Built in machine - top shelf only - cups tea-stained, dried on particles of food

hi Darlene.
yes you can.
read up about it at this link.
Cream Of Tartar Uses For Cleaning Stain Removal And More

Have you tried using a dishwasher cleaner or salts? our dishwasher wasn't working for while because the inside of it was dirty. Otherwise, white vinegar and baking soda are good for removing tea stains in a cup.

this is a maintenance problem.. if the bits look like grains of sand it is actually food particles that breaks down during the cycle spraying the cups and glasses (usually the top shelf that gets hit worst). solution is to run a dishwasher cleaner through the system on a hot wash. To remove and wash bottom filters and spray arm jets. Lastly when loading the DW make sure excess food are scraped/rinsed off ...you will get better results. Thanks

Here is a link to a procedure I put together to clean out your pump. A plugged up sump is the most common reason for poor washing on the upper rack.

Let me know if this helps.

http://www.fixya.com/support/r4628450-poor_cleaning_or_noisy_pump_whirlpool_or

Check your drain filter and clean them. refer user manual for location

Before loading into the machine clean the particles that are sticking to the dishes.

Check the drain filter at the bottom rack and clean. It is user cleanable

GF Salad Bowl Finish

Create a beautiful and safe finish on wooden bowls, cups, spoons, countertops and butcher blocks or any wood surface that contacts food. Easy to apply (just wipe on with a soft clean cloth) it achieves the sheen and durability of a varnish. Dried film is non-toxic for food contact 72 hours after drying. Additional coats can be re-applied at any time if maintenance of item becomes necessary
On Line store: generalfinishes.com
I don't know about paints, but there are stains, such as raw linseed oil, that work just fine for food-safe surfaces.
suggest you do some exploring; plug in'food-safe stains "in your search engine.
Hope this helps...

Try dropping a couple of babies feeding bottle steralising tablets in there with a fairly hot water

Leave it for an hour or so

Should remove any staining

riff...not sure what the bits are...first, they may be food crumbs or the like. Dishwashers have macerators to grind up food particles but they have no really good way to get rid of them in the wash cycle. Scrape plates of any solids before loading them. If the material is shaped like water droplets, you may have hard water stains. Use Jet Dri or a cleaning product which claims to help and use the amount specified. Your water temp may be low...it should be 125F or better. If you can run the hot tap and put your hand under it...it isn't hot enough. You can also use the heated water setting to deal with this.