When your dishwasher starts sending dishes out with food still stuck on them, the machine is not dying. Nine times out of ten, the spray arm is clogged.

I almost called a repair guy once over this. The dishwasher would wash the top rack fine but leave the bottom rack filthy. A plumber friend of mine laughed and said, “Check the little holes.” He was right.

Find the Spray Arm

Open the door and look at the bottom. The spray arm is the round bar with small holes that spins during the wash cycle. There may be a second one under the top rack.

Take It Off and Inspect It

Most spray arms twist off or unscrew with a quarter turn. Pull it out and hold it up to the light. Clogged holes show up as dark spots. Hard water minerals and food gunk are usually the culprits.

Clean the Holes

Use a toothpick or a small wire to poke through each blocked hole. Do not use anything metal that might scratch or widen the holes, because the spray pressure depends on the hole size. Rinse the arm under running water, then pop it back in.

Prevent the Clogs

Scrape big food scraps off plates before loading, even if your dishwasher claims it has a food grinder. And run a dishwasher cleaner every couple of months to break up mineral buildup. It is a ten minute job and it keeps the spray arm holes clear.

My dishwasher has been running clean for a year since that first fix. The repair guy never got my money.