Blue-white rainbow streaks after an ESF68020 cycle usually indicate too much rinse aid rather than limescale or poor washing. Confirm the visible symptom before resetting; filters, loading, detergent, water supply and door alignment are safe checks, internal wiring is not. A rinse-aid setting above what the local water and detergent need leaves a thin surfactant film that catches coloured light. Blue or rainbow smears feel smooth and wipe differently from chalky white mineral powder or permanent rough glass etching. Reduce the rinse-aid setting by one step, wipe any spill around the filler, keep detergent dose unchanged and run one normally loaded comparison cycle. Adjust only one step between cycles. If streaks persist at the lowest appropriate setting, check product compatibility and local water hardness.
Models covered
Safety first
- Cancel, switch off, close the water valve and let hot dishes cool. Wear gloves near the filter; never tilt a built-in appliance or remove its base or side panels.
What the symptom may indicate
Checks in the right order
- Confirm before acting
A rinse-aid setting above what the local water and detergent need leaves a thin surfactant film that catches coloured light.
- Make the appliance safe
Cancel, switch off, close the water valve and let hot dishes cool. Wear gloves near the filter; never tilt a built-in appliance or remove its base or side panels.
- Apply the official check
Reduce the rinse-aid setting by one step, wipe any spill around the filler, keep detergent dose unchanged and run one normally loaded comparison cycle.
- Retest once and decide
Adjust only one step between cycles. If streaks persist at the lowest appropriate setting, check product compatibility and local water hardness.
Stop and get qualified help when
- Stop for water in the base, an uncontrolled leak, heat or motor code, burning smell, damaged cable or a fault that returns after one empty test.
Next step
Repair, replace a part, or arrange a diagnosis?
Use the checks and stop conditions above to choose a cautious next step. A symptom alone never proves that the appliance has failed.
Resolve it without buying anything
Complete the 4 user-accessible checks in order. If normal operation returns and no warning sign remains, no replacement is indicated.
Replace only the confirmed part
If the checks isolate a worn or blocked component, match its complete reference to the exact appliance model before ordering.
This guide does not identify a replacement part. Do not order a generic component from the symptom alone.
Arrange a diagnosis before replacing the appliance
Stop at any warning sign listed above. A qualified diagnosis should confirm that repair is unsafe, unavailable or uneconomical before an appliance replacement is considered.
Sources used
- Electrolux — Electrolux's official support material documents this exact symptom path for ESF68020; the procedure here keeps only user-accessible checks.
Last checked: 30 August 2026