Help! Dishes in dishwasher cloudy after completed cycle.?

Question

My automatic dishwasher has left the last two loads unclean and cloudy. The clear items and silverware are very cloudy and the dishes feel chalky. I have been using the same detergent for awhile, and I have "Jet Dry" loaded into the dishwasher. I have hard water, which I know can be the problem, but this has not happened before. Does anyone have any solutions? Thank you!

Answer 1

Sounds like you have a combination of problems here. Yes the hard water will cause clouding, etc....

Do you scrape and rinse your dishes before putting them in the d/w? Doing so prevents an accumulation of small food particles from building up in the unit.  Also when I wash bottles, jars for re-use, I soak them in hot water first to remove all traces of the labels and glue before putting them in the d/w. The labels and glue will clog up the d/w.

You do not say how old your d/w is, and if you have ever actually cleaned it itself.  Jet Dry has a "Dishwasher Cleaner" product that you can purchase for this specific job. I have cleaned my d/w by running it for a full cycle with 1 1/2 of white vinegar.  

Hard water can do a lot of damage to your faucets, etc., accumulations of calcium and other minerals build up in your toilet, on tub and shower surfaces, shower heads, and that miserable soap scum you cannot get off your shower doors is another result. The hard water problem can be taken care of by putting in a water treatment system -- several are on the market.

We are contemplating putting in a system, one that does NOT involve using salt.  You can go to http://easywater.com/ to look at the one we are considering. We do not want to use a product that is going to cause another problem through its maintenance needs.

Answer 2

Run an empty load with only the second detergent cup filled.  Before that, make sure there's no particulate matter around the drain area.  Also- clean out the plastic grating around the drain -- I actually pulled lint-like gunk out -nasty.  Add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.  This should help

Answer 3

I was told by a repairman many years ago that what the soap manufactures and the dishwasher manufactures tell you about the quantity of soap to use is a ploy to get you to buy and use more soap and for you to have to replace your machine.....be sure the water is hot enough....put about l/3 as much soap in as it calls for and you wont need the jet dry either.    if this doesn't work be sure your machine is draining right.