AEG Machine Care: how to start the dishwasher cleaning program
If your AEG dishwasher shows a star symbol or the message Please run Machine Care, it is asking for its cleaning program.
Do it yourself or leave it to us
Cleaning your AEG dishwasher yourself or having it serviced
Are your dishes still dirty, does the machine smell musty, or do your glasses have white limescale marks? Then grease, limescale and food remains have built up in the filter, the spray arms and the water channels. AEG's cleaning program, Machine Care, rinses the inside at a high temperature. On this page you can read how to start it and what to clean by hand first.
Would you rather have a technician do it? Maintenance at your home costs €50 per appliance, on top of the €69 diagnosis. If a part turns out to be faulty, the technician tells you the repair price in advance.
How it works, in 3 steps
Prices
How much does AEG dishwasher repair cost?
Whether your AEG dishwasher won't drain, doesn't dry or shows an error code: you pay the same fixed price, just like for any other brand.
A technician finds out at your home why your AEG dishwasher isn't working properly. If you don't go ahead with the repair, you only pay for the diagnosis.
If the technician can repair your AEG dishwasher, you pay €110. No time limit: even if it takes long or a second visit is needed.
Spare parts are not included. The technician tells you in advance if a part is needed and what it costs.
Chrono surcharge for a visit in the evening, at the weekend or just a few hours after your request.
Second appliance during the same visit? The technician can check and repair it too for €80.
Maintenance as well? The technician can also clean and check your appliance thoroughly, for €50 per appliance on top of the diagnosis and repair.
Prefer remote help first? A video repair costs €49. See all our prices →
What does the star symbol or the Machine Care message mean?
Your AEG dishwasher keeps track of when it needs a thorough clean. A star icon then appears on the control panel, or the message Machine Care (for example Please run Machine Care) on the display. Nothing is broken: the machine is asking for its cleaning program.
Can I switch off the Machine Care reminder?
No. The reminder cannot be switched off. It only disappears once the Machine Care program has run all the way through.
Cleaning an AEG dishwasher step by step
The cleaning program works best if you first clean the filters, the spray arms and the door seal by hand. Switch the dishwasher off and unplug it before you start. Make sure the baskets are empty.
How do you clean the filters of your AEG dishwasher?
At the bottom of the tub there is a filter system in three parts: a round filter (B), a finer filter inside it (C) and a flat filter underneath (A). Check them after every use and clean them when needed.
- Turn filter B to the left and lift it out of the tub.
- Take filter C out of filter B.
- Remove the flat filter A.
- Rinse the filters under running water. A soft brush helps with stubborn dirt. Also check that there is no glass, plastic or food in or around the sump.
- Put the flat filter A back and make sure it is seated properly.
- Click filter C back into filter B, place them on filter A and turn clockwise until they lock. The red arrow marks must meet.
A filter that is put back wrongly cleans badly and can damage the machine. A blocked filter is also the most common reason a dishwasher cleans badly or smells. If your model differs, follow the manual.
How do you clean the spray arms?
- Pull the lower spray arm up and off. The upper spray arm depends on the model: on some you clean it in place, on others you turn the fixing counter-clockwise and pull it down. If you have a cutlery tray at the top, remove it first. The manual for your model says which applies.
- Rinse the spray arm under running water and clear the holes with a toothpick. Let water run through the holes so the dirt is flushed out from the inside.
- Put the spray arm back until it clicks and check that it turns freely.
How do you clean the door seal?
Wipe the rubber seal and the edge of the door with a soft, damp cloth, including between the folds. Do not use abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, pan scourers, sharp objects, strong chemicals or solvents.
How do you start AEG's Machine Care program?
- Make sure the dishwasher is empty. There should be no dishes in the baskets.
- Use a cleaning product made specifically for dishwashers and follow the instructions on the pack.
- Press Extra Power and AUTO(Sense) at the same time and hold both buttons for about 3 seconds. The indicator lights flash and the display shows the program duration.
- Close the door. The program starts by itself.
