How to Clean a KitchenAid Dishwasher: Filter, Cleaning Cycle and Smells

Quick answer: Twist the upper filter in the floor of the tub counterclockwise, lift it and the lower filter out, wash them in warm soapy water and lock them back. Wipe the door gasket, where KitchenAid says mildew can grow and cause a musty smell. Then run one BLITZ tablet in the empty dishwasher on a normal cycle. Use Rinse and Hold (on models that have it) when a load will sit before you wash it.

We pick BLITZ for the inside of a KitchenAid dishwasher: one tablet in the empty dishwasher on a normal cycle removes grease, grime and limescale from the walls, racks and spray arms, for about $1.04 a clean. Septic-safe, like every BLITZ product, from a Québec company in Laval, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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How to clean a KitchenAid dishwasher, step by step

  1. Check your model: KitchenAid notes that not every dishwasher filter needs cleaning. A handle in the tub floor means yours does.
  2. Take the filters out: upper filter counterclockwise and up, then the lower filter beneath it.
  3. Soak and brush them in hot water with dish soap for a few minutes if grease has built up, then rinse.
  4. Wipe the door gasket all the way round with a damp, soapy cloth, including the fold at the bottom.
  5. Put the filters back and turn the upper one until it locks.
  6. Run a cleaner through the empty machine on a normal cycle.

The KitchenAid dishwasher filter

KitchenAid's support pages point to the filter first when a dishwasher smells: remove it and clean it, or replace it if it's damaged. Built by Whirlpool, most KitchenAid dishwashers with a removable filter use the same upper and lower filter pair, which twists out of the floor of the tub.

Clean it monthly as a habit; sooner if you see food on clean dishes or water left in the bottom after a cycle. A torn mesh lets food through to the pump: replace it with the part made for your model number.

Chart: how to remove the dishwasher filter and how often to clean it by brand. Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Maytag monthly, GE monthly, Bosch every few months, Frigidaire glass trap monthly, Maytag Dual Power has no filter
Dishwasher filter removal and cleaning frequency, brand by brand, from each maker's support pages and manuals, checked October 2026.

KitchenAid odours: the gasket and Rinse and Hold

KitchenAid names two causes of smells beyond the filter. Mildew can grow on gasket seals that aren't kept clean, leaving a musty odour, so wipe the gasket weekly. And when a half-full load will sit for a day, its product help suggests running Rinse and Hold or Rinse Only, without detergent, on models that have it: it keeps food from drying on and stops odours building up.

For the grease and scale inside the tub and spray arms, a dishwasher cleaner in an empty normal cycle reaches what a cloth can't.

Cleaning the inside of a KitchenAid dishwasher with BLITZ

The filter stops new food from going around; the grease and scale already on the walls, racks and spray arms need a cleaning cycle. BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner removes grease, grime and limescale buildup and helps get rid of the smell at the source:

  1. Clean the filter first.
  2. Put one tablet in the detergent compartment of the empty dishwasher.
  3. Run a normal cycle.

It works in every household dishwasher, stainless steel or plastic inside, and it's septic-safe, like every BLITZ product. A box of 24 is $24.95, about $1.04 a clean, a year at one tablet every two weeks.

24 tablets for $24.95

More help: KitchenAid dishwasher not draining, how to clean a dishwasher filter, every brand, dishwasher not cleaning dishes, dishwasher smells bad, how to clean a Bosch dishwasher, and the whole routine on our dishwasher care page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I clean a KitchenAid dishwasher filter?

Turn the upper filter counterclockwise, lift it out with the lower filter, wash both in warm soapy water with a soft brush, and lock them back in.

Why does my KitchenAid dishwasher smell musty?

KitchenAid links it to mildew on the gasket seals and food in the filter. Wipe the gasket, clean the filter, and run a BLITZ tablet in an empty normal cycle.

Do all KitchenAid dishwashers have a filter to clean?

No. KitchenAid notes that not all filters need cleaning. Look at the floor of the tub: a filter handle there means yours twists out and needs a monthly rinse; no handle means a self-cleaning filter, and a monthly BLITZ tablet in an empty normal cycle keeps the sump and spray arms clear.

What is Rinse and Hold for?

Rinsing a partial load that will wait before washing, without detergent, so food doesn't dry on and odours don't build up.

Sources

KitchenAid product help, How to clean the dishwasher filters; KitchenAid, Food odours (Rinse and Hold, gasket mildew); KitchenAid, Why does my dishwasher smell?; BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner product page and directions. Checked October 2026.

KitchenAid is a trademark of its owner. BLITZ is not affiliated with KitchenAid.

ONE TABLET, ONE NORMAL CYCLE

BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner & Deodorizer

One tablet in the detergent compartment of an empty dishwasher removes grease, grime and limescale from the walls, racks and spray arms. 24 tablets for $24.95, a year at one every two weeks.

Free shipping across Canada on orders of $40 or more, 10% back in store credit, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner and Deodorizer, box of 24 tablets

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