Bosch Dishwasher Lifespan: Is It Built To Last?

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Dishwashers, like other household appliances, have a finite life. Still, when you're choosing one, you want to make sure it'll last as long as possible since it's an expensive purchase (not to mention an inconvenience to install). Although modern appliances generally have shorter life expectancies than their older counterparts, many are still built to last.

Bosch dishwashers are among those, and Bosch is one of the most reliable dishwasher brands on the market. The brand estimates its appliances will last six to 16 years (via its Appliance Buying Guide). But anecdotal reports place some dishwashers' lifespan even longer. One Redditor wrote their Bosch dishwasher still worked well after 18 years and another said their machine of more than 20 years never needed maintenance work. The manufacturer doesn't guarantee performance for that long, though.

Bosch joins brands like Midea and LG with high marks in reliability, meaning its appliances are likely to have a long lifespan (compared to the general dishwasher average of around 10 years). Still, that doesn't mean the appliance is indestructible. A large part of keeping a dishwasher for a long time is maintaining it properly, and even though the equipment inside a Bosch dishwasher is likely to outlast some other brands, there are some basic rules to follow to keep it in good working condition.

Some things should never go in the dishwasher, and that includes items that could fall down and jam up the mechanism. That might be something like a sticky label on a container, which won't dissolve in hot water but can peel off and get stuck in the filter. Or you could damage the machine with plastics that aren't dishwasher safe and can melt into the parts at the bottom. Check each item you put in to make sure they are actually dishwasher safe.

Make sure to clean your dishwasher regularly. It might seem like it's clean because it's always washing your dishes, but that's not strictly true. (It's the same reason you still need to clean your shower or bathtub periodically.) You can buy a cleaner from Bosch directly, or through retailers like Amazon, which the brand recommends using a few times a year.

There's one more important step: Check the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher periodically. The filter traps food pieces, and while a good detergent helps break them down over time, they won't all dissolve. You'll need to unscrew the filter, rinse it under warm water, scrub it gently, and then replace it. That'll help preemptively keep the machine in good shape, but all appliances stop working eventually. After too long, even the most reliable dishwashers might show signs they're on their last legs.