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where is dishwasher filter

The dishwasher filter is usually at the very bottom of the dishwasher tub, underneath the lower rack, near where the water drains out.

Quick Scoop: Where is the dishwasher filter?

In most modern dishwashers, you’ll find the filter here:

  • Pull out the bottom rack completely so the floor of the tub is visible.
  • Look at the bottom center or back corner of the tub.
  • You’re usually looking for a round or oval piece of plastic or mesh, often:
    • A cylindrical “basket” shape, or
    • A flat circular plate with tiny holes around the base of the bottom spray arm.

Many brands (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, etc.) place the filter:

  • Around the base of the lower spray arm , or
  • In a back corner of the tub bottom, under a small grate or cover.

Some older or certain budget models:

  • Have a non-removable “self-cleaning” filter hidden under a screwed-down metal or plastic grate.
  • Or appear to have no user‑serviceable filter at all , so you won’t see an obvious piece you can twist and lift out.

How to check if yours has a removable filter

If you’ve pulled the bottom rack out and still aren’t sure:

  1. Look for a round cap or mesh piece you can twist. Many filters unlock with a quarter‑turn and then lift straight out.
  1. If everything is flat and screwed down with no twist-off part, your model may use a fixed, self‑cleaning filter system.
  1. If you can see the brand and model number on the door frame label, the user manual or brand website will say whether the filter is removable and where exactly it is.

Tiny example story

Someone on a cleaning forum thought their dishwasher “didn’t have a filter” because they couldn’t see a basket at the bottom.

After people pointed it out, they realized the filter was hidden under a grate at the back , reachable only after removing the spray arm and unscrewing several small screws.

So if you don’t see an obvious twist-out piece, it may still exist — just tucked under a cover and a bit harder to reach.

TL;DR:
For most dishwashers, pull out the bottom rack and look at the floor of the tub near the lower spray arm; the filter is usually a circular or mesh part there, but some models hide it under a screwed-down grate or don’t have a user‑cleanable filter at all.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.