I've also been trying the Kirkland packs in my DW. No cheesy gunk.

We've been using the Finish powerball all-in-one in our 6-month-old Bosch, with the addition of a separate rinse aid, since day-1. No problem of any kind. We have a water softener also.

I have followed this thread for a year, and finally got rid of the orange velveta gunk in the Bosch filter and the bottom door hinge by switching from the Costco Finish Powerball to Cascade Platinum 15x. The gunk was gone after the first wash and has not returned. Those Cascade pods are expensive and we have purchased from Amazon to find the best price. We will experiment with the lesser power Cascade Platinum versions to see if they still work and save money. We will also return the most recent and mostly unused bucket of Finish Powerballs to Costco. They seem to take most things back. Thanks to all the good contributors on this thread.

Having the same problem with my LG. I’m going to try Casacde today. What about the Jet Dry? I noticed it is now “Jet Dry Finish rinse aid” should I stop using the rinse aid as well or is this problem just the powerball tabs? Thanks. This list is awesome.

Darren-I use the finish/jet dry and have the dispenser set to the lowest dose amount. The Finish Powerball all in one tabs were the problem for us--- this is the one where you have to remove the outer wrapper on the tab. I don't know if those are even sold anymore

Finish Quantum tabs are fine, as are Cascad pods. Once I changed detergent, all has been fine in our Bosch DW.

Many, many thanks to Jerzeegirl and Cavimum for their most excellent advice. Hard to believe that this thread started 4 years ago - and still helping people! Like me! Same story, but when I went looking for answers and finally came across this thread and all the same issues - well, we promptly went to the store and purchased the Finish Quantum. All is well and good in Dishwasherborough!

Update - I had this problem and posted about it above in this convo.

The latest CR magazine highly rated the Costco Kirkland 'Premium DW Pacs'. At 1/3 to 1/4 the price-per-load compared to the Cascade and Finish Quantum pods that have worked well for me, I engaged in experimental behavior (as wild as it gets at my age now - lol) and bought some.

After using them the past few weeks, my Bosch DW has had no velveeta-looking gunk in the filter, and the Kirkland doesn't have as strong chemical odor upon opening the packaging as the last batch of Finish that I've been using. And, so far, every thing is coming out nice and clean, too.

Hi Cavimum, Thanks for the new "experiment"! I think I will try the Costco Premium Pacs. I am wondering if they are made by the people who make Quantum. Do they look similar? When I spoke with the Finish people they said they were "negotiating" with the big box stores to get the product on the shelf. Perhaps they decided to do it by putting it under the Kirkland brand.

Is anyone still here? I’ve JUST discovered this ”greasy pale yellow cheese” in my bosch dw after 3 years of ONLY using finish quantum pods. So, I’m going to go on the notion from @verandric that it’s the casing on the pods, and not anything else. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Just so you all know we have been using the Costco Premium Pacs for about 10 months and no gunk at all. It's worth a try.

Jerzeegirl, I switched to the Costco packs about the same time you did to try them out and liked them so much I bought another box to continue using them.

Costco brand solved my problem as well!

My landlord bought us a new dishwasher and it has plagued us. It ends up dripping white sludge throughout the dishwasher, not white "hard water" marks, but a grease. We are cleaning it out again today. We will switch to the costco packs for sure. One thought, our pipes are 70 years old. The plumber came and replaced the main sewage line from the kitchen through the house (it was rotting from the inside out and breaking through at points). He said the kitchen clean out was completely packed. Could it be slow drain regurgitating sludge back up? Anyone have this idea? Since fat floats when hot, it would remain at the top and accumulate while the water slow drains? We are SO tired of taking the entire inside of the dishwasher apart every 2-3 months.

I would first try new dishwasher tabs and see if that works. If your dishwasher was installed properly, I don't know why water would be backing into it.

If the old DW did not do this, I would question the installation.

If it was installed properly (air gap, etc), my next question is --- what is upstream from the DW? A bathroom? If you have another sewer line clog past the DW, something could be backing up into the DW. It happened to us when we had a small vegetable sink that geysered. It was the only clue we had that the sewer line just past the kitchen sink was clogged.

I had this issue with the yellow gunk. i tried changing dishwasher detergent to many different types including cascade. I saw some improvement but still had the problem and had to clean up the filter every wash. After looking up problems with dishwasher fluid, there were articles about the water temperature being above 120F to work well. I turned the water temperature at my water heater to hot and saw a small improvement. Looking a temperature issues with my Bosch dishwasher, I found that the heater control circuit fails. There are a lot of youtube videos on the problem. I disassembled the dishwasher control board and resoldered it like the videos say. Its been 3 months with no more yellow gunk. So check the water heating circuit on your dishwasher.

