<p>Gourmetmom - the problem you are having may not be your dishwasher at all. Many brands of dishwasher detergent have removed the phosphates from their formulas, resulting in poor cleaning. (In fact, when I called the makers of Cascade, they so much as admitted to me that Cascade is no longer working very well.) Try Finish detergent (the one with the little round ball in the tab) – it is working much better for us. I know that some people have begun to purchase commercial formulations of dishwasher detergent, which, I believe, still contain phosphates.</p>
<p>Thanks for the good feedback! </p>
<p>Any more hints on gasket purchase and replacement?</p>
<p>Another Bosch owner here x2 (a family member has one also). They’re both working great and are very quiet. Mine’s around 7 or so years old and hasn’t had an issue. It cleans very well.</p>
<p>On fixing appliances - I just fixed my gas dryer myself about an hour ago for $15 (the cost of the part). It failed for some reason after over 10 years on that dryer. One can save a lot of money fixing appliances rather than replacing them since they’re relatively simple things to repair. One variable is the cost of the service person which changes the equation but I do the fixing myself so I skip this part. On some appliances it’s easy to tell when they should be replaced since they’re rusted extensively or have an expensive part fail but in many other cases, such as with my dryer, the failed part is relatively inexpensive. </p>
<p>Google “how to replace dishwasher gasket” and you’ll get lots of hits including some video clips on how to do it. You can then decide if you want to tackle it (it’s not difficult). You can generally buy the part at an appliance parts store in your area - you likely have some nearby unless you live in the sticks. Just write down the manufacturer and model number of your DW and call the appliance parts stores and ask if they have one in stock and how much it is.</p>
<p>The problem is most definitely not with the detergent - I have used Finish as well as a smorgasbord of other brands. The dishwasher seems to stop short of the final rinse. I wonder if it is a programming problem - a dreaded “motherboard” failure? The Bosch is incredibly quiet, I will give it that.</p>
<p>Gourmetmom:</p>
<p>For the film issue on your DW - </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Make sure you check the filters in the bottom of the inside of the tub enclosure quite well to make sure they’re not gunked up.</p></li>
<li><p>Pour a cup of vinegar in the DW and run it on a short wash cycle to completion. This may solve the film issue as it cleans it out pretty well. Try it a second time if the first one doesn’t solve the issue.</p></li>
<li><p>Less likely causes -
– There could be a blockage in the drain hose that usually goes to your garbage disposal or drain. Make sure this is clear and it drains well.
– The valve that doesn’t allow drain water to enter the DW (one way valve) could be not working and if you have drain issues and a garbage disposal then there could be some backup getting into the DW.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Do the cleaning of the filters followed by the vinegar first since it’s easy. Let me know if that works or not.</p>
<p>ucsd<em>ucla</em>dad</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice! I will double-check the filters, although I clean them frequently and rarely find any debris. I actually rise the dishes clean before I put them in the dishwasher - old habits die hard. It is attached to a sink with a disposal, so your point about the drain or the valve possibly not working is interesting. I’ll try the vinegar and report back…after it’s done with tonight’s dishes. One cycle to wash and another cycle to rinse!</p>
<p>Love my Bosch… the quietest … and I got the base model… will upgrade to the top model when I remodel</p>
<p>I got a new Kitchenaid dishwasher about 2 months ago and I love it. It hold a ton of dishes, including my pyrex 9 X 13 baking dish, and it is so quiet that we frequently open it while its running by mistake (even though there is a little light in the top right corner that tells you if it is washing, drying or done). We got model KUDE60FX. It has three rows of racks, including a top culinary/silverware rack that is adjustable and the middle rack is also adjustable. It also has a large silverware basket. LOVE IT. </p>
<p>Our old dishwasher was leaking despite changing the gaskets AND getting new splash guards.</p>
<p>Got a top-of-the-line Miele, which I love. It’s incredibly quiet–had for 6 years now and haven’t had a problem. Plus, I like the fact that silverware doesn’t go into a basket–you place it on a silverware tray. Personally, I don’t mind taking the extra time to do this because it seems to me that the silverware comes out immaculate. There’s rarely any food left on.</p>
<p>My old Maytag is still working, but the goofy handle broke off many months ago. It’s a dumb system. Now I have to open it with two knives to depress the latch evenly. I’m sure it looks ridiculous, but I can’t see paying $150 or more to have it repaired. 
