Why are my glasses cloudy coming out of the dishwasher?

Usually it is mineral film from hard water. Try the vinegar test: soak a cloudy glass in white vinegar for a few minutes. If it clears, it is mineral deposit, and rinse aid, a dishwasher descaler and the right detergent amount should help. If it does not clear, the glass may be etched, which is permanent.

Do I need to rinse dishes before loading?

Scrape food off, but heavy pre-rinsing is not necessary with most modern dishwashers and detergents. Some detergents work better with a little food soil present. Large food scraps should go in the trash so they do not clog the filter.

How often should I clean the dishwasher filter?

Check it monthly, more often if you run the dishwasher daily or rarely scrape plates. Many dishwashers made in the last decade or so have a removable filter in the tub floor that must be cleaned by hand.

My dishwasher leaked into the unit below. What now?

Turn off the water supply under the sink and the dishwasher's breaker, then notify your HOA or property manager and the neighbor. Do not run the dishwasher again until the leak source is found and repaired.

Dishwasher Repair or Replace in Las Vegas Hard Water

Before you shop for a new dishwasher, ask one question: is the dishwasher actually broken, or is it scaled up? In homes supplied with Lake Mead water, that question has real weight. Valley water typically measures around 16 to 18 grains per gallon of hardness, far above what is considered very hard. Calcium and magnesium deposit on spray arms, filters, heating elements and the inside of the tub, and the symptoms look a lot like mechanical failure.

This guide separates the two, then covers the failures that are worth repairing and the ones that point to replacement.

Signs the problem may be scale, not a broken part

White, chalky film on glasses and the inside of the door.
Gritty residue left on dishes, especially on the top rack.
Dishes that come out wet when they used to dry.
A dishwasher that seems to run normally but cleans worse each month.
Spray arms with visibly crusted holes.

If those describe your dishwasher, try a cleaning routine before calling anyone.

A cleaning routine that often restores performance

Turn off the dishwasher's power at the breaker or unplug it before reaching into the tub.

Clean the filter. Twist out the cylindrical filter in the tub floor, lift out the flat mesh beneath it, and scrub both under warm running water with a soft brush. A clogged filter is the most common reason for poor cleaning and slow draining.
Clear the spray arms. Most arms pop off or unscrew. Rinse them and use a toothpick to clear mineral or food blockage from each hole. Make sure the arms spin freely when reinstalled.
Descale the tub. Run an empty hot cycle with a dishwasher cleaner or descaler made for hard water, or with a product based on citric acid. Follow the product directions; some manufacturers specifically recommend against certain additives, so check your manual.
Fill the rinse aid. Rinse aid is not optional in hard water. It helps water sheet off dishes and is a big part of how many modern dishwashers dry, especially models that do not use a heated dry cycle.
Use enough detergent and the right kind. Hard water ties up detergent. Pods and tablets with built-in rinse or water-softening agents are designed for this; powder lets you adjust the dose.
Run hot water at the sink first. Starting the cycle with hot water already at the faucet helps the first fill clean better.

Run a few normal loads afterward. If cleaning and drying return to normal, nothing was broken. Repeating the descale every month or two keeps the problem from coming back.

Failures that are worth repairing

Drain pump and drain path

Standing water in the bottom after a cycle usually means a clogged filter, a blocked drain hose, a clogged air gap on the sink, or a failed drain pump. If the dishwasher drains through a garbage disposal that was recently installed, the disposal's knockout plug may still be in place. Drain pumps are a routine repair.

Water inlet valve

The inlet valve has a fine screen that catches sediment, and hard water can scale the valve itself. Symptoms include slow fill, no fill, or a dishwasher that keeps filling. The valve is a modest repair and widely available.

Circulation pump or motor

If you hear the dishwasher fill but there is little or no spraying sound, the wash pump may have failed or its impeller may be jammed with glass or debris. This is a more substantial repair but often still sensible on a dishwasher under about seven years old.

Heating element and thermostat

On models with an exposed element in the tub floor, scale builds up on the element and can contribute to its failure. Dishes that stay wet and cold at the end of a heated-dry cycle suggest a failed element, thermostat or control.

Door latch and switches

A dishwasher that will not start, or starts and stops, frequently has a faulty door latch switch. This is a straightforward part.

Control board

Control boards can fail, including after power surges during monsoon storms. They are worth replacing if the rest of the dishwasher is sound and the part is still produced for your model.

When replacement makes more sense

Tub damage. A rusted-through or cracked tub, or a leak from the tub floor itself, is rarely economical to repair.
Age. Dishwashers are commonly expected to last roughly 9 to 12 years. A pump or control failure near the end of that range is a good time to compare with a new model.
Repeated failures. If the dishwasher has had two or three repairs in a short span, more are likely.
Rack and interior wear. Rusty rack tines can stain dishes. Racks can be replaced, but combined with other problems they tip the balance.
Water and energy use. Newer dishwashers use considerably less water per cycle than older ones. If yours is very old, that efficiency difference is worth counting.

Leaks deserve fast attention

A dishwasher leak can damage cabinets and flooring before you notice it. Common sources are a worn door gasket, a cracked spray arm, a loose drain or fill connection under the sink, or excess suds from using hand-dish soap instead of dishwasher detergent. If you live in a condo or apartment, a leak can reach the unit below, so turn off the water supply under the sink and stop using the dishwasher until it is fixed. Our article on dishwasher leaks in condos explains how to handle the HOA and neighbor side of that situation.

Preventing the next problem

Scrape plates, but skip heavy pre-rinsing.
Clean the filter monthly.
Keep rinse aid topped up.
Descale every month or two, or as your dishwasher's manual recommends.
Run the dishwasher regularly; seals dry out when it sits unused for long periods.
If you are considering a whole-house water softener for other reasons, it will also reduce scale in the dishwasher.

When to call for service

If the dishwasher still will not drain, fill, heat or start after cleaning, or if it leaks, it needs a diagnosis. Turn off power at the breaker if you smell burning or see scorch marks near the control panel. ProFix Appliance Repair Las Vegas provides dishwasher repair for built-in and portable models from all major brands, with same-day appointments available when booked early. Our service areas page lists the neighborhoods we cover.