Why is my dishwasher clouding up glassware?

March 30, 2005 3:21 PM

Why did my dishwasher suddenly start clouding up my glassware? The water hardness didn't change, I didn't change the type or amount of soap.
posted by sixpack to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

Try adding some Jet Dry which is intended to prevent food, detergent, and minerals from depositing on dishes.
posted by chicken nuglet at 3:41 PM on March 30, 2005

Did you start rinsing your dishes more before putting them in the washer? Having too-clean dishes in a dishwasher can actually contribute to clouding and etching.
posted by zsazsa at 5:02 PM on March 30, 2005

Is it possible that there was Jet Dry in there before that you didn't know about, and it has finally run out?
posted by redfoxtail at 6:11 PM on March 30, 2005

Zsazsa, how does that work?
posted by icetaco at 6:30 PM on March 30, 2005

I would say that assuming you've been using the dishwasher for some time (months) then it's not a matter of drying liquid running out. Most likely your gunk/food trap is clogged, preventing the water from draining properly between wash/rinse cycles and resulting in dirty water being heated up during those or the drying cycle. You probably don't notice because it only makes the drain slow, not entirely clogged, so by the time the drying cycle finishes and you actually crack the thing open, all the water's drained.

I know people oftentimes aren't even aware of gunk or food filters in their dishwashers and never clean them out, resulting in various problems. It seems to stand to reason that if you have dirty water pooled before the drying cycle that it would result in the water vapor spotting your dishes.

Or I'm just entirely incorrect. Either way, it's probably worth it to find and clean out your filter if you haven't, it's likely dirty. See if it helps.
posted by wolftrouble at 8:03 PM on March 30, 2005

zsazsa: please explain this phenomenon. I always put dishes in the machine free of food bits, as I loath finding crap baked on by the drying cycle. I have noticed no problems with my brand new machine, but then, I don't put my best glassware in the machine anyway.
posted by Goofyy at 9:12 PM on March 30, 2005

There is a technical reason for this, which escapes me. It doesn't happen to me here in NZ, but did in London and confounded me for ages until someone mentioned dishwasher salt. I'd never heard of it - so maybe it's UK-specific, but it did the trick. See here for more info.
posted by szechuan at 9:27 PM on March 30, 2005

Dishwasher salt corrects hardwater, and doesn't appear to be a problem where I am, in South Africa, as I use none. Curiously, they still sell it here. In the UK, alas, I didn't have instructions for the landlord's machine, and the water there is truly a horror! My machine said it needed salt, but I knew nothing about it.
posted by Goofyy at 3:41 AM on March 31, 2005

If you let a glass that had milk in it get dry before washing it in a dishwasher, it will get milk scale on it. The washer will "clean" the glass, but over time that milk scale can build up (it's a very very tough mineral deposit, sometimes a problem for cheese makers, and part of why old-fashioned whitewash was so effective).
posted by yesster at 6:45 AM on March 31, 2005

Are you running a load of laundry or having a shower while the dishwasher runs? I've noticed that if my dishwasher has to share hot water (even for a brief time,) the dishes come out cloudy.
posted by headspace at 7:10 AM on March 31, 2005

Response by poster: I've added Jet Dry only on occasion, but lately I've noticed the fluid level in the container (which is imbedded in the door) has not dropped. It's possible that line is clogged -- but I have no idea where that fluid is dispensed into the dishwasher (it's not through the cap, as with some dishwashers).

As for the filter, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see an actual filter. (I'm assuming I'd access it from the inside of the dishwasher.) The dishwasher did have a draining problem three months ago, but it was a clogged drain line, and I believe I've cleared that. In any case, there is no sitting water in the base of the dishwasher at the end of the cleaning cycle.

Dishwasher salts? Never heard of 'em.
posted by sixpack at 8:19 AM on March 31, 2005

Sorry for not checking in on this thread, but what I've heard about putting too-clean dishes in a dishwasher is that the detergent needs some soil to work on, otherwise it will remain too acidic and etch glassware.
posted by zsazsa at 8:15 PM on March 31, 2005