I like consumer reports, but a good online quick check is
www.consumersearch.com which puts together reports from several sources. CR is also not searchable online without $$$.
Didn't somebody recently buy Maytag, I know after the mess with the bad neptune washers I wouldn't even consider one (LG or Whirlpool). GE is what we bought for a dishwasher last time.
Leftover soap is bad, for one thing means nothing is getting rinsed, just lightly soaped. 10 years old and hard water, I would replace it if something wasn't easy and obvious to fix.
Run some vinegar maybe, and verify the water is hot enough that is going to it.
Some people don't like soft water, but you might consider putting a softener just on the input of the water heater if you don't want whole house.