How to Use Dishwasher Cleaner: Step-by-Step Instructions

Guide / By

Run the dishwasher empty with one cleaner tablet in the detergent cup, no detergent added, on a normal or hot cycle, then prop the door open to dry.

A dishwasher that smells like last night’s salmon usually isn’t dirty dishes — it’s grease and food film baked onto the tub, filter, and door gasket. Running a dedicated cleaner once a month strips that film before it hardens into a smell that transfers to every glass. The job takes one cycle and about two minutes of work.

Whirlpool recommends monthly use of affresh Dishwasher Cleaner, and Consumer Reports backs the same cadence, naming citric-acid-based cleaners like Affresh or Finish. The steps below follow that guidance and cover three ways people run a cleaner: empty, with dishes, and for heavy buildup.

What You Need

  • Dishwasher cleaner designed for machine cleaning, not dish detergent
  • An empty tub for the standard method — pull every dish and utensil out
  • Access to the filter, to rinse trapped food out first
  • A normal, hot, or longest cycle selected — never a quick or rinse cycle

Clear the filter first. Food and grease caught there are a large share of what smells, and no cleaner reaches them properly while they sit.

The Empty-Machine Method

One tablet in the detergent dispenser, machine empty, one normal cycle — no regular detergent added.

  1. Remove all dishes and utensils from both racks.
  2. Rinse the filter and set it back in place.
  3. Place one cleaner tablet in the detergent dispenser cup and close it.
  4. Do not add detergent or rinse aid.
  5. Select a Normal cycle, or the hottest and longest your machine offers.
  6. Let the cycle finish completely.
  7. Open the door and leave it ajar so the tub air-dries.

Whirlpool and Affresh both specify the detergent dispenser for an empty machine. Mixing cleaner and detergent defeats the purpose — the cleaner needs to work on the machine, and detergent residue can undo the rinse.

With Dishes Still Inside

You can run a cleaner on a loaded dishwasher, but the tablet goes in the bottom of the tub instead of the dispenser, and regular detergent still goes in its compartment.

Whirlpool and Affresh say one tablet in the bottom plus normal detergent in the dispenser handles a regular load. The tablet dissolves through the cycle and works on the machine while dishes get washed. This is the option when you don’t want to wait for an empty run, though the empty-machine method gives the cleaner more direct contact with the tub. Pairing this load with the pick from our tested dishwasher cleaner comparison keeps the routine simple to restock.

Heavy Buildup

A badly fouled machine can take a second tablet in the bottom of the tub on an empty cycle, per Whirlpool and Affresh.

If odors keep returning after a normal cleaning cycle, run the machine empty with one tablet in the dispenser and a second in the bottom of the tub on a hot or longest cycle. Check and rinse the filter again after, since loosened debris often collects there. Cleaning a filter that’s still clogged just resets the same problem.

Mistakes That Waste the Cleaner

Mistake What to Do Instead
Running a quick or rinse cycle Run normal, hot, or the longest cycle available
Adding detergent on an empty clean Use the cleaner alone with no detergent
Skipping the filter rinse Clear the filter before every cleaning cycle
Wrong placement for the cleaner type Follow that product’s label for dispenser vs. tub bottom
Leaving the door shut afterward Prop the door open so the tub dries

Placement is the detail that trips most people up, and it differs by brand. Tablet cleaners typically go in the detergent dispenser for an empty-machine clean, but some brands direct their product to the tub bottom, and liquid bottle cleaners often clip to the top rack or hang on a tine. Read the label on the box you bought — it outranks any general rule, including these. Whirlpool and Consumer Reports both note that official instructions are written around specific products and machines, so your dishwasher manual is the final word if the two disagree.

Affresh’s own step-by-step guide covers the same ground with brand-specific detail: Affresh’s guide on using dishwasher cleaner on a smelly dishwasher.

Once a month is the standard rhythm in both Whirlpool and Consumer Reports guidance. Between cleanings, scraping plates well and running the disposal before starting the dishwasher keeps the tub cleaner longer.

FAQs

Can I use a cleaner in a dishwasher with dishes in it?

Yes, for tablet cleaners made for that use. Whirlpool and Affresh guidance says to place the tablet in the bottom of the tub while dishes are loaded, and still put normal detergent in the dispenser. For a deeper clean with more direct contact, empty the machine and use the dispenser instead.

Why does my dishwasher still smell after cleaning it?

Usually because the filter or a hidden area still holds debris, or because the cycle was too short to dissolve and flush the cleaner. Rinse the filter again, check the door gasket and the bottom of the tub for trapped food, and rerun a hot or longest cycle with the cleaner.

Can I just run vinegar or bleach instead of a cleaner?

Manufacturer and consumer guidance both point to purpose-made cleaners, particularly citric-acid-based ones like Affresh or Finish, for monthly machine cleaning. Bleach is harsh on stainless steel interiors and rubber parts, and vinegar alone may not cut heavy grease film the way a formulated cleaner does.

References & Sources

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