Stinky Dishwasher

Could it be something in the dishwasher water line that is nasty? Mildew or mold in the line or food in the trap and it bakes the funk in when the heat drys the dishes.

OK...This is not a joke..I am totally serous...
Once a month I use
"Tang" yes the orange drink..Tang, the beverage of astronauts...I run the dishwasher with no dishes in it with the Tang..just about a full cup... It cleans any hard water stains and gets that smell out...I also. after emptying the dishwasher of the clean dishes allow it to sit open for about 20 minutes...all that stale sitting water can only produce more smells..
Good Luck I hope you try it...

If the smell is being caused by food caught in the drain, plan white vinegar will neutralize the odor. I don't know if bleach is recommended for dishwashers, but if vinegar or bleach doesn't work you may want to consult a plumber in case it is a drain issue.

Hi K.
ugh what an awfull problem to have. try this- buy some lemon juice- in a large bottle- spray the entire dishwasher- top, bottoms, sides, doors trays and everything really good with full strength lemon juice- then fill the bottom with really hot steamy water and let sit over nite- then run full cycle- not sure this will help but can;t think of anything else-
good luck and blessings

I totally agree with Amy D and Margaret H. The drainage line coming out of your dishwasher is probably allowing dirty backwash water back into the line instead of completely draining out. I had the same problem with my brand new dishwasher. I called the guy who installed it and he came out to fix it and it took him five minutes. He took the line and tacked it up so gravity could let the dirty water drain properly out. It was a quick fix! Good luck!

Check for food that is stuck around all the seals and by the grate at the bottom. I find build up from the residue and have to wipe it out with pinesol every few months. This helps to keep it unsmelly. i let my dishes drip dry and do not use the heat dry setting.

good luck

Have you checked the food 'trap', they're usually at the bottom by the blades, it looks like a plastic screen of some sort. Have you tried running bleach through? What about some vinegar, I've heard vinegar is good for cleaning things, my hubby uses it in his coffee maker. You may just have gunk buildup in the drain. You may hafta pull everything out to see exactly where the smell is coming from if the two tricks I mentioned doesn't work for you. Good luck!!

My diswasher repair man told me this is a problem with drainage. If your diswasher smells sour you are washing your dishes in very dirty water and rinsing them in it as well. If you have a disposal it could be that the disposal is backwashing into the dishwasher. Either way, you really don't want to be eating off those dishes until you get to the root of the problem and fix it.

THe smell may not be coming from your dishwasher. It may be your pipes. Are you on septic? If not, then try pouring a couple tbs bleach down the drain and letting it sit- the disposal side if you have one. Rinse and run the disposal. Or you could run some bleach OR vinegar (NOT BOTH) in your dishwasher while empty.

Hi K.,

Check out this website. Sounds like it might help.

http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_clean-smelly-dishwas...

Good luck!
C.

vinegar

http://www.vinegartips.com/scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=7

Try pouring some bleach on the drain, leave it overnight and run it the next day with no dishes in it. That could help!

Try running a cup of bleach through it. You can add to a regular load. Also run some coffee grounds or egg shells through your garbage disposal (they are connected)...it could be coming from there. If that fails, you may have to replace the hose behind the dishwasher. If the house was vacant for any length of time and water was left in the hose, it could be moldy. You can get a new hose at any home improvement store cheap.

I have remedied this by running a cycle with a lemon.

K.,
I have a book called "Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean" and it's filled with many cleaning tips.

Here is what she says to do for Dishwasher Odor:
"Sprinkle Borax in the bottom of the dishwasher and leave it overnight. Using a damp sponge, use the Borax to wipe down the inside of the dishwasher, door and gaskets. No need to rinse, just do the next load of dishes".

She also has a tip to clean the inside of the dishwasher (it's also for the milky film on glassware):
"Fill the dishwasher with your glassware (no metal). Use no dishwasher detergent. Put a bowl in the bottom of the dishwasher and pour in 1 cup of household bleach. Run through the wash cycle, but do not dry. Fill the bowl again with 1 cup white vinegar and let the dishwasher go through the entire cycle".

I know the film isn't your problem, but thought the cleaning part might help.

Here are two more things you might want to try.
Once a month drain cleaner:
" Once a month, pour a handful of baking soda into the drain and add 1/2 cup of white vinegar. A small volcano will erupt. Cover the drain for several minutes and then flush with cold water after 30 minutes".

Cleaning the disposal:
"Keep your disposal clean and free flowing by filling the sink with 3 inches of warm water and mixing in 1 cup of baking soda. Drain it with the disposal running".

Hope one of these helps!
Michele

There is a product that cleans stains etc. out of a dishwasher,can't remember the name right now. See if you can find it, I think that I got it a Sears. There is also I think a filter/trap inside it could be that something is caught in there. Good luck.

Try adding white distilled vinegar to the bottom pan before you turn the washer on. It's better to use vinegar instead of jet dry but if there is no room just add a cup or so to the bottom before you start the cycle.

Take out the entire bottom basket. The unscrew the swinging arm that sprays water on the bottom of the machine.. See if there is some sort of food that has gotten stuck down in there. I=One time I found a big piece of meat had gotten lodged under there.

Return all of the parts and run a cycle with it empty and 1/2 cup of bleach...

I have used vinegar during the final rinse cycle with good results (makes your glassware sparkle, too). Also, they do make Dishwasher Cleaner that you put in the detergent receptacle and run with the d/w empty. You should be able to find it at your regular grocery store, Walmart or Target. Unfortunately, if you try all the suggestions here and it still smells, you may have to enlist the aid of a plumber. Good luck!

I just read somewhere to use Lemonade Koolaid to help clean your dishwasher. I've never tried it so I don't know if it will help with the smell or not!! You are just supposed to put a package in and run the dishwasher empty.

I think that most dishwasher soaps make the washer smell bad. I have been using the cascade with Dawn liquid and the powder and have noticed a large reduction in the smell. I have used the orange and the blue and don't seem to notice one being better than the other.

The dishwasher is often connected to the kitchen sink and disposal..... call a plumber...all the lemon in the world wont solve your problem.

Good Luck,
Margaret :)

Most appliances last up to 10 years, usually, when a house is bought it is more sanitary to purchase new appliances for you never know how the previous owner used them, especially stoves, refridgerator, freezers, food disposals, DISHWASHERS, sometimes even the faucets. I would purchase a new dishwasher and have the installer check the drains/outputs.

Run it empty with some white vinegar in it, a natural disinfector/deoderizer. Then after washing dishes I would try to leave the door propped open a tiny bit so any left moisture will dry. I have found I have to do this with my front load washing machine so it will dry completely.