How to Clean a Bosch Dishwasher: Filter, Machine Care Light, Spray Arms and Smells
Pull out the bottom rack, turn the filter counterclockwise, lift it out, rinse its three parts under running water and turn it back in clockwise. Bosch says to check the filter after each wash and clean it every 1 to 4 months, and to rinse the spray arms every few months. A lit Machine Care symbol means a tub clean is due: Bosch recommends it every 30 cycles, started empty from the Home Connect app. Wipe the door seal with dish soap, never use bleach, and run one BLITZ tablet in the empty dishwasher on Normal every two weeks.
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In this guide: 10 sections
How to clean a Bosch dishwasher, step by step
Every Bosch manual we checked, from the 100 to the 800 Series, works the same way: a three-part filter in the tub floor, two spray arms that come off by hand, and an empty cycle for the tub. You need dish soap, a soft brush, a toothpick, a cloth and one dishwasher cleaner tablet.
How to remove and clean a Bosch dishwasher filter
The filter has three parts: coarse, fine and micro. These steps are from the 800 Series (SHP78CM5N) manual; the 100 and 300 Series manuals are the same minus step 2.
- Pull out the bottom rack and set it aside.
- Turn the lower spray arm to the side so it clears the filter. It returns to place by itself when the next cycle starts.
- Turn the coarse filter counterclockwise and lift the whole filter out, without letting anything fall into the sump below.
- Take it apart: pull the micro filter down and off, then press the locking catches together and lift the coarse filter out.
- Rinse each part under running water, with warm soapy water and a scrub brush if needed (Bosch Canada). Clean the ring of dirt between the coarse and fine filter: it's the spot most people miss.
- Reassemble until the catches click, set it back in and turn it clockwise until the arrow marks line up.
How often: the manuals say to check the filter for residue after each wash. For the full clean, Bosch's Owner's Guide says every 1 to 4 months depending on debris, and its Quick Start Guides 3 to 12 times a year. Our suggestion: monthly if you run it daily, every 2 to 3 months otherwise.
Bosch Machine Care and the reminder light
Machine Care is Bosch's tub-cleaning cycle: "An intense program to clean the tub. Run without dishes," says the 800 Series Quick Start Guide. Bosch's Owner's Guide recommends it every 30 cycles: about a month at one load a day, or 7 weeks at 4 a week (our math).
- The light: when the symbol lights up, run Machine Care (SHP78CM5N manual).
- Where to start it: in the Home Connect app, on the models that have it (100 to 800 Series Quick Start Guides). Empty the dishwasher first.
- No app or no Machine Care? The manuals give a manual tub clean: detergent in the dispenser, the hottest program, no dishes.
Spray arms: unscrew, lift, clear the holes
"Limescale and debris in the dishwashing water may block the nozzles and bearings on the spray arms," says the SHP78CM5N manual. Bosch Canada says clean them every few months (every two or three on its French page).
See the steps
- Upper arm (under the middle rack): unscrew it and pull it down.
- Lower arm: turn it to the 6 o'clock position, hold it in the centre and lift it straight up.
- Rinse both under warm water and push debris out of every hole with a toothpick.
- Refit: lower arm at 6 o'clock, pushed down until it clicks; upper arm screwed firmly back in.
After loading, spin the arms by hand to check they turn freely, as Bosch Canada advises. More in how to load a dishwasher for better cleaning.
Door seal and door edges
Bosch's care tip: regularly wipe the door seals, the front and the control panel with a damp cloth and dishwashing liquid. Do the bottom edge of the door and the front lip of the tub too. If the dishwasher will sit unused for a while, leave the door slightly ajar: Bosch says it prevents odours.
Careful: Bosch says not to use bleach-based products, abrasive sponges or a steam cleaner on its dishwashers.
Black spots on the rubber that a cloth won't lift are stains in the seal. BLITZ Mold Stain Remover is a gel made for dishwasher seals: dry the rubber, apply, leave 3 to 5 hours and wipe off, never with another cleaner.
Water left in the bottom: E:22, E:61 and the drain pump
Standing water after a cycle usually means food debris in the filter or the drain pump, says Bosch Canada. On a display, E:22 means water is sitting in the sump because the filter is blocked: clean the filter first. If water still stands, clean the pump:
How to clean the drain pump
- Cut the power (unplug it or switch off the breaker).
