Dishwasher Leaving Glasses Cloudy or a White Film?
Glasses that come out of the dishwasher looking dull, streaked or coated in a white film are not always a sign that the dishwasher is broken. Most of the time something in the wash conditions has changed, and it can be fixed at the machine in a few minutes. The first step is working out whether the cloudiness is on the glass or in it.
Is it film or etching?
Take one cloudy glass and soak it in white vinegar for about five minutes, then rinse and dry it.
- It comes out clear. The cloudiness was mineral film or detergent residue sitting on the surface. This is the common case, and the fixes below apply.
- It is still cloudy. The glass is etched. The surface has been worn away, which is permanent. Nothing cleans it off, but the cause is worth correcting so it does not spread to the rest of the glassware.
What causes a white film on dishwasher glasses?
- Minerals in the water. Water that dries on a glass leaves behind what was dissolved in it, which shows as a white haze or spots. Rinse aid and a water softening salt (on models that have a salt reservoir) are the two things that manage this.
- Rinse aid empty or set too low. Rinse aid helps water run off the glass. Check the compartment and the dial setting in the manual.
- Too much detergent. More detergent than the water can rinse away leaves a film. This is more likely with a lightly soiled load or a short cycle.
- A detergent that does not dissolve. Tablets and pods that land in a blocked compartment, or on a cycle too short or cool to dissolve them, can leave a chalky deposit.
- A dirty filter or blocked spray arm. If the water cannot circulate properly, rinsing is poor. Take out the filter at the base of the tub, rinse it clean and check the spray arm holes for food and grit. Our guide to a dishwasher that will not clean dishes covers the filter and spray arm in more detail.
- Overloading. Glasses touching each other or shielded by other items do not get rinsed properly.
What causes etching?
Etching is damage to the glass, and it builds up over many washes. The usual contributors are:
- Too much detergent in soft water, which makes the wash more aggressive on glass than it needs to be.
- Very hot or very long wash cycles run on glassware every day.
- Glass that does not suit a dishwasher. Fine or older crystal and some decorated glass are not made for repeated machine washing. Wash these by hand.
How do I clear the film and prevent it?
- Run the machine empty on a hot cycle with a cup of white vinegar standing upright on the top rack, to dissolve mineral deposits in the tub.
- Fill the rinse aid compartment and check the dial against the manual.
- Use the detergent dose the pack gives for the soil level, and put pods and tablets in the compartment they are meant for.
- Clean the filter and check the spray arms spin freely.
- Load so water reaches every glass, with space between them.
If the glasses are still cloudy after these steps and the vinegar test cleared them before, run the checks again with a different detergent brand. Detergents vary in how they perform with the local water.
When does it need a technician?
Cloudy glasses can be a symptom of a machine that is not heating or rinsing as it should. Book a repair if:
- the dishes are also gritty, greasy or still dirty, which points to a circulation pump or spray arm problem,
- the water in the tub is not hot at the end of a cycle, which can be a heating element or sensor fault,
- the detergent compartment will not open or the rinse aid does not dispense, or
- the dishwasher is not draining. See our guide to a dishwasher that will not drain.
The same rinse and heat problems can leave dishes wet, which we cover in why a dishwasher does not dry.
We repair dishwashers across the Illawarra and South Coast. The assessment is $125 in the Illawarra and $145 further out on the South Coast, with a quote before any repair begins. The common faults are listed on our dishwasher repair page.
Book online or call 02 4229 3777 with the make, the model and what the glasses look like.