Thank you! I haven’t had cheesy build up but lately my dishwasher is leaving a sticky/oily film. I have had a Bosch 800 for a few years and the problem only started recently. I noticed when I switch where I put the tab the film moves so that lead me to research. I use finish tabs with the red ball abd have since I bought the dishwasher but something must have changed in the past 3-4 months. I’ll try Quantum. Thank you!!!

I took apart my dishwasher to extract the filter and the entire thing is covered in a mysterious grey grease which is resistant to soap and water, vinegar and even rubbing alcohol. Mineral spirits has no effect either! It's all over my scrubbing brush and will not come off! It has a consistency like engine grease. How could it have formed from food particles is what I don't understand.

I've been using Seventh Generation dishwasher detergent because I want to be nice to the environment, but now I wonder if I should use something harsher from time to time.

Sorry for the gross photo, but I want to show what it looks like in case anyone has encountered this before and more importantly, found something that will clean it off?

Appreciate sincere replies and not trolls please, thanks

Yes, you should. All of the time.

No gunk

Bosch actually recommends using Finish MAX 3-in-1 or Finish Quantum. I use both depending upon the intensity of soil involved. Following package directions, I would also run Finish Dishwasher Cleaner at least twice through your dishwasher on Intensive/Heavy and Sanitize rinse option. That's horrendous looking!!! I wonder how hard your water is too.

Thank you boba1, I managed to finally get it clean after soaking it in a mixture of dawn grease cutting detergent, windex, vinegar and boiling water and swishing it around for a long long time with many changes of water. The filter was clearly designed to never be cleanable by a human! I will order some of that Quantum stuff. Actually my dishwasher is a Maytag, but this was the most relevant thread on the subject I could find.

Good. I kept looking at your photo and thinking, that doesn't look like a Bosch, it reminds me too much of a product of the Whirlpool/Maytag/KitchenAid family.

Smutz accumulation isn't uncommon. Particular detergents can be unfriendly to the specific water supply conditions, users may be running the shortest, coolest-temp cycle, etc. Pics of three examples from a servicer discussion board.

Thank you dadoes, I'm glad I'm not the first to have encountered this greasy gross stuff! I found even more of the vile stuff packed further down in the works. I've spent most of the day cleaning this stuff up! Crazy!

This is what I'm dealing with. The fibrous nature of the gunk doesn't match anything I can think of being put into our dishwasher. We've used Finish Powerball Quantum Ultimate Pro for all but maybe 10-20 cycles since we bought the dishwasher 3 or 4 years ago (e.g. have used some samples etc), and this is the 3rd time I've cleaned this stuff off. The whiteness seems like tissues, but the way it disintegrates when played between my fingers seems like it could well be the plastic coating on the tablets - it's just the whiteness that gets me, why isn't it clearer?

(close up after I put the filter into a white mug with vinegar and hot water)

We tried the Finish Powerball tablets recently, and never again. Got a build-up of the powder detergent on the sides of the DW door. I usually use the Cascade pods, and went back to those and I have never seen that residue with the Cascade. Change DW detergents before you do a lot else.

Never again will I fall for a sale price.

@Me Me Did something go through the dishwasher with a label on it?

Costco pods are the only ones i have used used that dont cause build up of this gunk

@vinmarks as funny and simple an explanation as that might be, unfortunately I think not. This is the 4th or 5th time I've cleaned the filter of our dishwasher, and it's always the same white fibrous funky stuff. And the gooey gluey feeling between my fingers isn't at all like tissues or paper towel or wet wipes (all of which I've experimented with at various times in my life for various reasons)

@vinmarks ... then again, it could be the white barcode stickers on the bottom of various kitchen items when you first purchase them... You know what, I think this mystery is worthy enough of me experimenting with multiple tablets tomorrow... If it is the tablets...

All labels and stickers need to be soaked off in the sink, not in the dishwasher for this exact reason.

I had been using Seventh Generation pods and discovered a gray greasy deposit in/on the filter. After reading this thread I went to Costco to get Costco Kirkland Premium DW Pacs, as mentioned earlier in this thread. All I found was Kirkland Platinum Performance Ultra Shine pods. After the first use (after thoroughly cleaning the filter), I found there is a greasy deposit, but now it is orange. Will try Cascade Platinum. Fingers crossed.

