dishwasher cleaning

How to Clean a Smelly Dishwasher

Why does your dishwasher smell bad?

Dishwashers are incredibly low-maintenance appliances in your kitchen when it comes to cleaning. However, the dishwasher is responsible for the rotting smell in your kitchen. If you want to clean your smelly dishwasher, you have come to the right place!

Bad odours are coming from your dishwasher; food particles are the answer. Over time, food particles can get stuck in different places, accumulating in the filter or the crevices of the machine.

Cleaning your dishwasher is not extremely complicated, but we often forget about it. There are easy steps to follow to get rid of the odour.

A well-functioning dishwasher will wash them all away and out through your home’s sewage line. Most dishwashers usually feature porous plastic innards; like your skin, they absorb dirt, mildew, and odours.

The situation worsens when the “hard” water and the calcium deposits clog the machine, and it works hard to get the grease and grime off of your dishes. 

How to clean a smelly dishwasher

dishwasher

With simple kitchen ingredients like vinegar and some baking soda, we can easily fix our problem. The most common place to check is the screen or filter at the bottom of your dishwasher’s tub.

All you have to do is wash the filter with warm water. For your dishwasher to work properly, it washes the dirty water out through a drain hose, and the air gap ensures that it can’t wash back in.

If the filters seem clean, food may be stuck in the holes in the sprayer arm. Pour one cup of white vinegar into the empty bottom dishwasher. Vinegar will break up the build-up and deodorize the dishwasher.

To speed up that process, sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher, but don’t add the baking soda until you’ve run the dishwasher once with the vinegar.

  • Repair any damage to your drain hose immediately for your and your family’s safety.
  • Rest make sure to open your dishwasher door regularly, run at least a cycle a week, and don’t let dirty dishes hang out in there for too long.

How to prevent the smell from reoccurring

how to clean dishwasher.jpgYou can take various steps to eliminate the recurring smell of your dishwasher. Here are a few:

  • Clean the filter and the inside of the machine to prevent your dishwasher from draining completely. Thus, by keeping your dishwasher running smoothly and smelling good.
  • Don’t leave dirty dishes in your dishwasher. Scrape off large pieces of food and use a rinse-and-hold cycle to keep things clear.
  • Avoid using the kitchen faucet while the dishwasher is filling with water.
  • Protect your dishwasher from calcium deposits using a water softener that won’t let your machine clog.
  • Regular deep cleaning will result in banishing the bad odours.

Last Updated on March 7, 2024

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