A dishwasher greatly facilitates housework and saves us time when cleaning the dishes and all kitchen tools we use regularly. However, many find that their dishwasher develops a funky odour and leaves residue on the dishes as well as a horrible pong. If this has also happened to you, and are asking yourself: Why does my dishwasher smell? Then we recommend paying attention to the following oneHOWTO article.
Open the door to find out. First, you should note that you will notice that your dishwasher has an almighty bad smell when you open the door to remove your dishes. If the machine emits a horribly stinky smell, overpowering the detergent you use to wash dishes, then there is something that is generating the odors. You should do the following to try and get the situation under control.
Debris accumulation. One of the main causes of a bad smell in a dishwasher is an accumulation of food debris and residues at the bottom of the dishwasher. This waste attracts bacteria, which then cause the odors. This is why it is so important to rinse your plates and remove all food particles before loading the dishwasher. In addition, we suggest checking after each use to check if there are remains inside and then remove them.
Check your utensil screen. Sometimes the small compartment that is meant for your utensils for knives and forks can accumulate debris and food, generating this horrible smell in your dishwasher. Make sure you clean it frequently to avoid this.
Dirty dishwasher filter. Also, inside a filter dishwasher dust can accumulate inside the appliance. This means there is a strong odor and that dishes are not cleaned properly. To prevent this, you should thoroughly clean the filters every 3 months and then clean the ducts once a week at least.
Drain blockage. Something that also answers the question of why your dishwasher smells is the blockage of the drainage. This causes dirty water to stay inside the machine, meaning the appliance does not fulfill its true function.
Excess humidity. Check the humidity inside the dishwasher, since the presence of mold may generate unpleasant odors. A good trick to avoid this is to leave the door slightly open once you have finished the cleaning cycle.
Possible solutions. For the most common causes of smells in the dishwasher, we recommend keeping your appliance in perfect condition, so make sure you keep up with your dishwasher's maintenance. For further help, check out the following items:
- How to get rid of bad smell in the dishwasher
- How to clean the blades in your dishwasher
If you want to read similar articles to Why Does my Dishwasher Smell, we recommend you visit our Maintenance and home security category.