A method for operating a dishwasher configured as a program-operated machine, which dishwasher has a treatment chamber for receiving wash items to be cleaned, wherein the method has the following method steps: i) during an adsorption phase, air is led out of the treatment chamber through a sorption unit having a reversibly dehydratable dry material such that the dry material absorbs moisture from the air flow, after which the air is fed back to the treatment chamber; and ii) during a desorption phase, the dry material of the sorption unit is heated and air is led out of the treatment chamber through the sorption unit having the heated dry material such that moisture is desorbed from the dry material and at least a part of the thermal energy previously introduced into the dry material, and at least a part of the moisture desorbed from the dry material, is discharged as steam from the sorption unit with the aid of the air flow led through the sorption unit, wherein at least a part of the steam discharged from the sorption unit in method step ii) is led into the treatment chamber, wherein the method further has the following, preferably program-controlled method steps, which shall be executed consecutively: a) during a wash phase, wash liquid is sprayed from a tank with the aid of a wash pump via a wash pipe system through wash nozzles (11a, 11b) into the treatment chamber, wherein at least a part of the sprayed wash liquid flows back from the treatment chamber by gravity into the tank; and b) during a final-rinse phase, final-rinse fluid is led into the treatment chamber, wherein the final-rinse phase is composed of a fresh water final-rinse phase, in which a final-rinse liquid is sprayed through a final-rinse pipe system (17, 17a, 17b) into the treatment chamber and at least a part of the sprayed final-rinse liquid flows back from the treatment chamber by gravity into the tank, characterized by a steam final-rinse phase, in which at least a part of the steam discharged from the sorption unit in method step ii) is led into the treatment chamber, wherein the steam final-rinse phase begins after the completion of the fresh water final-rinse phase, or is performed in advance of the fresh-water final-rinse phase, or wherein the steam final-rinse phase and the fresh water final-rinse phase chronologically overlap at least partially. i) during an adsorption phase, air is led out of the treatment chamber through a sorption unit having a reversibly dehydratable dry material such that the dry material absorbs moisture from the air flow, after which the air is fed back to the treatment chamber; and ii) during a desorption phase, the dry material of the sorption unit is heated and air is led out of the treatment chamber through the sorption unit having the heated dry material such that moisture is desorbed from the dry material and at least a part of the thermal energy previously introduced into the dry material, and at least a part of the moisture desorbed from the dry material, is discharged as steam from the sorption unit with the aid of the air flow led through the sorption unit, a) during a wash phase, wash liquid is sprayed from a tank with the aid of a wash pump via a wash pipe system through wash nozzles (11a, 11b) into the treatment chamber, wherein at least a part of the sprayed wash liquid flows back from the treatment chamber by gravity into the tank; and b) during a final-rinse phase, final-rinse fluid is led into the treatment chamber,