How to Clean Your Dishwasher Naturally (and Keep It Fresh)

To deep clean your dishwasher naturally, you need two things: castile soap to scrub the filters and spray arms, and citric acid run through an empty hot cycle to dissolve mineral build-up and kill odour-causing bacteria. Do this every 4–6 weeks and your machine will clean better, smell fresher, and last longer — no harsh chemical cleaners required.

A well maintained dishwasher means less chemicals on your plates!

Dishwashers are a modern conveniences many of us can't live without - but oh my, when you open the door and get hit with a wave of stink, it really makes you wonder if its worth the pong! What we want is the joy turning the chore of washing dishes into a quick and easy task, and a machine that smells fresh and clean. Just like any other appliance, they need a bit of care to keep them running smoothly.

A dishwasher relies on two things to get your dishes clean, and it's not a scrubbing brush:

1.Water being sprayed about

2. And the cleaning solution 

The spray action: The spray arms that spin around under your dishes and the non-moving nozzles need to provide free flowing water to rinse, then clean your dishes. When the water isn't able to be freely sprayed, your cleaning results will suffer. This is also why how you stack your dishes will affect how well they get cleaned. When you stack your dishwasher you need to consciously think... will this dish get a good spray here?

The cleaning solution: Typical dishwasher powders and pods rely heavily on chemicals. They are formulated to be extra striping to counter the fact that dishwasher maintenance, is often missed. But the problem is, you are trading off a small amount of basic machine care for added harsh chemical residues on your plates, glasses and cutlery everyday. When framed like that, you can see that regularly deep cleaning your machine is a small action you can do to reduce your overall chemical exposure.

It's also about overall time saving: Which is good for your sanity when you are juggling household chores! You know the saying, a stitch in time saves nine? It’s the same with your daily dish washing routine. A well-maintained and cleaned dishwasher will give you reliably clean dishes, saving you from the frustration of handwashing half the load because they didn’t get cleaned. So annoying right! So, let's dive in and get your dishwasher deep cleaned and smelling fresh again. Here’s everything you need to know about how to clean your dishwasher and finally ditch the stinky vibes!

Why clean your dishwasher?

Dishwashers need a deep clean. It might seem that it should be self cleaning, but with regular use, a slimy film of residue from oils and fats starts to cling - especially to the plastic parts of a dishwasher. These don't get washed away during a cycle because oil is more attached to plastic than to glass or metal.

This layer of oil clings to the filters and where residual water settles- especially if you use a time saving wash cycle or eco mode - cleaning capacity is dropped when you reduce time or temperature. Think of maintaining the insides of your machine just like wiping out the sink after doing dishes by hand. It has to be done!

5 steps to deep clean your dishwasher

1. Cleaning the Filters

First things first, take out the filters and give them a really good clean in warm soapy water. Use our Home Cleaning Castile Soap directly on the filters or in a sink of water. You can use a brush, but be gentle with the thin filter material; it’s easy to damage if you are rough. Once clean, give them a rinse and pop them back in. Not sure how to take out the filters? Check your machine manual, these can be found online too, just search your machine make and model.

2. Washing the Spray Arms

Next unclip the spray arms so they can also be cleaning in soapy water. The spray arms are the bits that spin around spraying water upwards during the wash cycle. You'll find them under the pull out tray and in the bottom of the dishwasher. Because a dishwasher recycles the water as it washes, pieces of food can be sucked up into the arms which can block the spray jets - this means less clean dishes. Be sure to look inside the spray arm to check that old food is trapped. A flush with water or a bamboo skewer is helpful to clear blockages.

3. Wiping Down the Seals and Edges

With some fresh soapy water or our Everyday Spray, wipe over all the rubber seals and along the edges of the door. Some of the seals have baffles, gently clean inside these folds. A good tip to make sure nothing is missed is to get down to eye level. Finish with wiping the front of your dishwasher either with the soapy water, Everyday spray or if you have a stainless steel front, a vinegar based spray for extra shine.

4. Dealing with Mineral and Scum Build-Up

This is the cleaning step where the magic happens! Let's tackle the mineral and scum build-up AND the odours! Take 1/4 cup of Citric Acid, fill the powder dispenser to 2/3 full with some of the Citric Acid, and put the rest in the bottom of the machine. Select a long hot wash - your machine needs to be empty. Citric acid both effectively dissolves mineral build-up, and sanitises your machine by removing the build up that can cause the bad smells.