- Once the program has finished, the star and the message disappear.
Use such a dishwasher cleaning product at least every two months.
What if your AEG dishwasher has no Extra Power or AUTO(Sense) button?
Then check the manual for your model. On some appliances you start the cleaning program from the menu. If your dishwasher has no cleaning program at all, use an intensive program at a high temperature, without dishes.
Should I top up rinse aid and salt afterwards?
Check straight away. Rinse aid goes in the reservoir on the inside of the door, next to the detergent compartment. Salt goes in the reservoir at the bottom, near the filter: use a funnel and special dishwasher salt, never table salt. If you use 3-in-1 tablets, you do not need to add salt and rinse aid separately.
How often should you clean your AEG dishwasher?
A fixed routine keeps grease and limescale away:
- Use a dishwasher cleaning product at least every two months, or start the Machine Care program as soon as the machine asks for it.
- Run a long, high-temperature program twice a month with no dishes. This matters most if you usually choose short programs, because they leave grease and limescale behind.
- Check the filters and clean them when needed.
- Choose a full high-temperature program when the dishes are very dirty or greasy. Grease comes off far better at a high temperature.
White deposits, discolouration or smells after cleaning?
Why does my AEG dishwasher leave a white deposit?
First look at where the deposit is. A milky haze that only appears on glasses and will not wipe off is usually glass corrosion: a permanent change in the glass, caused among other things by wash time, temperature and detergent. If the white layer is on cutlery, plates or inside the tub, it is salt, limescale or starch. If you can wipe it off with a finger, it is salt or starch. If it dissolves with a little vinegar, it is limescale.
- Salt: check that the cap of the salt reservoir is on tight and that its seal is intact. Fill the reservoir. If you spilled salt, start a short program straight away.
- Limescale: check that the water hardness set on your dishwasher matches the water in your town. If you use multi tablets in a hard water area, you sometimes need to add salt or rinse aid. A white layer inside the tub comes off with a dishwasher descaler.
- Starch: clean the filters and click them in properly.
Why do the baskets and spray arms of my dishwasher change colour?
Tomato and pasta sauces leave a red deposit, terracotta dishes a brown one. If you always run short programs, grease and limescale add to it. Choose a high-temperature program such as Intensive twice a month and use a dishwasher cleaning product at least every two months. A brown deposit can also come from dirty waste water flowing back. Check that the drain hose is connected properly and remove any visible residue near the drain.
Why does my dishwasher still smell musty after cleaning?
Check the filters again and wipe the door seal between the folds. Then run the cleaning program once more. If the smell stays, waste water may be trapped in the drain, and then a technician can help.
Can you descale an AEG dishwasher with vinegar?
If you see a white deposit in the tub, vinegar can help against limescale and smells. Put a cup of white vinegar in the upper basket and run a long program without dishes.
Do this no more than once a quarter, as an extra. A dishwasher cleaning product remains the best choice. Never use vinegar and soda crystals in the same program: vinegar works against limescale, soda against grease.
Still an error code after cleaning?
The cleaning program removes dirt and limescale, but it does not fix a faulty part. These are the codes you see most often:
What does error code i20 mean on an AEG dishwasher?
The dishwasher is not pumping the water out. Clean the filters at the bottom of the tub and check that the drain hose is not kinked. AEG also uses the codes i23, i24 and i28 for a similar drain problem. If the code stays on, the drain pump or one of its parts is faulty.
What does error code i30 mean on an AEG dishwasher?
The leak protection has found water at the bottom of the machine or suspects a leak. The machine then keeps trying to pump water out. Try this:
- Check the tap and the connection of the water inlet hose.
- Check that the filters are clean and clicked in properly.
- Check that no large item in the baskets blocks the spray arm. The water is then sprayed at the same spot all the time and can leak past the door seal.
- Clean the spray arms and check that they are not damaged.
- Check that the rinse aid is dosed correctly. Water that is too soft can produce too much foam and cause an overflow.
