Indesit dishwasher not cleaning the dishes

If an Indesit dishwasher is leaving food on dishes, the most common causes are poor water circulation, blocked filters/spray arms, or weak filling/heating. At around a year old, it may still be something simple you can sort yourself.

Before checking anything inside, isolate the dishwasher from the mains.

1. Clean the filters thoroughly Remove the lower basket and take out the filter assembly in the sump. Wash all parts under the tap and make sure the fine mesh isn’t coated in grease or debris. Also check the sump area for bits of glass, labels or food.

2. Check both spray arms Remove the spray arms if possible and rinse them through. Make sure every jet hole is clear. If the holes are blocked, the arms can’t spray properly and food will stay on dishes.

3. Make sure the arms can turn freely Overloading, large plates, or handles sticking out can stop the spray arms rotating. Also avoid nesting bowls or stacking items too tightly.

4. Check detergent, salt and rinse aid Make sure the detergent tablet is dissolving fully and the dispenser flap is opening. If you’re in a hard water area, dishwasher salt is important even when using all-in-one tablets.

5. Check water entering the machine If it isn’t filling properly, wash performance will be poor. Start a cycle and listen after filling starts — there should be a reasonable amount of water in the base, not just a shallow puddle.

6. Consider heating issues If the water is not getting hot enough, cleaning will suffer badly. If items come out cold and wet at the end, that points more towards a heater, sensor or control issue.

If all of the above are fine, it may need an engineer to check circulation pressure, heating, or a filling fault. Any mains-related testing should be left to a qualified appliance engineer.

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