Why does my dishwasher smell? How to get rid of it?

Unpleasant odors appear in both old and new dishwashers. The main reason is due to food particles that inevitably settle on the internal surfaces and also clog the filter. This article tells you how to get rid of the smell in your dishwasher and what preventive measures you can take.

Main causes of odors

To understand how to remove smell from your dishwasher, you first need to understand why it happened. Most often the reasons for the appearance are:

1. When purchasing a new device, the question immediately arises of how to get rid of the smell in the dishwasher. The fact is that it smells like plastic, which is quite normal if the model was recently brought from the store. It is enough to arrange a test run using special salt.
2. If you leave the dishes for a long time, there will also be an odor from the dishwasher. The reason is that moisture cannot leave the chamber, condensation forms, which creates suitable conditions for bacteria and other microorganisms.
3. Particles of food, grease and dirt often settle in the filter. If cleaning is not done periodically, an unpleasant odor will inevitably appear from the dishwasher.
4. Food waste, including fat, may also remain in the chamber itself.Along with proteins (meat), it is this that creates an extremely unpleasant odor - you can literally feel how the dishwasher stinks. It is especially risky if the residue gets behind the rubber gasket or other hard-to-reach areas.
5. If a layer of water accumulates at the bottom, bacteria will inevitably grow in it, which will cause the liquid to “go rotten.” Therefore, you should figure out how to eliminate the smell in the dishwasher. In this case, all surfaces are wiped of excess liquid and then treated with a detergent or disinfectant.
6. Residues may also accumulate in the drain hose. Fat quite often settles on the walls, and other substances, in turn, stick to it. In this case, removing the smell from the dishwasher becomes a little more difficult because you have to remove the hose and clean it. But in any case, it’s quite possible to do it yourself, without calling a specialist.
7. Finally, you may be wondering what to do if your dishwasher smells like melting insulation or smells like plastic. This is a sign of a rather dangerous breakdown associated with the wiring or contacts of the heating element. It is necessary to stop operating the device, turn off the power and carefully inspect the relevant elements. If necessary, contact a specialist.

If the car is new

Regardless of why your dishwasher stinks, you can deal with the problem using the means at hand. If the smell comes from a new device, this requires a first cycle in idle mode (test run). Thanks to this procedure, you can remove residual factory grease, dust and other contaminants.

Carrying out a test run is quite simple; to do this, proceed as follows:

1. Inspect the filter (it needs to be removed) and make sure it is intact.
2. Place special-purpose salt (for dishwashers) in a container. For this purpose, they sell ready-made preparations, for example, “Splash” or “Sormat”.
3. Move the water hardness regulator to the correct position (depending on the indicator in a particular region).
4. The main way to remove an unpleasant smell from a dishwasher is to put in a detergent tablet. It can also be produced in the form of a gel - then the composition is simply poured into a tray. It is located on the inside of the door.
5. It is clear what to do if there is a smell from the dishwasher. It is necessary to run the longest program, the cycle of which is usually 3-4 hours. Moreover, set the maximum temperature level and press the start button.

If the car is not new

The smell from the dishwasher can also appear due to blockages in the filter system. If it hasn’t been cleaned for a long time, the reason probably lies precisely in this. In this case, turn off the unit from the network and proceed as follows:

1. Remove the lower basket.
2. If your dishwasher smells, you should turn the filter counterclockwise and carefully remove it.
3. Next, disconnect the filter elements - first unscrew the cylinder, and then the remaining parts.
4. Next, you need to figure out how to get rid of the smell in your dishwasher. To do this, wash each element under the tap and carefully clean the internal surfaces of the filter. You can only use liquid detergents, not powders.
5. It will not be superfluous to clean the seal lining the inner surface of the door along the perimeter. Liquid, soap, and food debris accumulate on it. Therefore, it is periodically necessary to unfold the folds and wash them thoroughly.
6. After washing, the unpleasant smell from the dishwasher disappears. You can put all the parts back and run a short run with several plates to ensure proper operation.

What tools can be used

The causes of dishwasher odor can be very different, but they can be eliminated using the same methods. To do this, clean the filters or run the longest wash at the highest possible temperature level. To get rid of odors in the dishwasher, use the following products:

• "Splash"
• "Sormat"
• "ORO";
• "SYNERGETIC" and others.

Ordinary table vinegar with a concentration of 9% (or essence 70% diluted with water 7 times) also effectively eliminates the smell of dishes after the dishwasher. It is poured into a tray (100 ml) and the longest cycle is run at maximum temperature.

Vinegar also leaves a smell, but it can be easily eliminated. To do this, pour 100 g of soda into the bottom of the machine and turn on not a long, but a short program. Then wipe dry with a clean cloth and leave the door open for ventilation.

Effective prevention measures

You can remove odors from your dishwasher using either special or improvised means. But in order for the problem to arise as rarely as possible, you must follow a few simple rules:

1. Before each wash, clean the dishes from food residues, do not load them into the chamber too dirty.
2. After a cycle, always wipe the chamber dry and leave the door ajar for a while to allow moisture to evaporate.
3. Periodically, once every 2-3 weeks, clean the internal surfaces from grease stains and other blockages.
4. Every 1.5-2 months, wash the filter mesh. This is a standard preventative measure that is always followed, even if the plates being loaded are not very dirty.
5. Do not store clogged plates and other utensils in the car - if they stand there for a long time, odors and dirt will appear.

Thus, the smell can occur in both an old and a new dishwasher. This is normal as food debris inevitably gets onto the internal surfaces and into the filter system. Therefore, you periodically need to run a long program without dishes, as well as clean the filter and other parts.