A dishwasher can make life easier—it reduces the hassle of hand-washing and keep your kitchen countertops and sink free from the clutter of dirty dishes—but if your dishwasher stops working properly, don’t panic. There are several things you can do to get it working properly once more.

Following are the preliminary steps to take before tackling common dishwasher problems. After you've looked over these points, be sure to follow the various links to dealing with specific dishwasher repairs.

1) Unplug the appliance from its electrical receptacle or shut off the circuit that powers it.

2) Turn off the water supply valve that routes to the dishwasher beneath the sink before disconnecting or working on the dishwasher’s water supply.

3) Don’t work inside the dishwasher immediately following a wash cycle; various parts, especially the electric dryer element at the bottom, may be too hot to handle .

Once you’ve completed these preliminary steps, you’re ready to tackle the problem at hand.

Please see the Repair & Care articles listed directly below. These will guide you through fixing a dishwasher that doesn't run, works poorly, doesn't drain, and so forth.