Nobody likes a smelly dishwasher – but luckily, there are ways to deodorize it and get it back to its clean-smelling glory! In this article, we’ll discuss the causes of dishwasher odor, as well as some tips and tricks on how to deodorize a dishwasher.
Causes of Dishwasher Odor
All dishwashers are designed to clean dishes, not make them smell good, so there’s no telling what kind of weird things your dishwasher has done to its dishes over the years. What you may think is a smelly dishwasher could actually be caused by one of three things:
- Food remnants that have gotten stuck to the dishes.
- Dirty dishwasher.
- Inserts or covers that are trapping smells in your dishwasher.
Food Residue
Your dishes probably smell like food if food residue has gotten stuck all over them, either because of an unbalanced load, hard water, or poor processes when loading and unloading the washer. Put small bits of food all over your dishes to see if they end up smelling like it! (This will not work for plastic dishware .)
Dirty Dishwasher
If your dishwasher is dirty, it can cause strange smells. Make sure you always use the appropriate amount of detergent and the right cycle, as these things all affect how clean your dishes are when they come out.
Extra Smelly Inserts
Some dishwasher inserts or covers can trap in smells, making your whole dishwasher smell bad. If you have a silverware insert, it may be trapping food odors from even before you load the machine – which means that when you turn on the dishwasher, those smells just get trapped in the dishwasher and stay there.
If you have a Standard or Deluxe model, it may be trapping smells in the silverware basket as well. Try using less soapy water to see if that gets rid of some of the trapped material. If all else fails, try one of the methods below to get rid of bad smells!
How To Deodorize Dishwasher
If your dishwasher has a stench, there are several ways to get rid of it. Below we’ve outlined the most effective ones:
Vinegar Method
This method is very simple and just requires white vinegar and water. Pour one cup of vinegar in the bottom of your dishwasher and run it on its hottest, most powerful setting. Once the cycle is complete, wipe out any residue with a sponge or dish cloth. Vinegar is acidic and will help get rid of any lingering smells that are trapped in your machine.
Baking Soda Method
Another simple method for deodorizing your dishwasher requires baking soda, water, and lemon juice. Pour 1/2 cup of each into the bottom of the dishwasher and run it on its hottest cycle to get all those smells out!
If you’d like to go an extra step to give your kitchen an awesome lemon smell while you clean, place some fresh lemons at the bottom of your dishwasher before running the cycle. These will get rid of bad odors – but unlike vinegar, they won’t leave a vinegar smell behind.
Bleach Method
If you’d like to go the extra mile, try this method which uses bleach and water. Pour a cup of bleach into your dishwasher and run it on its hottest, longest cycle. If you have hard water, this may need to be repeated a few times to get rid of stains brought on by minerals in the water that cause mold or mildew.
You can also use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach for an eco-friendly alternative – if you do, make sure the dishwasher is running at full power so it has enough heat to kill germs!
Clean the Drain Filter
If your dishwasher is running well but just seems to have a bad smell, it might be time to clean the drain filter. The filters in dishwashers are designed to trap food or other large particles that may get into your machine and repeat in future loads – which means they can also trap smells! Clean the filter by hand with a sponge and a little bit of soap to get rid of smells.
Clean the Spray Arms
Remove the spray arms and soak them in vinegar or baking soda water, then scrub with a toothbrush to remove food particles. Check underneath for any holes that may be clogged – they could easily be trapping smells. If you find a hole and it’s blocked, use a toothpick or pin to clear the clog.
Wipe Down the Inside of the Dishwasher
Wipe down the inside of the dishwasher with a damp sponge to get rid of any lingering food particles. This will help keep smells from building up in future loads! Be sure to clean under the soap dispenser if you have one – it’s easy to miss and can quickly become moldy or start smelling bad without anyone noticing.
Check the Drain Hose
Check your drain hose and make sure it’s not kinked. If the dishwasher doesn’t have a garbage disposal, food particles may collect in the hose over time and begin to smell bad if they aren’t cleaned out occasionally. Routinely checking this will prevent smells from developing.
Reduce Future Odors with Regular Maintenance
Just as regularly changing the air filter in your furnace helps prevent smells from developing, regularly cleaning your dishwasher will also help reduce future odors. While you can’t avoid all bad smells, keeping up with regular maintenance is a great way to keep those unpleasant aromas at bay!
Conclusion
If you’re experiencing unpleasant smells from your dishwasher, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. There are several ways to get rid of the smell, and we’ve outlined some of the most effective ones in this article. Be sure to try a few methods we outlined until you find one that works best for your machine! Regular maintenance will also help reduce bad odors in the future.