Dishwasher Smells

Updated on July 27, 2009
J.J. asks from North Little Rock, AR
13 answers

Does anyone know how to get a foul smell out of your dishwasher? I don't know what the smell is in mine, but no matter how many times you wash dishes the smell doesn't go away. Please help with some safe ideas.

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C.S.

answers from Pine Bluff on

Lemonade drink mix will also do the trick, just run it through a regular cycle, any brand but the entire package like Kool-Aid, no sugar will do the trick. All the other ideas will work as well.

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T.S.

answers from Mobile on

try putting vinegar where the dishwasher soap goes and run it empty. it worked for mine. hope this helps!

T.

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L.S.

answers from New Orleans on

There are a few places I would check. First around the door at the seal food debris has a tendency to build up and mildew. so clean around that real well. you made a toothbrush.
The second place is in the food trap in the bottom of your dishwasher. If you are not dilligent about only putting rinsed dishes in your dish washer that can fill up quickly.
Third the sprayer arms can also get food caught in them if you are not rinsing your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.

Third, there are dishwasher cleaners you can buy. You run your dishwasher empty to clean it with those.I have also heard of people using baking soda and vinager to do the same thing, but I ahave not used that method myself.(if you are uncomfortable with dissasembling your diswasher you can call a plumber)

Once you have tried all of the above if you still have a smell then you will definatly need a plumber to look at the pump. It can get debris stuck in it which will not allow it to pump out all the dirty water and that can back up in the dishwasher and cause a bad smell too.

Good Luck!

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A.O.

answers from Pine Bluff on

Run a cycle thru with Tang(Powdered orange juice type drink) instead of soap, it works wonders. The acid in the Tang cleans it up nicely.

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A.J.

answers from Baton Rouge on

I would check with the manufacturer.

If possible renew the filter as it could be holding the odor in.

In most cases when I have an odor problem I use fabulosa.
You may want to call them and ask them if it is safe to use in you washer.

Good Luck - God Bless

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B.H.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Hmmm can you put some white vinegar in an empty load and run that thru? Sounds like something got rinse in maybe close to the motor and its rotten. I use white vinegar for a lot of smell things...like peepeed laundry!

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S.W.

answers from Montgomery on

Vingar is good for cleaning stains, but for odor I recommend Baking soda. Fill the soap dispenser with Baking Soda then run the dishwasher on a short cycle empty. This should take care of the odors.

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L.

answers from Mobile on

Heloise says to run the dishwasher with a cup of bleach sitting in the bottom (don't let it go through the dry cycle!). Then run it once with a cup of vinegar in the bottom (the whole cycle). Just don't mix the bleach and vinegar because it's dangerous!

Also, you might check/clean your filter if it's accessible.

Good luck.

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D.F.

answers from New Orleans on

There are dishwasher cleaning products sold next to the dishwasher detergent. It's a small plastic bottle that you put in the silverware basket and run on hot. It cleans out the dishwasher and makes it work better too. I had the same problem and this worked. I think the one I used is by Electrosol.

Good Luck!

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J.H.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Run thru a cycle with a gallon jug of vinegar (put all your 'etched' glasses in there as well, it should help). If that doesnt work, or there is water in the bottom of the washer when the cycle is finished, then you probably have a clogged drain line. It plugs into the back of your garbage disposal - just unhook it and run a wire coathanger up it. BEWARE - do this over the sink if possible, and a bucket if not. :}

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J.P.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Our plumber told me to run one cycle with no dishes and use vinegar instead of any soap. It not only got rid of the smell, but my dishwasher hasn't looked that clean since the day we bought it. All of our hardwater stains are gone.

J.

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T.K.

answers from Shreveport on

Run the dishwasher in the rinse only with a cup of vinegar without dishes in the dishwasher.
This will clean the dishwasher and will not hurt anything.
It will smell like pickles at first but that will go away.
Vinegar is a natural germ killer and that is what is causing the bad smell.You might want to check the screen thing it could have food waste left there and that could be your smell.

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