5. Sniff Test (optional, but totally satisfying)

When that’s all done, take a sniff of your machine (I know, kinda weird!) - I reckon it’s going to smell… like nothing! Just fresh and clean. That’s the joy of a machine that’s perfectly clean, with no overwhelming synthetic fragrance to hide any stink! Whoop whoop natural cleaning for the win, again!

Why avoid chemical off the shelf cleaners?

Using chemical cleaners you find in the supermarket might seem like the easiest solution, but they come with a host of problems. Chemical dishwasher cleaners often contain harmful substances like VOCs, phosphates, and other toxic chemicals. These can irritate your eyes, throat, and respiratory system, leading to chronic respiratory issues and headaches over time. Phosphates in dishwasher detergents contribute to water pollution by promoting excessive algae growth, which disrupts aquatic ecosystems and negatively affects the water quality in our streams and lakes, this also makes then unsuitable for septic tanks. Additionally, chemicals like triclosan and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) found in many cleaning products are know to harm both human health and the environment.

Figgy & Co. cleaning for a naturally clean home

Our Home Cleaning Castile Soap and Citric Acid are perfect for getting your dishwasher nice and clean without leaving behind residues you’d rather avoid. Castile soap will easily lift and disperse even the grimiest fatty film.

Citric acid uses its pH to great effect, as an acid cleaner, it dissolves water minerals to they can be flushed away and sanitises by killing the lurking germs that cause odours.

Our natural cleaning products are 100% pure, with no nasties like phosphate or chlorine bleach, additives like silicones or enzymes, dyes or synthetic fragrances.

They’re gentle on people and planet & effective alternatives to polluting detergents, making them safer for our skin and waterways. Remember, most of the time, a simple clean with soap is enough, and our evidence-based methods prove it.

Importance of a regular dishwasher deep clean

Maintaining a clean dishwasher is essential for ensuring that your dishes come out spotless and sanitary. It's such a simple task and remembering to do it regularly really pays off:

Eliminates Odour Build-up:

Over time a real stink can build up from food splatter like milk and the fatty scum that harbours bacteria. Regular cleaning eliminate these residues and resets the clock, ensuring your dishwasher stays fresh and your dishes don’t pick up any unwanted smells.

Prevents Clogs and Improves Performance:

Clogged filters prevent water from circulating properly and will often result in gritty residue being left on your dishes and glass wear. Keeping your filters and spray arms in mind keeps the water flowing freely, ensuring that your dishes get a thorough wash.

Avoid a Big Clean Up:

Aim to deep clean your dishwasher every 4-6 weeks - try to get it done before you notice a bad smell or dishes coming our dirty. Once you learn how to clean your dishwasher you'll see that it actually takes very little time at all - you can easily get it done and the deep wash cycle on in just a few minutes. Additionally, selecting an 'pot and pans' wash cycle, even if occasionally, will bump up the wash time and temperature, this can be helpful in keeping the grime at bay and reducing build up.

Enhances Longevity of the Appliance:

Water minerals building up inside a machine can affect how the machine preforms. Ensuring that the water heater element is free from limescale will keep it working its best. Using a high-quality dishwashing powder that doesn't rely on harsh chemicals can help maintain the efficiency and surfaces of your dishwasher for longer.

Bonus Tips for better dishwasher results

• Haphazard loading of dishes when they hang down can block the spray arms and prevent them from spinning. If the washing water can't reach the dishes then you guessed it, you'll be rewashing by hand. To avoid this, just before you start a wash cycle give the spray arms a spin to make sure the are not getting caught on a wayward knife!
• Ditch off the shelf Rinse aid for a natural alternative using strong white vinegar. The vinegar smell isn't strong, & will dissipate as the contents dry. Best of all Vinegar is non-toxic, will act as a mild disinfectant and prevent mineral scale build-up within your machine – it’s a win-win-win! Use a 50/50 mix of Figgy's strong white vinegar and water to make a 5% acetic acid solution.
• Use Figgy & Co’s dishwasher powder for a natural clean that is free from all the chemical baddies including fragrance and is septic tank and waterway safe. We have formulated our Auto dishwasher powder to be a balance of providing a reliable clean without the harsh ingredients you would rather avoid.

And if you're already doing a kitchen clean, Figgy & Co's kitchen cleaning range has everything you need to go from the dishwasher to the bench, sink, and stovetop without switching to a different product system. Browse our kitchen cleaning products

Dishwasher cleaning questions — answered

What else can I clean with citric acid?

