Ceramic and stainless steel fountains can be put into the dishwasher. Always check the manufacturer recommendations as some will say to use the top shelf of the dishwasher. Any plastic components such as the pump need to be cleaned by hand. Some products have a cleaning kit that is designed specifically for the product.   You may have something at home already, that is effective for cleaning. We bought some brushes for cleaning baby bottles and found they were quite useful for cleaning all sorts of things and can really get into nooks and crannies. All products give instructions for cleaning plus cleaning and maintenance for the pump to ensure that it continues to work for a long time. Cleaning the fountain, maintaining the pump and changing the filters may seem like a nuisance but it is something that needs to be done regularly to ensure that your product has a long life.