And certainly, I’m not considering any top-of-the-line replacements!</p>
<p>Another recommendation for a Bosch here. We got the top rated (by consumer reports) and just love it. When I get coffee in the morning, I’ve received remarks about how much cleaner my coffee cup is now.</p>
<p>I don’t have room for a dish washer in my kithcen. I looked at portable ones on wheels but I don’t really have a place to store it. I did see some portable ones that you put on your counter top. Does anyone have any experience with them?</p>
<p>lkf725, you can order the part for the goofy latch assembly online or from a local plumbing supply company and do it yourself. I am not usually Ms. Fix it, but I did the replacement several times before we finally replaced the dishwasher.</p>
<p>That was the one requirement I gave my husband for the replacement - a large bar type handle, no goofy latch assemblies.</p>
<p>We bought a fairly low end Fridgidaire, and it’s been good overall. Very, very quiet when it runs. One drawback is it doesn’t seem to hold oversized items as well as the previous dishwasher we had.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the feedback! </p>
<p>Today I decided to put paper towels on the floor at the base of the dishwasher, and it appears to be leaking underneath and then flowing out at the corner. Darn - I wish it were a gasket problem now. Time to think about pulling it out to examine damage to the floor underneath. Ugh. This may be the time my kids learn what it like to wash dishes like the parents did in the old days…</p>
<p>We’ve had trouble with dishes not getting clean recently. We have a Bosch; about eight years old. What’s the deal with the phosphate?</p>
<p>NVM. Just read #21. Hmm… we are die hard Cascade fans, too.</p>
<p>We had the same leaking problem with our old dishwasher. We replaced the gaskets and the “splash guards” without remedy. Finally got a new dishwasher, which I love btw. We got a Kitchenaid KUDE60FX. It has the third rack/culinary tray PLUS the silverware basket, is very quiet and fits lots of dishes. I also like the little color light in the top right corner that glows blue for cleaning, red for drying and green for clean/done.</p>
<p>oops, just saw that I already posted this on page 2…sorry.</p>
<p>I tried ucsd<em>ucla</em>dad’s suggestion to run vinegar through the cycle in my Bosch (which has not been rinsing very well). I actually ran it through twice - just to be sure:). The vinegar did seem to remove the slight whitish film that covered everything. The drain, filters, garbage disposal all seem to be fine, so perhaps it was just a build up of residue that the vinegar removed. However, I’m not sure that the problem has been completely resolved because the stainless flatware is still somewhat spotty after the cycle. I have to hand wipe it to make it look perfectly clean. This is aggravating because I make sure that there is not even a trace of food left before I load the dishwasher.</p>
<p>BTW, I’ve been using Finish recently and it may actually be exacerbating the problem. I should try Cascade to see if the problem improves.</p>
<p>Due to the reformulation of dish washing detergents last year (now phosphate free [Dishwasher</a> detergent formula change brings cloudy glasses - 13 WTHR](<a href=“http://www.wthr.com/story/13445740/dishwasher-detergent-formula-change-brings-cloudy-glasses]Dishwasher”>http://www.wthr.com/story/13445740/dishwasher-detergent-formula-change-brings-cloudy-glasses)) practically everyone has this problem. Our repairman gave us two packets of a material that cleaned out the system and then he suggested we use Lemi Shine during every cycle. Works great.</p>
<p>Thanks musicamusica. On your link one of the comments suggested Glass Magic by Finish - perhaps I’ll try that. I don’t want to use a citrus-based agent along with my dishes because it may damage the stainless steel.</p>
<p>we have been absolutely thrilled with the quality and life of our Whirlpool.
As a bonus(for SOME) Whrilpool is most all American owned and built. Some people like the idea of Americans having jobs.
NOT to start a whole thread, just to say that matters to some people. I put this out there only the interest of providing info.</p>