the cycle and add about 1/3 of a cup of rust remover to the dishwasher and finish the cycle. Run your Maytag dishwasher through one normal cycle with regular detergent to finish the cleaning process.


Check your detergent. Old detergent or those that have been exposed to moisture can be clumpy. This detergent will not clean your dishes as well when loaded into your Maytag dishwasher. Purchase fresh detergent.


Use extra detergent when washing dishes that have a lot of built-up grease or food particles. The extra amount of detergent is needed to get your dishes clean. Choose a long cleaning cycle to clean these dishes.


Fill your Maytag dishwasher properly. Dishes should not be stacked on top of each other or excessively crammed into your dishwasher. This will keep the dishwasher from adequately cleaning all areas of your dishes and from rinsing them thoroughly.

Hello

Water Inlet Valve

A dishwasher's water inlet valve is its most common part to fail. When your dishes are not being fully cleaned, quite often a faulty water inlet valve is to blame. Test your dishwasher's water inlet valve, and if it is no longer functioning as it should, you will have to replace it.

Upper or Lower Spray Arm


Your dishwasher has a lower spray arm. It may also have an upper spray arm at the top of the dishwasher. These spray arms are designed to shoot high pressure, high temperature water at your dishes. It is possible that the holes of the spray arms, where the water comes out, are blocked with debris, affecting wash quality. You should inspect your dishwasher's spray arms regularly. Clean out the spray arms as need be.

Heating Element

Water temperature is a key element in achieving clean dishes. A dishwasher's heating element is not designed to heat the water that enters it. Rather, the heating element is designed to maintain the heat of the water that enters the dishwasher. Its a good idea to run the hot water in your sink for a couple of minutes before you run the dishwasher. Just to make sure the water is nice and hot before it enters the dishwasher. If the water is unable to stay hot, it can adversely affect your dishwasher's cleaning ability.


Filter/Drain Grate

There is a filter in your dishwasher. Its function is to keep large particles of food and foreign objects away from the pump. Many of the newly-manufactured dishwashers have self-cleaning filters, and routine cleaning isn't a concern. However, some other dishw ashers need to have the filter removed and cleaned regularly. If the filter or grate is clogged or blocked with debris, it may interfere with the normal functioning of your dishwasher. Consult your owner's manual for specific directions for removing your dishwasher's filter and cleaning it.

Detergent or Detergent Cup

It could just be that you aren't using enough soap to completely wash your dishes. Your dishwasher may be designed to dispense soap at two different times during the wash cycle. If you don't fill all of the detergent cups, then the diswasher will lose a cleaning cycle. Also, if you use a gel-type detergent, try switching to a powered kind. Powders tend to dissolve better in hot water. And don't buy in bulk. Detergents are most effective in the first two weeks. After that, they decrease in potency.

Alternatively, your dishwasher's detergent cup could be defective in some way. It is possible that it is gunked up full of built up detergent, and a thorough cleaning may be enough to get it working again. If that doesn't do the trick, you probably need to replace the entire detergent cup assembly. If your cup isn't even opening, please see our section My dishwasher detergent cup won't open.

Instructions Things You'll Need:

• Vinegar or lemon juice
• Gel dishwasher detergent

1. dishwashers have a rinse aid dispenser. If your dishwasher has this dispenser, fill it up periodically and it will release the appropriate amount of rinse aid automatically at the right time during the wash cycle. This will help your dishes rinse more cleanly.
2. Rinse aid in solid form
   Some older dishwashers or basic models do not have an automatic rinse aid dispenser. In this case, you can buy rinse aid in solid form that attaches to your dishwasher rack. Solid rinse aid can be hard to find in stores because it is not commonly used, but it can be purchased online.
   
3. Vinegar or lemon juice
   Appliance repairmen will tell you that one of the common problems they see with dishwashers is the buildup of excess detergent. If there is too much detergent in your dishwasher, your dishes will not rinse cleanly, no matter how good the dishwasher is or how much rinse aid you use. To clean the excess detergent that has built up inside your dishwasher, put 3 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice (concentrate is fine) in the empty dishwasher and run the dishwasher through a complete cycle with no dishes. Do this twice, for two complete cycles of the empty dishwasher with only vinegar or lemon juice added. The acid in the vinegar or lemon juice will break up the detergent that has built up in your dishwasher's interior.
   
   After you have cleaned the detergent buildup from the inside of your dishwasher, follow the steps below to keep the buildup from happening again and to help your dishes rinse cleanly and prevent residue from accumulating on the dishes.
   
