If you’re a follower of our @GoCleanCo Instagram, then you’ve seen us show some pretty NASTY dishwasher filters. That’s because dishwashers are magnets for filth. And if yours hasn’t been cleaned in a while, now is the time to do something about it before it gets worse.
When we clean our clients’ homes, we can tell if a dishwasher is in need of a clean by the smell or the sight of the filter. Your dishes aren’t getting clean if you have a dirty machine, so it’s important to clean it regularly. Nobody likes cleaning dishes after they’ve been washed!
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Cleaning Your Dishwasher’s Exterior
Depending on if you have a stainless steel or plastic machine, you’ll clean them differently.

Stainless Steel: One of our most commonly asked questions from clients is “how did you clean my stainless steel appliances?” The best answer: Weimans® Stainless Steel Cleaner always makes stainless steel look brand new.
Stainless steel tends to be a pain in the butt when it comes to keeping it free of drip marks and fingerprints. Start by wiping the door down with hot water and a small amount of Dawn® dish soap. Don’t forget the sides of the door, either!
Once it’s completely dry, grab the Weimans® Stainless steel spray (we prefer the spray bottle over the aerosol can). Before you spray, lay down some paper towels underneath the dishwasher. Weimans® can make your floor slippery so this will prevent you having to mop after. Spray down the door and grab some paper towels. Gently buff the product in with the direction of the stainless steel grain.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes for the product to fully soak in, then grab a clean paper towel and give it one more wipe. You’ll be amazed when you see that shine!
Plastic: Plastic machines are much easier to clean. Wet a microfiber cloth with hot water and a small amount of Dawn® dish soap. Wipe down the door and sides and let it dry. If you want that extra shine, follow up with some Windex® to polish.
Cabinets
If you notice splatters or hardened food on the sides of your cabinets around your dishwasher, give them a wipe as well. Just be gentle if it’s on painted surfaces to not leave scrub marks. Our Tide and hot water mix (recipe below) on a microfibre cloth will do the trick.


Cleaning Your Dishwasher’s Interior
First order of importance: DO NOT USE ANYTHING EXCEPT BLEACH TO CLEAN THE INSIDE OF YOUR DISHWASHER. Using any other cleaning products (including splashless bleach) may cause a sudsy nightmare! Move any area rugs out of the way, wear clothes that you don’t mind getting bleach stains on, and wear gloves to protect your hands.

Before you start, open your dishwasher and remove the cutlery tray and shelves.
Filter
This is where you find the real nasty stuff! Most dishwashers have a removable filter and they collect all of the food that doesn’t get rinsed off of your dishes. Most filters can be found inside at the bottom of the machine. Search for your model or check with your manufacturer if you can’t find yours. For most, all you have to do is twist the base of the filter and pull up to remove it, including the screen if there is one.
If you’ve never cleaned yours before, you may be a little grossed out. We’ve seen some pretty horrifying ones because many people don’t even know their dishwasher has a filter!
Once you’ve gotten your filter out, bring it over to your sink. Turn on your tap and GENTLY scrub off all of the stuck food with hot water. Grab some bleach in a bowl and give it another scrub before you give it a good rinse. (Be careful as you can break the filter if you scrub too hard.) Once you’re done, twist the screen and filter tightly back into place.

The Inside and Seal
If you open your dishwasher, you’ll see the black rubber seal that curves around the opening. This seals the door tightly when you close it so no water escapes when running a cycle. Seals can get coated with water deposits and bits of food, so it’s important to clean it too. Use bleach and water on a scrub brush. Be very gentle because they can damage easily. After you’ve scrubbed it, grab a damp microfiber cloth and wipe all the crud away.
Continue to clean the rest of the inside with straight bleach in a small bowl using a soft cloth or scrub brush. Get in all the nooks and crannies, particularly around the edges and by the door hinges. (Pro Tip: Slide a damp cloth around a butter knife to get into any tight spaces that your brush is missing.) Bleach should help to remove any hard water deposits. Then use a damp cloth to wipe everything down.