Cascade complete is the answer we run it every night lightly rinse the plates and not problem

I did a write up on another site that has specific makes of dishwashers. I found the 'New' Finish Quantum (Hard Water) works better than Cascade / Fairy Platinum. Also I think I corrected build-up at the screen, under the lock down lip. Only non heating element without built in disposal unit designs have such a screen build up issue.

We have the same problem with our GE. We use cascade gel because a handywoman in our neighborhood said not to use the pods cause the plastic doesnt always melt and it can clog your hose so now i dont know what to believe

Liquid/Gels are typically poor performers. Try powder. Or pods if you wish to take a go at them, dissolving shouldn't be a problem unless your water supply isn't hot enough. Run the hot sink faucet to purge the supply line before starting the machine if that's in doubt, and/or select a high-temp wash or rinse option if your machine has such.

We have a Bosch in our current house and have had Bosch in previous house. Used a kitchenaide dishwasher in a rental. Have always used Cascade pods and never had any issues with gunk or dishes not getting clean. Never had issues with the pods not dissolving.

The thread that won't die...I'm having the exact same issue as @Me Me with our Kitchenaid dishwasher - heavy white gunk building up in a lot of different places, including inside the washer arms and areas that are protected from being directly sprayed (like the outside of the sliding rails and parts that are covered.

The gunk is white and looks fibrous but generally falls apart when you handle it. Before I realized the extent of the buildup, I initially wondered if we'd accidentally washed a paper towel or something like that, but it's far too much to be from that and it's all over.

We've been using the Cascade Platinum pods and I'm now wondering if it's residue from the outside covering - perhaps it's not completely dissolving.

@Me Me, just curious if you were able to eliminate the problem?

Nova Hokie - Have you bought some DW cleaner and run a cycle with it? Sounds like it might could be mineral buildup from the water. I can't use the Cascade Platinum pods or anything Cascade in our Bosch because it suds up too much. ( and no, I do not pre-rinse dishes and flatware in the sink) Our water is "moderately hard". I can't speak for KitchenAid machines, but perhaps it is detergent residue?

Does your machine have a filter? If it does, maybe it needs a good cleaning? Just thinking out loud here . . .

Yeah, the irony is we've been much more dilligent about routine maintenance with this unit than any previous dishwasher we've owned. We regularly clean the filter and run a cleaning cycle with either vinegar or a commercial dishwasher cleaning product once a month or so. I think i may try running an extra rinse cycle for a while and see if that makes a difference and/or try a different detergent.

Nova Hokie - FWIW, I use Finish DW detergent and also the Costco/Kirklands pods. The Costco pods work great for us and cost half as much as Finish.

My Bosch has a slimy/greasy film in the bottom and at the base of the door. i sxrubbed dishwasher and dilters with baking soda and dawn and then ran a cycle with baking soda in the bottom. theres still a blackish crud coming from the bottome of the door. ran a cleaning cycle with vinegar. scrubbed with a brush at bottom of door and still have xrud coming out. how can i fix this. this was a pre ones DW and we only use liquid detergent

SLIM build up in my Bosch dishwasher has lead me here to find out "What the heck" !! CONSIDER THIS......DANGER...TOXINS !! That GUNK is the un-broken down "Plasticized wrapper" of the gel inside of it. THAT IS a toxin in itself AND....because t stays WET inside your dishwasher when not in use? It serves to GROW bacteria, mold, fungus, pathogens....and THEN...you dishes get COATED with that every time you wash them in it. I sggest tha everyone STOP using ANYTHING that are the drop in "bulbs" and at this point? If they are so iresponsible to risk peoples heath by selling those? i do not trust the "soap" chemistry they are putting IN those bulbs either. I just started to run mine with Oxy-Powder for clothes in my dish washer ad it looks like that MIGHT clean out the "gunk". i will know in about an hour and a half. IF it has? Because the Oxy-Powder is also a well label warned toxin, i will run vinegar through the dishwasher several times to clan THAT out. THEN, before I wash dishes in the dish washer again i am going to have to "step back" and investigate for a "safe solution".....and I do not see that being trusted to ANY wrapped, packeted, gel, manufacturer or seller. I'll probably have to invent my own dish washer solution. It MAY BE that i have to hand wash all dishes and silverware first and only use the dish washer to "sanitise" the dishes. Dish washers were never designed nor intended to scrub or remove heavies or stuck on food or grease. Food for thought. Be HEALTHY...and be well people. WE WISE !

It’s the pods people! I tried cascade and 7th generation, both left orange “gunk” build up. Costco pods do not!