Chosen Solution
Problem I ran the dishwasher with a couple really greasy dishes and it ended up getting grease on all the dishes in the load. So, I then washed them all by hand and ran the washer a few times. However, nothing seems to work. I still have a film of grease on my dishes. Question How do I get the grease out of my dishwasher? I have heard vinegar, baking soda, stopping it mid-cycle and adding more detergent, etc… What works best?
First see if your water level and temperature are enough to cut the grease. Fill the washer and then open it to make sure the water level reaches the heating element. The temp should be at least 130 degrees F. If that is OK then spray some Simple Green all over the inside of of the washer and let it sit for an hour and then run it. If your water is especially hard more detergent may be requires.
Had a similar problem with a Neff dishwasher. However grease stayed on the filters. Tried several things and ended up with dishwasher cleaner from the supermarket, which did the trick (although it did smell!) I would be worried about putting something too caustic in there as it may damage the seals in the pumps and heaters. BTW, spirit vinegar is very good for removing scale and nasty smells if you don’t like the artificial smell of the cleaners. Doesn’t remove grease very well though.
Sounds like the first problem is bad dishwasher soap. Try a different brand. Next, if your dishwasher has any sort of a heat boost setting for the wash and/or rinse, always turn it on. Dishwasher soaps are far more effective with hot water (more than 130 degrees). to clean the damage already done, spray degrease into the (empty) dishwasher after the first pre-rinse and let the dishwasher finish running. And again, make sure the heat boost is turned on.
