After pulling out the bottom rack and filter, I found a disgusting sludge of food debris, broken glass, and what looked like a piece of a plastic spoon. The real issue, though, was the drain hose and the air gap – both were packed with gunk.
For weeks, I noticed a funky smell and standing water at the bottom of my dishwasher after every cycle. I ran the garbage disposal, used rinse aid, and even tried a “clean machine” tablet. Nothing worked. Then the real nightmare began: dirty, greasy water started backing up into the bottom of the tub, and my dishes came out with a gritty film.
Would I recommend the “wait and see” approach? Absolutely not. Would I recommend learning to maintain your dishwasher properly? 100% yes.