- Take out both racks and the filter, then scoop out the water with a sponge.
- Pry the pump cover off with a spoon, grip it by the crosspiece and lift it diagonally inward.
- Clear the impeller area of food and objects. Bosch warns of sharp glass fragments.
- Press the cover down until it clicks, then refit the filter and racks.
For the high loop on E:61-03, Bosch's Owner's Guide wants part of the drain hose at least 33 in. (84 cm) off the floor. Top-control models without a display, such as the 300 Series SHE53C85N, show drain problems as four vertical lights on at once.
Bosch dishwasher smells or white film?
Smell: Bosch Canada says a smelly Bosch is "likely due to food particles and debris getting trapped in the filter." Its fixes (filter, spray arms, a dishwasher cleaner, a descaler) are the routine above. For a sewage, musty or burning smell, see our five dishwasher smell checks.
White film or detergent left behind: start with the vinegar test in our white film guide. Two Bosch-specific causes from the manual:
- A tab standing upright can block the dispenser lid: lay it crosswise.
- Tabs in quick or short cycles may not dissolve: use a longer cycle or powder.
Hard water: rinse aid, salt and the H: setting
Rinse aid: "This dishwasher is designed to be used with rinse aid," says Bosch. Fill to the max mark and wipe up spills. The setting runs from r:00 to r:06 (r:05 from the factory): lower it if streaks remain on glasses, raise it if dishes stay wet.
Salt: some Bosch models have a built-in water softener, set from H:00 (off, the factory setting) to H:07 to match your water. From H:01 up, fill its reservoir with special dishwasher salt right before a cycle: water in first, then salt to the top. Never table salt or salt tablets.
Laval, Gatineau and most of southern Québec stay at H:00; Montréal island is just into H:01 by our conversion. Look up your city in our hard water checker; on a private well, see hard well water.
Where a BLITZ tablet fits on a Bosch
The filter and spray arms come clean by hand; grease and limescale on the walls, racks and inside the spray arms are the tablet's job:
- Clear the filter first.
- One tablet in the detergent compartment of the empty dishwasher, laid flat and crosswise so the lid opens (Bosch's tip for detergent tabs).
- Run Normal, with no dishes and no detergent.
- Repeat every two weeks. Keep Machine Care for when the symbol or app asks.
Why we use it on a Bosch:
- No chlorine or bleach, which Bosch rules out: sodium carbonate and citric acid.
- About $1.00 a clean: 24 tablets for $23.95, a year at one every two weeks (checked October 24, 2026).
- Rated 5.0 out of 5 (15 reviews) on goblitzclean.com, with a light lemon scent. Septic-safe.
- From a Québec company in Laval, with service in French and English, free shipping from $40 and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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How often to clean a Bosch dishwasher
Scrape plates but don't pre-rinse: Bosch Canada says detergent needs small food debris to cling to.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Machine Care light mean on a Bosch dishwasher?
A maintenance reminder, not a fault: the tub is due for Machine Care, which Bosch recommends every 30 cycles. Run it empty, from the Home Connect app.
Can I put a BLITZ tablet in Machine Care?
The BLITZ directions call for one tablet in the detergent compartment and a normal cycle, so on a Bosch we run it on Normal, every two weeks. Run Machine Care separately when the symbol comes on.
Does my Bosch dishwasher need salt?
Only if it has a built-in water softener set to H:01 or higher. In soft-water cities like Laval or Gatineau, it stays at H:00 and needs no salt.
Can I use bleach in a Bosch dishwasher?
No. Bosch's manuals say not to use bleach-based products or detergent containing chlorine. Use dish soap on the seal and a bleach-free cleaner like BLITZ for the tub.
Sources: Bosch Canada support pages (filter, spray arms, troubleshooting), English and French; Bosch SHP78CM5N, SHE53C85N and SHE3AEM2N manuals, Owner's Guide and Quick Start Guides; city water reports; BLITZ product pages. Checked October 24, 2026.
Bosch and Home Connect are trademarks of their owners. BLITZ is not affiliated with them.
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