Dishwasher Repair Guides
Step-by-step DIY fixes for the most common dishwasher problems. Each guide is reviewed by an Axis technician before publishing.
How to Clean a Dishwasher Filter (All Brands)
A clogged filter is the number one cause of gritty dishes and foul odors. Learn how to locate, remove, and properly scrub your dishwasher's filter assembly to restore peak cleaning performance and protect your drain pump.
Read the guideHow to Clean Dishwasher Spray Arms (Unclog the Jets)
Are your dishes coming out with baked-on food or gritty residue? In Southern California, our extremely hard water loves to clog dishwasher spray arm jets with calcium scale, but unclogging them is an easy DIY task that instantly restores wash performance.
Read the guideHow to Descale a Dishwasher with Vinegar or Citric Acid
Hard water taking a toll on your dishwasher? Learn the step-by-step process to safely descale your machine using white vinegar or citric acid to dissolve mineral buildup and restore peak cleaning performance.
Read the guideDishwasher Not Cleaning Dishes Properly: Fix Guide
Dishes that come out gritty, filmy, or still flecked with food are usually not a detergent problem — they are a water problem. Hard water mineral deposits, clogged spray arm jets, and a starved water inlet valve cause roughly 80% of these complaints, especially in Southern California where calcium and magnesium levels run high. Most fixes take 30-90 minutes with no special parts.
Read the guideDishwasher Door Won't Latch or Stays Stuck: Fix Guide
A dishwasher door that refuses to latch means your cycle won't start and your kitchen cleanup comes to a halt. In this guide, we will walk you through diagnosing and fixing a stubborn door, from clearing simple rack blockages to replacing a faulty latch assembly or tension spring.
Read the guideDishwasher Not Draining: How to Fix Standing Water
A pool of dirty water sitting at the bottom of your dishwasher after a cycle is one of the most common service calls we get. The good news: roughly 7 out of 10 cases trace back to a clogged garbage disposal connection or a blocked filter — both of which you can fix in under an hour without any special tools.
Read the guideHow to Replace a Dishwasher Door Gasket
A worn, torn, or compressed door gasket is the leading cause of front-leaking dishwashers. Replacing this seal is a straightforward DIY task that can save your kitchen floors from extensive water damage and restore your appliance's efficiency.
Read the guideDishwasher Soap Dispenser Won't Open or Release
Finding a solid brick of detergent in your dispenser at the end of a cycle means your dishes aren't getting clean. Here's how to figure out if it's a simple clog, a broken latch, or a faulty wax motor keeping your soap trapped.
Read the guideDishwasher Smells Bad: How to Remove Odors
A stinky dishwasher usually means trapped food, a clogged filter, or hard water biofilm. Learn how to diagnose the root cause and banish those stubborn odors for good with basic household supplies.
Read the guideDishwasher Leaking Water on the Floor: Causes and Fixes
Water on the kitchen floor in front of or beside the dishwasher is one of the more urgent service calls — every cycle that runs makes the damage worse. The good news is that the source is almost always one of five places: the door gasket, the door itself not closing flush, the water inlet valve, a hose connection, or the float assembly. Most leak sources can be diagnosed in 30 minutes and fixed for under $50.
Read the guideDishwasher Won't Start: Step-by-Step Fix
Is your dishwasher completely dead, or do the lights turn on but the cycle refuses to start? Walk through our comprehensive diagnostic guide to pinpoint the exact component failure and get your kitchen back in working order.
Read the guideDon't have time to DIY?
Our certified technicians can repair your dishwasher fast. $90 flat diagnostic, applied to repair if you go ahead.