Sprayer Arms
If your sprayer arms are clogged, you can also clean them. On most models, you can lift and remove them from the machine; there may be a knob you need to turn to release it. Once you have the arm removed from your machine, you can pull out any stuck food with tweezers or a pin. If they are really clogged you can let them soak in hot water and vinegar and use a scrub brush. Be careful to not pull apart the arms, they often can’t go back together.
Pro tip: You can replace your filter, rubber seal and sprayer arms if needed. Just search your make and model to find where to purchase a new one.
Wash Cycle
Return your cutlery basket and shelves back into the dishwasher. Grab some trusty bleach and pour about a cup straight into the bottom of your dishwasher. Close the door and run a long, hot cycle. This will kill any bacteria, cut any unpleasant scents, clean the racks and leave the inside sparkling.

Heating Element
Some dishwashers have a visible heating element inside. If yours has one, there’s a chance it may be coated in hard water. Grab some trusty vinegar on a microfibre cloth and wrap it around the element so it can lift the hard water (ensure element has cooled before doing so). Let it sit as long as it needs and then lift and wipe up all of the crud. Run a cycle after with JUST WATER. Remember, we don’t want to mix any chemicals so you’ll do this after your bleach cycle.

Cleaning your dishwasher is SO important and should be done regularly. This is the kind of thing that makes us question why this stuff isn’t taught in school! Check your filter once a week and rinse it in the sink to keep up with the cleanliness of your machine. Always refer to your model’s user manual for specific machine instructions and troubleshooting.
Clean Your Home the GoCleanCo Way
Your dishwasher is probably one of the nastiest places in your home. But what about the rest of your house?
Want to learn how to clean your entire home the GoCleanCo way? Enroll in our Basic Training course and get over 75 minutes of interactive content, checklists, and guides that walk you through the specifics of how to deep clean every square inch of your house.
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gocleanco
Mar 25
Spring cleaning isn’t over until we clean the windows. Sparkling windows make all the difference, you can actually see outside and let the sunshine in! I have a Spring Cleaning offer with @oceansalesltd up in my stories, it is a package deal with the AquaBLADE and the Carbon Tuff Cloths. Check it out! #sponsored
gocleanco
Mar 23
Carpet Cleaner Fight Club 👊🏻 coming at you 3.23.23 get your 🍿 and pull up a 🪑 *Carpets were harmed in the making of this video* #springcleaning
gocleanco
Mar 19
Remember to change your mop head every once in awhile 😎 @hairhouseyeg #shorthair
gocleanco
Mar 18
How am I related to these people… #springcleaning
gocleanco
Mar 17
Spring Cleaning all my @ruggable rugs today! I like to wash my @ruggable rugs in the spring and fall and also anytime someone spills something on them. You can also spot treat your Ruggable, they have a stain guard on them for fast emergency clean up! The Ruggable spring sale is running right now and you can use code SPRING23 for 15% off sitewide and up to 20% off the spring collection but it’s only for a limited time so don’t miss out! #sponsored #ruggablepartner
gocleanco
Mar 13
Are you ready for bathroom week? My tub is so gross I have been pleasure delaying cleaning it just for you. #springcleaning
gocleanco
Mar 10
Does your washing machine smell like a swamp? Well, we have a solution for that…..Plus, @target currently has a Circle offer for $2.00 Tide Washing Machine Cleaner in the Target App! Tide Washing Machine Cleaner should be used once a month to help maintain your machine from build up and odours, it works on both front and top loaders to help maintain your machine so you don’t have to pay someone else to. *Coupon expires April 3, 2023 #sponsored @tidewashingmachinecleaner Certain trademarks used under license from the Proctor & Gamble Company or its affiliates.
gocleanco
Mar 6
Spring Cleaning Challenge 2023 is live on the website! Download the challenge and that is your entry into the contest to win a free house clean from @gocleanco in Fall 2023! Plus we will have other amazing weekly prizes of all my favourite things. Stay Classy San Diego, we had so much fun✌🏻 Now let’s do this Cleaning Army, we only have 4 weeks so we have to stay focused and on task. Follow along with me and your house will sparkle ✨ Full rules listed on our website. #springcleaning
gocleanco
Mar 4
