Do I need to run an empty cycle before first use?

Yes — it flushes manufacturing residue and confirms the machine fills, drains and heats correctly while it is still easy to raise with the installer.

My new dishwasher smells like plastic. Normal?

A faint new-plastic smell for the first few cycles is normal and fades. A drain or sour smell is not, and usually means a missing high loop.

How soon should a new machine be deep cleaned?

About twelve months in, or sooner in water above 10 grains per gallon.

How-To

New Dishwasher: Setup Steps Most People Skip

August 11, 2026 · 6 min read · Dishwasher Cleaning technicians

Five setup steps at installation prevent most of the problems that show up in year one.

Short answer

Confirm the drain hose high loop, check the disposal knockout plug was removed, set the machine's water hardness, fill the rinse aid reservoir, and run one empty hot cycle before the first load.

Check the drain hose high loop

The drain hose must rise to the underside of the countertop and be fastened there before dropping to the disposal or standpipe. That loop is what stops dirty sink water siphoning back into the machine. Installers are supposed to do it; a meaningful share do not.

Look under the sink. If the hose runs flat from the machine to the drain connection, secure it high with a zip tie or clamp. This one step prevents the most common 'my new dishwasher smells' complaint.

Confirm the disposal knockout plug came out

If the dishwasher drains into a garbage disposal, the disposal's dishwasher inlet ships with a solid plug that must be punched out. When it is missed, the machine will not drain at all — and the symptom appears immediately after installation.

If your brand-new dishwasher holds water on day one, check this before anything else.

Set the water hardness

Machines with a built-in softener have a hardness setting, usually buried in a control-panel sequence in the manual. It ships on a default that is wrong for most homes. Set it from your utility's published grains-per-gallon figure and fill the salt reservoir if there is one.

Machines without a softener have no setting, but knowing your hardness still determines your descaling interval — so look it up regardless.

Fill rinse aid and run an empty cycle

Fill the rinse aid reservoir before the first load, not after you notice spotting. Then run one empty hot or normal cycle with a small amount of detergent to flush manufacturing residue and dust out of the tub and hoses.

Level the machine — an out-of-level tub drains poorly and holds standing water.
Run the hot tap at the sink before the first cycle so it fills with hot water.
Photograph the model and serial plate inside the door; you will need it for parts.
Register the warranty and note the installation date for future service.

Then start the maintenance clock

From day one, rinse the filter monthly and descale on the interval your hardness dictates. A machine maintained from new never accumulates the scale and biofilm debt that makes a five-year-old dishwasher feel worn out.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to run an empty cycle before first use?: Yes — it flushes manufacturing residue and confirms the machine fills, drains and heats correctly while it is still easy to raise with the installer.
My new dishwasher smells like plastic. Normal?: A faint new-plastic smell for the first few cycles is normal and fades. A drain or sour smell is not, and usually means a missing high loop.
How soon should a new machine be deep cleaned?: About twelve months in, or sooner in water above 10 grains per gallon.