How To Clean Out A Smelly Dishwasher

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Your dishwasher is the last place you want strange or repulsive odors. Yet many dishwashers accumulate grime and develop the smells of mold or mildew. This article will explain how you can clean the dishwasher and remove the offensive odor.

1
Clean the drain filter. No part of your dishwasher is more likely to responsible for strange odors than the drain filter. Food particles can collect here, and over time in a warm, moist environment they can become disgusting.^[1]
- There will probably be a cylindrical, detachable filter through which all of the water drains.
- In order to access the filter, remove the bottom rack, then twist out the filter.
- Wash the filter with soap and hot water in your sink. It may be difficult to reach all of the interior sections of it with a rag, so you may want to use a bottle brush.
2
Wash the inside of the door and the interior walls. Smells may also come from grime that has accumulated throughout the inside of the dishwasher. You must scrub out the entire unit.^[2]
- Remove all racks from the inside of the dishwasher. These will only get in your way when washing the interior of the dishwasher.
- Use a rag or brush and hot soapy water to scrub out the interior of the dishwasher. If grime has accumulated and is not easy to remove, consider also using some kitchen-safe household cleaners to help you scrub it out.
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3

Wash the door gasket. The seals of the dishwasher door can also accumulate moisture and grime and must be washed.
4

Scrub the dishwasher racks in your sink. Though they are the unlikeliest cause of smell, you should make sure to rule out all of the simplest possibilities before you invest too much time and energy in the problem.

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1
Place 1 cup (240 mL) of distilled white vinegar in the top rack of the dishwasher. Despite its own smell, the acid in vinegar is one of the most potent smell-removing agents. Additionally, as it dries the smell of vinegar dissipates quickly.^[3]
- Make sure the dishwasher is empty when you attempt to clean it in this way.
- If you don't like the smell of vinegar, add a few drops of an essential oil to the vinegar.^[4]
2

Run the dishwasher for a full cycle. The vinegar will be blasted all over the interior of the dishwasher, and that is precisely the intention. The acids in the vinegar will help break down any residues that remain in the interior of your dishwasher.^[5]
3

Sprinkle a cup of baking soda over the bottom of the dishwasher. Baking soda is another well-known odor neutralizer, and following the vinegar shower with a rinse of baking soda has become a popular (and organically approved) solution to cleaning and smell-removal problems.^[6]
4

Run an additional cycle. This time the dishwasher should be run one of the shortest cycles available, and in order to dissolve all of the baking soda the water should be the hottest it can be. After this, the dishwasher should be clean and fresh smelling.

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1
Check the troubleshooting section of your dishwasher's manual. Most dishwashers will come with manuals that include troubleshooting sections that include specific cleaning instructions in just this kind of situation.
- Many dishwasher manuals are also available online for free. Websites such as ManualsOnline.com and ManualsLib.com are just a few of the many sites that have downloadable manuals for a variety of home appliances.
2
Check the drain hose for obstructions. Especially check into this if there is water in the bottom of your dishwasher at the end of a cycle. If the drain hose has become bent or restricted, the flow of water can be limited and built-up water can become musty in the hose.
- If the dishwasher can be pulled away from the wall, do so to check the hose.
- Most other dishwashers will be located next to the kitchen sink will have drain hoses that connect to the same kitchen drain pipe. You can detach the hose at whichever end is easier to access in order to inspect it.
3

Make sure the dishwasher drain hose is installed at the correct point. Waste water from the sink can drain through the hose into the dishwasher if the drain hose is not looped up from the drain pipe before it is run to the dishwasher. The weight of a sink-full of water can push water back up through the dishwasher drain hose. If this appears to be a problem, raise the loop of the drain hose higher.
4

Check the electrical connection. Examine the junction box behind the kick plate under the door of the dishwasher. A poor connection can produce an odor and is a fire hazard. Other problems can come from shorts in any of the electrical lines or a dysfunctional heater unit. If the dishwasher appears to have electrical problem, unplug it and call an electrician to fix the problem.^[7]

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Question

How do I get mold out of my dishwasher?

Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Driscoll received her Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016.

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer

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You can hand wash the dishwasher, including the interior and all parts with a dish detergent. Follow this by cleaning everything again with vinegar. A harsher approach would be to use bleach, but this is strong - so should be used as a last resort.
Question

Do I use a soap tablet as usual when using the vinegar method?

There is no need. The alkaline in the tablet will likely negate the acidic nature of the vinegar.
Question

Do I put the cup the right side up? How does the vinegar get out?

Yes, you do. If you placed it upside down, the vinegar would fall to the bottom of the dishwasher. The movement of water in the dishwasher will move the vinegar out of the cup and spread it throughout the container.
Question

How do I get rid of the wet dog smell in my dishwasher?

There is a cleaner that is also used to clean washing machines. You can find it with the laundry detergent at the grocery store.
Question

How do I get rid of standing water in the bottom of my dishwasher?

Normally, the water is removed by the dishwasher pump. So, for some reason in your case, the pump is not getting the water out. First, listen to see if the pump is running when the dishwasher is ready to pump out the water. If it doesn't even try, it could be a defective pump. More likely though, there is some kind of obstruction in the drain line. The drain line goes from the pump up to the sink drain. Trace the drain line, checking for any kinks or obstructions in it. Finally, if there is an "air gap" in the line, see that it is not obstructed. This is a device, usually on the top of the sink, where the waste water is poured from one hose into another.
Question

How can I prevent mineralization in the dishwasher?

Get a water softener. The new ones are energy-efficient and don't need rock salt.
Question

I use a dry dishwasher product and it stains the inside with a white film. How can I get this off?

We use Dishwasher Wizard, which you can buy on Amazon. It clears out that white film and removes hard water stains.
Question

What do I do if residual water in my dishwasher is causing a bad smell?

You can add extra water and then use the "Drain" cycle most dishwashers have. That way it will keep the fresh water you added at last and discard the old smelly water
Question

Where is the filter in a Kenmore Sears dishwasher?

On the bottom of your dishwasher, beneath the rotating arm, there should be a large plastic grate with a cylindrical filter holding it down. Push gently down on the cylinder filter and turn it counterclockwise; it should pop up. Once it does, lift it and the large grate out from beneath the rotating arm and scrub in your sink with baking soda and hot water. Reverse the procedure to reinstall it, gently turning the cylindrical filter in with a clockwise motion.
Question

There is chemical smell coming from under the sink where hoses and softeners are kept, but there is no smell from the glass washer. A plumber was unable to diagnose. What action should we take next?

Be sure that whatever cleaning supplies you store under the sink (if any) or plastic bags are not near and heat producing element, drain line, or your disposal. Otherwise, something may have been plumbed incorrectly. Get a second opinion from a different plumbing company.

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Video

Do not leave dirty dishes in the dishwasher for long periods. Run a "rinse and hold" cycle if you are not going to wash the dishes right away.

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Article SummaryX

To clean a smelly dishwasher, start by removing and washing the filter and racks with soap and hot water, then scrub out the dishwasher's interior before replacing the filter and racks. Next, place 1 cup of distilled white vinegar in the top rack and run the dishwasher for a full cycle. Then, neutralize any remaining odors by sprinkling 1 cup of baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and running an additional cycle! To learn about troubleshooting the source of the bad smells, read on!

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