Dishes do not dry completely

■Dishes do not dry completely

Did you use a rinse aid? Your dishwasher is designed to use rinse aid for good drying performance. Without rinse aid your dishes and dishwasher interior will have excessive moisture. The heat dry option will not perform as well without rinse aid.

■Dishes are not dry

Did you load your dishwasher to allow proper water drainage? Do not overload. Use a liquid rinse aid to speed drying.

Are the plastics wet? Plastics often need towel drying. Is the rinse aid dispenser empty?

Did you use an air-dry or energy-saving dry option? Use a heated drying option for dryer dishes.

■Excess moisture on racks and dishwasher interior

Check the rinse aid indicator to see that there is rinse aid in the dispenser.

Spots and stains on dishes

■Spotting and filming on dishes

Is your water hard, or is there a high mineral content in your water? Conditioning the final rinse water with a liquid rinse aid helps eliminate spotting and filming. Keep the rinse aid dispenser filled. Always use a high-temp option. If your water hardness is 13 grains or above, it is strongly recommended that you install a home water softener. If you do not wish to drink softened water, have the softener installed onto your hot water supply.

Is the water temperature too low? For best dishwashing results, water should be 120°F (49°C) as it enters the dishwasher.

Did you use the correct amount of effective detergent? Use recommended dishwasher detergents only. Do not use less than 1 tbs (15 g) per load. Detergent must be fresh to be effective. Heavy soil and/or hard water generally require extra detergent.

Is the home water pressure high enough for proper dishwasher filling? Home water pressure should be 20 to 120 psi (138 to 828 kPa) for proper dishwasher fill. If you have questions about your water pressure, call a licensed, qualified plumber.

NOTE: To remove spots and film from glassware, remove all silverware and metal items and run a vinegar rinse as described in “Dishwasher Care.”

■Silica film or etching (silica film is a milky, rainbow-colored deposit; etching is a cloudy film)

Sometimes there is a water/chemical reaction with certain types of glassware. This is usually caused by some combination of soft or softened water, alkaline washing solutions, insufficient rinsing, overloading the dishwasher, and the heat of drying. It might not be possible to avoid the problem, except by hand washing.

To slow this process use a minimum amount of detergent but not less than 1 tbs (15 g) per load. Use a liquid rinse aid and underload the dishwasher to allow thorough rinsing. Silica film and etching are permanent and cannot be removed. Do not use heated drying.

■White spots on cookware with nonstick finish

Has the dishwasher detergent removed cookware seasoning? Reseason cookware after washing it in the dishwasher.

■Brown stains on dishes and dishwasher interior

Does your water have high iron content? Rewash dishes using 1-3 tsp (5-15 mL) of citric acid crystals added to the covered section of the detergent dispenser. Do not use detergent. Follow with a Normal wash cycle with detergent. If treatment is needed more often than every other month, the installation of an iron removal unit is suggested.

■Black or gray marks on dishes

Are aluminum items rubbing dishes during washing? Disposable aluminum items can break down in the dishwasher and cause marking. Hand wash these items. Remove aluminum markings by using a mild abrasive cleaner.

■Orange stains on plastic dishes or dishwasher interior

Are large amounts of tomato-based foods on dishes placed in the dishwasher? It may be necessary to use a stain removal product to remove stains from your dishwasher. Stains will not affect dishwasher performance.

Noises

■Grinding, grating, crunching or buzzing sounds

A hard object has entered the wash module (on some models). When the object is ground up, the sound should stop. If the noise persists after a complete cycle, call for service.

Dishes are not completely clean

■Food soil left on the dishes

Is the dishwasher loaded correctly?

Did you choose the cycle that describes the most difficult soil in your dishwasher? If you have some items with heavier soils, use a heavier cycle.

Is the water temperature too low? For best dishwashing results, water should be 120°F (49°C) as it enters the dishwasher.

Did you use the correct amount of fresh detergent? Use recommended dishwasher detergents only. Do not use less than 1 tbs (15 g) per load. Detergent must be fresh to be effective. Heavy soil and/or hard water generally require extra detergent.

Is detergent caked in dispenser? Use fresh detergent only. Do not allow detergent to sit for several hours in a wet dispenser. Clean dispenser when caked detergent is present.

Is the pump or spray arm clogged by labels from bottles and cans?

Are high suds slowing the wash arm? Do not use soap or laundry detergents. Use recommended dishwasher detergents only.

Dishes are damaged during a cycle

■Chipping of dishes

Did you load the dishwasher properly? Load the dishes and glasses so they are stable and do not strike together from washing action. Minimize chipping by moving the rack in and out slowly.

NOTE: Antiques, feather-edged crystal, and similar types of china and glassware might be too delicate for automatic dishwashing. Wash by hand.