How do I read my dishwasher’s cycle status lights or display icons?

Start with the dishwasher’s exact model number, then find that model’s owner’s manual and look for a section such as “Display,” “Indicator lights,” or “Cycle status.” The same-looking light may not mean the same thing on every dishwasher. GE, for example, lists indicators such as Washing, Rinsing, Drying, Sanitized, and Clean, but explicitly says meanings vary by model; its examples are not a universal icon glossary. [S1]

Make a note of the indicator exactly as it appears, including its wording or shape, whether it is steady or flashing, and when you noticed it. Compare those details with the manual for your model. If you cannot identify the model number, check the paperwork or the model label locations described by the manufacturer; don’t assume another model’s manual applies.

Use the manual’s wording rather than judging by color or icon alone. A manual may describe indicators for stages during a cycle separately from an end-of-cycle indicator. For instance, GE’s examples include Washing, Rinsing, and Drying as well as Clean; the exact meaning still depends on the dishwasher model. [S1]

Some models show time remaining or project status information, rather than using a simple stage light. The cited Bosch manual for specific listed models describes a remaining-time display and TimeLight, which projects status information onto the floor while a wash cycle runs. It also identifies a Clean light as meaning the dishes are clean. Those details apply to the models covered by that manual, not to Bosch dishwashers generally or other brands. [S2]

A practical way to read yours is to match the indicator’s label in the manual, then check whether the manual places it under cycle progress, cycle completion, or another status. Don’t infer that the cycle has finished just because a display changes or a light turns on.

First, write down the exact symbol or message and whether it flashes, stays lit, or changes. Note when it appears—for example, before the cycle, during it, or after it—and whether the display shows anything else. Then look up that combination in your exact model’s manual.

Do not assign a fault code or try a fix based on a generic picture online. GE says flashing indicators may signal a malfunction and that service may be required, but that note does not identify the meaning of every flashing light or establish what is wrong with a different dishwasher. [S1] If your own manual says to contact service, or does not explain the indicator, follow its guidance and share your observations with the manufacturer or a qualified service professional.

Copy this blank sheet and fill it out using your model’s manual. Keep the manual’s wording where possible, so the note doesn’t turn your interpretation into a supposed manufacturer instruction.

Dishwasher indicator lookup sheet

• Brand and exact model: [brand] / [model]
• Manual used: [manual title or document identifier]
• Indicator as shown: [label, symbol description, or message]
• Appearance: [steady / flashing / changes; describe what you observe]
• When it appears: [before cycle / during cycle / after cycle / other]
• Manual’s stated meaning: [copy or summarize the entry]
• Manual’s stated next step, if any: [step / contact service / not specified]
• Unanswered question: [what the manual does not clarify]

Example using a hypothetical entry: “Indicator as shown: Clean light. Manual’s stated meaning: [enter the meaning given in my model’s manual].” Don’t fill in a meaning from another model’s documentation. For comparison only, the cited Bosch manual says its Clean light means dishes are clean, but only for the models listed in that manual. [S2] This lookup sheet organizes observations; it does not diagnose a malfunction.