Good Morning San Diego! Well it’s nearly the afternoon and I have only cleaned half a fridge and sprayed an oven but all good things take time and patience. This place is gonna shine up like💎 #springcleaning
gocleanco
Mar 3
@drpimplepopper but for your fridge #springcleaningisherebabyanditsmytimetoshine
gocleanco
Mar 1
#ad Cleaning some stubborn carpet stains with the @bissellclean Little Green® ProHeat® Portable Carpet Cleaner and the amazing @febreze Spot & Stain Formula . It has Heatwave Technology® to help maintain water temperature as you clean, the tools are all included, My fav thing about is (besides it obvious cleaning power and compact design) is that it even has a handy dandy HydroRinse ™ Self Cleaning tool which rinse out the hose when you are done with your dirty work..…finally someone is thinking about cleaning the cleaning tools…my work here may officially be done. *Certain trademarks used under license from The Procter & Gamble Company @bissellcan @bissellclean @febreze #BISSELL
gocleanco
Feb 24
Spring Cleaning Pain Points: What can’t you get clean and you feel like you have tried *eVeRyTHinG* under the sun? Drop it in the comments and I will take ✍🏻 and try to help ya! #springcleaning
gocleanco
Feb 23
I am excited to be partnering on an IG live next week with P&G laundry scientist, Jennifer Ahoni, to discuss their newest laundry innovation, Downy Rinse & Refresh. It’s a fantastic solution to solve your stinkiest laundry issues and we’re going to deep dive into why this is the perfect complement to our favorite laundry detergent. #ad #downypartner #odorisnttheend @downy
gocleanco
Feb 17
What’s your least favourite chore? Mines the never ending cycle of laundry. Like even when it’s done…you still have the clothes you are wearing on while you do the laundry so it’s never actually over…I have been know to rip socks off people if I’m putting in a load of whites to *feel like* I am beating the system 😵💫 I actually don’t mind sorting it, washing it, putting it in the dryer but the party stops there. I hate folding and putting it away. I feel like there should be a robot for this by now—it’s 2023! Now this the AI I can get behind.
gocleanco
Feb 1
Dishwasher Filter 101 🤮 Whose ready for spring cleaning?! I’m gonna start psyching y’all up so you are READY FOR COMBAT. #springcleaning
gocleanco
Jan 19
How often to you mop your floors? Be honest cause I’ll come over and check if you are lying. #cleaningmotivation
gocleanco
Jan 18
Fancy New product Alert: Downy Rinse & Refresh is @downy ‘s biggest innovation in the last 30 years. Now, listen up because this isn’t like regular Downy, it is actually not a fabric softener, even though it goes in the fabric softener drawer! Rinse & Refresh helps with mega stubborn STINKY laundry by removing residue that traps in odour. It’s the perfect compliment to everyday smelly laundry like gym clothes, hockey clothes or that load of towels you left sitting in the washer overnight and actually removes odour three times better than laundry detergent alone. Come watch my stories today — I rounded up my teenage nephews hockey gear 😷and we will put it through the ringer. (Pun intended). What is your stinkiest laundry problem? Let me know in the comments and we can get researching 👩🏼🔬 #DownyPartner
gocleanco
Jan 12
Bleach, Pray, Love (and a little elbow grease) 💕 #cleaningmotivation
gocleanco
Dec 31
Wishing you a Tide-ey New Year. Fun fact about me: I live for Mondays. A fresh new week laid before me gives me motivation to get shit done. And January is the BIGGEST Monday of them all. Many people like to reflect on the last year but I like to look ahead and set some realistic and serious goals for myself. Take a deep breath and wake up from your Christmas haze and write down 5 things you want to get done in 2023…(or make a lock screen saver vision board like I do every year!) You don’t always have to join a gym you know. Maybe you want to clean your attic. Or take more naps. Be more present for your kids. Make your bed each morning. These goals can be small but impactful and have a domino effect throughout your life. Start small. The big stuff will follow. Thank you for sticking with me on this wild ride. We have so much in store for the #cleaningarmy in 2023 so buckle up! P.S. Lets pretend this photo was taken today cause I’m currently in my house coat cleaning everyone’s AirPods. 📸 cred @substanceyyc 💕
gocleanco
Dec 29
Are you team Boxing Day Christmas decor tear down or Team January tear down? I took mine down before we left and I’m currently feeling like it was hands down, my most genius idea of 2022. Now to tackle the worlds largest pile of laundry and prep my life for 2023 🎉 #christmascleanup