4. Gel dishwasher detergent
   Switch to a liquid or gel dishwasher detergent. Any brand will do.
   
5. Fill one compartment half full Dishwashers will effectively clean dishes with much less detergent than manufacturers often recommend. The bleach in the detergent, combined with the extremely hot water used in the dishwasher wash cycle, will clean and sanitize your dishes completely, even in small amounts, and using less detergent helps prevent buildup and residue from accumulating on your clean dishes.
   
   Fill only one detergent compartment(the one that snaps closed) half full with gel detergent. Snap the opening closed and run your dishwasher as you normally would. Your dishes will come out sparkling clean with no buildup or residue, plus you'll save money by using less detergent!
   

Were the settings appropriate for the clothing?
The settings on the machine should be set properly for the load. Different fabric types require different wash/rinse temperatures, spin speeds, and wash times. Always follow the instructions printed on the fabric care label. The soil level needs to be set in accordance with the load type. Heavily soiled clothing will not come clean with a light soil level setting.
Was the proper detergent used?
If too much detergent is used, or non-HE detergent is used, the machine will not wash properly. Too many suds present during a wash decreases tumbling action and will not rinse out well. Furthermore, detergent residue built up in the machine over time will deposit extra detergent on clothes and deposit soil back into clothing.

Was the washer overloaded? If the machine is overloaded, the machine will not wash and rinse properly. When the washer is overloaded, the clothes have no room to tumble, and the cleaning performance of the washer is reduced. In addition, when the clothes are packed tightly inside the drum the detergent and water will not distribute evenly throughout the items.

Front loaders require regular maintenance to ensure optimum performance. If this maintenance is not followed, residue can accumulate in the drum resulting in detergent and soil being deposited back into clothing. This can also lead to odor and other issues. Perform the required maintenance regularly (once or twice a month).

The water may not be heating up. Does the DW feel warm to the touch when it is washing? How long do you leave dirty dishes in the machine? Do you empty the clean dishes right away. If you do not you should open the door a crack to allow the steam and moisture to escape so the dishwasher can dry itself.Some people who don't have a lot of dishes don't wash them often enough and this can happen. You should inspect the inside of the diswasher for food debris build up even in the little holes of the arms, which you can pull out with needle nose tweezers.You can't use bleach to clean it. Nor any other household cleaners.I would clean it with very hot water mixed in a little bucket with some dishwasher detergent. You don't want to introduce any other kind of detergent into it. I would clean it thoroughly, using a semi rough washcloth then use a clean cloth to rinse it off with hot clear water. Then I would run a full cycle with no dishes in it.Maybe even twice. I hope this is helpful!

I imagine you've already checked that you're using the correct amount of detergent for the wash programme, and that you're washing the correct quantity of dishes for the wash programme, though if not, try that first!

Is the dishwasher heating the water to the correct temperature? If it's not rinsing at a hot enough temperature, the detergent may leave a residue. In that case, your dishes would probably also be less than entirely clean; they could be slightly greasy when removed from the machine.

Another possibility is that insufficient water is supplied to the dishwasher, so it might be worth checking the tap that lets water through the hose and into the machine. Does the tap turn on fully? Does it turn off properly?

The other thing that might be worth trying is an empty wash: put the machine through a wash programme WITH detergent but WITHOUT dishes, at the programme with the highest temperature. Is all the soap scum washed away? Or is there still a residue inside the machine? If the empty wash works, you probably need to give your machine a maintenance wash once a month or so. This is often the case if you usually wash your dishes a few at a time on a short programme.

I hope some of that helps. Good luck!

It will be hlepful if you mention the make and model no. of your dishwasher.

There could be several reasons for dishwasher not cleaning the dishes.

You need reasonably hot water - not available if heater is faulty
You need to have a good spray of water - not available if wash pump not working ok.
If dishwasher uses same pump for wash and drain - you could hvae a faulty impeller causing dirty water to circulate back into the dishwasher causing these to remain dirty.
The rinse aid dispenser may not be working causing dishes not to rinse clean.

I could help further if you send me make & model no.

check if some dirt got in the arms of the washer as sometime this will slow the flow of water and not allow the pressure to clean the dishes well

Probably blocked spray arms is the cause of the unit not cleaning the dishes properly and also not removing all the detergent from the dispenser. Remove each spray arm (there are 3 in total) and check and clean all the holes as this is where the water sprays out from to clean the dishes and glasses. When they are blocked you get poor wash results.
Also make sure you are only using about 2 teaspoons of detergent. you may just be using too much.

www.dishwasherfilter.com has a great product specifically for this problem. it filters the water going into your dishwasher removing the hard minerals that cause this problem. after the first load my dishes looked amazing. it is very affordable and fits right under your sink.