Nobody likes to think about changing or cleaning out filters for the numerous household systems and units, but someone's gotta do it. If Mike Rowe of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" can do some of the things he's tackled, we should be able to clean out our filters with little distress.

For starters, dishwashers have filters. I clean them out because, when I found my dishes weren't getting as clean as I'd have liked, I checked the care and use guide. Lo and behold, in almost all units there is a filter that needs to be cleared of the garbage and grossness that we lazily failed to rinse off the dishes before stacking them into the dishwasher. There's no Garbage Fairy who deals with leftover green beans and pasta.

The filter is easily removed but should be handled with care and gently rinsed. If necessary, most care guides can be found online by searching for the unit's make and model. How often this filter needs to be cleaned out depends on your diligence in rinsing dishes before they are put into the dishwasher. You'll know.

I check the dishwasher routinely, but had to laugh recently at a friend's Facebook post that started out something like, "Don't do it on a full stomach, use gloves and take a long shower afterward." Even if I didn't know that she was referring to her dishwasher filter, I could have possibly guessed, unless she was talking about the shower or sink drains — which, I have to say, are even more gross.

The second place in a dishwasher to tend to is a little trickier and might be beyond the do-it-yourselfer level. It's the non-return valve, which could be clogged if you're finding water in the bottom of the dishwasher when the load is finished. It can be found by looking through the manual that came with the unit.

The biggest culprit in my house that seems to involve the dishwasher's "final defender" area is popcorn kernels.

If you know the primary filter is free of debris and the unit still is not working up to par, know that there is quite often another possible solution, even if it means a registered plumber has to be called to check it out.

WASHING MACHINES

The laundry sock monster isn't as mysterious as you might think.

Having watched our repairman disassemble several different washing machines over the years, I've learned socks seem to love to get under the rubber lip that the door closes against. You can reach under it from the inside edge with no disassembly required and often find at least one of the hideaways. If they've been there a while, they can be kind of smelly, so prep yourself.

GARBAGE DISPOSALS

That wafting out of your drain with the garbage disposal won't go away by itself. Certain foods, like eggshells and potato peels, just seem to want to hang around and fester.

Aside from biodegradable, foaming packs of natural enxymes intended to help with the odor and clear the blades, there are almost as many suggestions as there are people to ask. However, oranges, lemons or baking soda help the smell, while whole ice cubes clear stuff away. The best pointer I ever got was to pull out the rubber drain cover and clean it. The underside of it can collect food remnants that begin to fester — it's another job better done wearing gloves.

rmcroberts@lnpnews.com