Citric acid is one of the hardest working ingredients in a natural cleaning kit. Beyond the dishwasher, use it to descale your kettle (1–2 tablespoons dissolved in a full kettle of water, boil and rinse), clean and descale your washing machine, remove limescale from taps and showerheads, and tackle rust stains on surfaces. Anywhere hard water leaves a white mineral crust, citric acid will dissolve it.

What other cleaning jobs should I do every 4–6 weeks?

While you're in a cleaning rhythm, your kettle and washing machine benefit from a descale on the same schedule as your dishwasher — all three suffer from the same mineral build-up if left too long. It's also a good time to wipe out your kitchen bin, clean your rangehood filter, and check your sink drain. Batch these small jobs together and the whole kitchen stays on top of itself.

How often should I clean my dishwasher?

Deep clean your dishwasher every 4–6 weeks — filters and spray arms scrubbed with soapy water, followed by a citric acid cycle. If you're running eco or short cycles regularly, or have hard water, lean toward the 4-week end. You'll know it's overdue when dishes start coming out with a gritty residue or the machine smells stale when you open the door.

What does citric acid do when you clean a dishwasher?

Citric acid is a mild acid that dissolves the mineral deposits — limescale and calcium build-up — left behind by hard water. It also sanitises by stripping away the greasy film that harbours odour-causing bacteria. Use ¼ cup in an empty machine on a long, hot cycle. It's the same acid found naturally in lemons, but in a concentrated, effective form.

Can I use vinegar instead of rinse aid in my dishwasher?

Yes — a 50/50 mix of strong white vinegar and water (making a roughly 5% acetic acid solution) works well as a natural rinse aid. Fill your rinse aid dispenser as normal. Vinegar prevents mineral scale build-up on your dishes and inside the machine, acts as a mild disinfectant, and leaves no synthetic fragrance behind. The vinegar smell dissipates completely as the dishes dry.

Why does my dishwasher still smell after I've cleaned it?

A persistent smell after cleaning usually means the filter or spray arms weren't cleaned thoroughly enough, or the oily film on the plastic interior hasn't been fully broken down. Castile soap is particularly effective here because it lifts fatty residue from plastic surfaces. Follow with a citric acid cycle. If the smell persists, check inside the spray arms for trapped food debris.

Why are my dishes coming out dirty even though I run a full cycle?

The two most common causes are blocked spray arms and clogged filters. When the spray jets are partially blocked, water can't reach all the dishes — especially anything stacked in front of a blocked nozzle. Remove and rinse the spray arms, check for food trapped inside the jets, and clean the filter in warm soapy water. Also check that nothing in the load is blocking the arms from spinning.

What's wrong with standard dishwasher cleaning tablets from the supermarket?

Most commercial dishwasher cleaning products contain VOCs, phosphates, and synthetic fragrances. Phosphates in particular contribute to water pollution by triggering excessive algae growth in waterways, which disrupts aquatic ecosystems and are not suitable for septic tanks. Some also contain triclosan and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), both linked to health and environmental concerns. Regular deep cleaning with castile soap and citric acid achieves the same result without any of those residues ending up on your plates.

Is citric acid safe to use in all dishwashers?

Yes — citric acid is safe for standard dishwashers and is gentle on internal components including the water heater element. It's the same descaling agent used in commercial dishwasher maintenance products, just without the additives. Use ¼ cup per clean cycle. Don't use it with a full load — always run the citric acid cycle on an empty machine so it can circulate and work properly.

Are natural dishwasher cleaners safe for septic tanks?

Yes — and genuinely better than most commercial alternatives. Standard dishwasher tablets and cleaning products often contain chlorine, phosphates, and heavy sanitisers that kill the beneficial bacteria your septic tank relies on to break down waste. Citric acid, castile soap, and white vinegar are all septic-safe. They clean effectively without disrupting the bacterial balance that keeps your system working properly.

Do I need a special cleaner or can I use what I already have?

For a full dishwasher deep clean you need two things: a real soap like castile soap for scrubbing the filters and spray arms by hand, and citric acid for the machine cycle. If you're already using Figgy & Co's Home Cleaning Castile Soap around the house, you've got the first one covered. Citric acid is available from Figgy & Co and most health food stores in New Zealand.

The Takeaway

A clean dishwasher isn't a big job — it's a small, regular one. Fifteen minutes every 4–6 weeks: filters out, spray arms rinsed, citric acid through on a hot cycle. That's genuinely it. Once you've done it once you'll wonder why you ever bought a specialist chemical cleaner for it. Two ingredients you probably already have, a machine that works properly, and dishes that come out clean every time. That's the Figgy way — simple, sorted, no chemical waffle required.

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