How to Operate a Kenmore Dishwasher: A Pro's Guide

Almost always it's the 4-second rule. You've got to close the door within 4 seconds of hitting Start or the machine just times out and cancels. Open the door, hit Start, and close it right away. Don't hesitate. If it still won't start, check that the child lock isn't on. On a lot of Kenmore models there's a lock button that disables all the controls and it's really easy to accidentally activate it, especially if kids are around.

Yes, you really do. Modern Kenmore dishwashers use way less heat than older machines to save energy, which means they rely on rinse aid to get dishes dry. Rinse aid breaks the surface tension of water so it sheets off the dishes instead of forming droplets that leave spots or just sit there. Skipping it is the number one reason people think their dishwasher is broken when it's actually fine. Fill the reservoir once and it'll last you weeks.

Smart Wash uses a turbidity sensor inside the tub to measure how dirty the water gets as it washes. Based on that reading, it automatically adjusts how long the cycle runs and how much water it uses. So a lightly soiled load finishes faster and uses less water, and a really dirty load gets more time. It's basically a 'let the machine figure it out' setting. I tell people to use it whenever they're not sure which cycle to pick.

Most Kenmore models show a Clean light on the front panel or along the top edge of the door. Some of the newer ones project a little light beam onto the floor, which is actually pretty convenient. Whatever your model does, wait about 30 minutes after that light comes on before you open the door. The steam inside needs time to settle and the dishes finish drying from residual heat during that window. Open it too early and everything's wet, and then people blame the machine.

Don't do it. Cast iron will rust and the seasoning you spent years building up will be gone after one cycle. Wooden handles crack and split because dishwashers are a wet-hot-dry cycle repeated over and over, and wood just can't take it. Same goes for good carbon steel knives. Hand wash those. Everything else, go for it. But cast iron, wood, and sharp carbon steel knives are the three things I'd never put in any dishwasher regardless of brand.

Once a month if you're running it daily, honestly. Pull out the bottom rack and look at the center of the tub floor. There's a cylindrical filter with a twist-off cap and the whole thing just lifts right out. Rinse it under the sink and use an old toothbrush on the mesh to knock the greasy buildup loose. Takes maybe five minutes. A clogged filter is the second most common reason dishes come out dirty, right behind loading problems. And if yours hasn't been touched in a year, don't be surprised if there's a smell coming from it too.