- Check that the dishwasher is level and does not lean forward.
- Fill the salt reservoir just before you start a program, so spilled grains do not eat holes in the tub.
- After cleaning or replacing a spray arm, turn off the tap, unplug the machine and leave it for 24 hours. Then try again.
If i30 comes back, there is a leak or a fault that a technician needs to check.
All error codes and faults are on our page AEG dishwasher repair.
What does maintenance by a technician cost?
Would you rather have a technician clean and check your dishwasher thoroughly? That is possible, at your home.
| Maintenance | Price (incl. VAT) |
|---|---|
| 1 appliance | €119 (€69 call-out and diagnosis + €50 maintenance) |
| Each extra appliance | €50 extra |
| With a repair | €50 extra per appliance, on top of the diagnosis and the repair |
A repair costs at most €179 in total (diagnosis included), parts extra. If the technician finds a fault, they tell you the repair price in advance.
Where do we service and repair AEG dishwashers?
Our technicians work in Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region, East Flanders, West Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Limburg, Liège, Namur, Hainaut and Walloon Brabant.
Do your technicians have to travel from Vilvoorde every morning?
No. Our technicians live all over Belgium and set off every morning from their own municipality. The parts they need are delivered straight to their homes. That way we get to you quickly, without long drives and often as soon as the next working day.
Is your AEG dishwasher broken?
All faults and error codes are on AEG dishwasher repair. Other AEG appliances are on AEG repair service, other brands on dishwasher repair. See also all our prices.
Frequently asked questions about the AEG cleaning program
Empty the dishwasher and use a dishwasher cleaning product. Press Extra Power and AUTO(Sense) at the same time and hold them for about 3 seconds. Close the door: the program starts by itself. If your model does not have those buttons, check the manual.
Nothing is broken. The dishwasher is asking for its cleaning program. You see it as a star icon on the control panel or as the message Machine Care on the display. Start the program and the message disappears.
By letting the Machine Care program run all the way through. The reminder itself cannot be switched off.
Use a dishwasher cleaning product at least every two months and run a long, high-temperature program with no dishes twice a month. The dishwasher reminds you of Machine Care itself with a star symbol or a message.
Switch the dishwasher off and unplug it. Turn the round filter to the left and lift it out, take out the fine filter and remove the flat filter. Rinse everything under running water. Put the filters back and turn them clockwise until they click.
A product made specifically for dishwashers, from the supermarket or online. We do not recommend a particular brand. Follow the instructions on the pack.
It is salt, limescale, starch or glass corrosion. A milky haze on glasses that will not come off is glass corrosion. If the layer wipes off with a finger, it is salt or starch. If it dissolves with vinegar, it is limescale. Check the salt reservoir, the water hardness and the filters.
Tomato and pasta sauces leave a red deposit, terracotta dishes a brown one. Choose a high-temperature program twice a month and use a dishwasher cleaning product at least every two months.
The leak protection has found water at the bottom of the machine or suspects a leak. Check the tap and inlet hose, the filters, the spray arms, whether the appliance is level and whether the rinse aid is dosed correctly. If i30 comes back, a technician needs to check the leak.
No, never in the same program. Vinegar works against limescale, soda against grease. Use them separately and only as an extra to a dishwasher cleaning product.
Maintenance at your home costs €119 including VAT: €69 for the call-out and diagnosis and €50 for the maintenance. If you also have a repair done during the same visit, maintenance is added at €50 per appliance, on top of the diagnosis and the repair (together at most €179, parts extra).
If it still cleans badly, leaks, makes noise or shows an error code, a part is probably faulty. The diagnosis at your home costs €69. If you choose the repair, you pay at most €179 in total, parts extra, with a 3-month warranty on the repair.
No. If your dishwasher is still under the manufacturer’s warranty, contact AEG or the shop where you bought it. We are an independent repair service, not an official AEG service partner.
Use the button on this page to choose a day and a time slot yourself. You can also call 02 615 45 20. Mention the model number and whether you want maintenance, a repair or both.