Standing water after a cycle is the dishwasher telling you water could not leave the tub. That is a different complaint from wet dishes that drained fine. Start at the filter, then the hose you can see, then the disposer connection. The drain pump is last, and it is not a homeowner disassembly.
Cancel the cycle if it is still running. Let the tub settle. If water is already on the kitchen floor, kill power at the breaker before you reach into the sump.
Why the puddle is still there
Whirlpool dishwashers recirculate wash water, then pump it out through a hose that usually loops high and ties into a disposer or a drain. Food soil packs the filter. A crushed hose under the cabinet pinches the exit. A disposer that was installed without knocking out the plug blocks the whole path.
Filter first, then what you can see
With power off, remove the cylindrical filter the way the door-sticker diagram shows. Rinse it from the outside in so debris does not grind into the mesh. Look into the sump for a label, bone, or glass shard — lift those out with fingers or tweezers, not a knife into the pump impeller.
Under the sink, look at the drain hose for kinks and for an air gap on the counter that is clogged with sludge. If you recently replaced a disposer, the dishwasher inlet knockout is a prime suspect.
When the puddle is a pump
If the filter is clean, the hose is open, and the disposer connection is clear, a pump that hums without moving water — or stays silent — needs testing. Write down any code on the panel; codes are model-specific, so do not assume a letter-number pair from a different dishwasher applies. Do not run another load that overflows onto the floor.
