Dishwashers are a great labour-saving appliance that should return your dishes and utensils looking clean and shiny, so it can be a little disconcerting when you notice an unpleasant smell emanating from your machine. If you want to avoid the need for dishwasher repair and keep everything smelling nice and fresh, here are just four things you should do.
1. Find and Clean the Filter
If your dishwasher is starting to smell a little ripe, the most likely culprit is a clogged filter. You'll usually find it at the bottom of your machine, but it's best to take a look at your owner's manual to find out just where the filter is and how you can access it. Any significant build-up of old, wet food is going to start smelling, so clean the filter thoroughly using a stuff brush, hot water and soap. If you think the filter might be beyond all hope, call a professional to have it replaced.
2. Clean the Walls and Seal
The filter often harbours enough food debris to cause an unpleasant stench, but it isn't the only place you should look. Start by running a cloth with hot, soapy water over the door and inside walls to get rid of any leftover food. Even a thin film can start to smell, and there may be food debris stuck in nooks and crannies you wouldn't normally notice. Finally, clean the seal around the door. You'll have to lift it up a little to get underneath. As well as food debris, you may find mould beneath the seal, which means it's time for a replacement.
3. Don't Put in Large Pieces of Food
You don't need to give your dishes any kind of thorough cleaning before popping them into the dishwasher, but you should at least remove any large chunks of food. These can cause the filter to clog faster, and they tend to produce more of an odour than smaller particles. Even worse, larger chunks of food can sometimes make it to the drainage system – if they get stuck there, you'll find it very hard to remove them and the unpleasant smell they create.
4. Check Your Salt
Water softeners can make it harder for your dishwasher to achieve a proper clean, which is why using the right type of salt is so important. If you've followed the steps above and still notice an unpleasant smell emanating from your dishwasher, try switching to an iron-removing salt.
Share25 April 2018
Hello, my name is Fred and this is my appliance blog. I will be completely honest with you - until last year, I didn't think twice about the appliances in my home. I would open the refrigerator and expect the light to illuminate a cold can of beer or I would switch on the microwave and expect it to burst into life. However, one day this did not happen. I opened the refrigerator and nothing happened. I reached into the darkness and pulled out a warm can of beer. I was horrified. Thankfully, my brother who is an appliance repair guy came around and explained how to fix the problem. He had since given me lots more advice about maintaining my appliances.