How To Remove Dishwasher Odors?

We all enjoy the activities like cooking, chatting, or having meals with families and friends in our kitchen. As a result, a comfortable and clean kitchen environment can matter a lot. However, among the things we do in our kitchens, the most annoying thing should definitely be the cleaning. Piles of dirty dishes and tableware can damper our mood. To solve this, more and more people choose to hook up a dishwasher in their kitchen and become reliant on it. However, you may find that the dishwasher smells sometimes, which forces people to think about effective solutions to how to remove dishwasher odors. Let’s see and free your kitchen from odors.

What Leads To A Smelly Dishwasher?

If you have a dishwasher at home, you might notice that there is an unpleasant odor coming from it. No matter how high-end dishwashers can fall victim to the peculiar smells. But why does this always happen?

Smelly dishwashers can be blamed on these main culprits:

Trapped Food: The most common cause of unwanted odors in the dishwasher should be food craps. When you use the dishwasher, small bits of food can trap in the filter or crevices of the machine. And then the food craps become moldy and addle, and the bad smell wafts out.

Residual Grease: When using the dishwasher, the grease and oil might remain in the machine. And this grease and oil build-up will finally lead to bacterium generating. Bacteria and mold are always to blame for bad smells.

Clogged Drain: This situation can also be caused by a clogged drain or kinked hose. The clogged drain pipe or kinked hose can lead to standing water around the dishwasher, and therefore, mildew and molds build up to make a smelly dishwasher.

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How To Remove Dishwasher Odors?

Knowing what causes the odors in your dishwasher, now you will need to learn how to remove dishwasher odors to have an enjoyable kitchen. If you use your dishwasher properly and clean it regularly, it will keep in tip-top shape to work better for you.

Empty Your Dishwasher

The first thing to do before cleaning the dishwasher to remove odors is to empty your machine. Remove all the dishes and utensils in it and then make an easy cleanse by using a damp kitchen towel to wipe the dishwasher’s interior.

Check The Drain Filter And Clean It

The most likely culprit of the dishwasher odor should be the food particles trapped in the filter while draining. The filter, also known as a drainage strainer, is generally located at the bottom of the dishwasher. Remove the bottom dish rack and you may find it. Then remove it, use a brush to clean the filter, and rinse it with hot soapy water. Before reinstalling the filter, check if there are still any food scraps in the drain. If there is, clean the pipe with a sponge.

Clean The Spray Arm

The spray arm is another part of the dishwasher that is easy for food craps to accumulate. It is also where your dishwasher’s stinky smell can come from. To clean the spray arm, you should remove the upper dish rack first. Next, inspect the spray arm and hoses for any clogs and remove them. Clean the food craps and rinse through the holes. Then you can reinstall the arms into the dishwasher.

Clean The Garbage Disposal

There is another thing to check–the garbage disposal. Typically, the dishwasher and the garbage disposal share the same hose. You will need to disconnect the hose and clean it. But remember that it could be a dirty and disgusting business.

Drain Standing Water Around Dishwasher

The standing water will grow germs and mildew to cause a nasty smell in your dishwasher. If you find that it is the standing water that causes the odors in your dishwasher, you will need to clean the draining hose. The clogged draining hose can result in poor drainage, so the standing water accumulates.

Run Empty Dishwasher Cycles With Vinegar And Baking Soda

The two cleaners, vinegar, and baking soda can not only work well in cooking but also work wonders on your smelly dishwasher. This is the final step to eliminating the odors in your dishwasher. Run the first dishwasher cycle with a bowl of distilled white vinegar on the upper dish rack. And then pour a bowl of baking soda down to the dishwasher bottom and run another cycle. By doing this, you can eliminate any lingering smells.

Make A Complete Cleaning

After clearing up the dishwasher interior, cleaning the exterior may as well. Use a small size brush to dip the white vinegar and clean the exterior buttons. And wipe the whole shell with a sponge or rag. Make it air dry.

How To Prevent Further Kitchen Dishwasher Smell?

• Clean the dishwasher regularly, especially the drainage strainer. Nearly 3 to 4 months a time.

• Scrape the dishes before loading them. If they are especially gunky, you should also pre-rinse them.

• Use some peculiar detergent to prevent hard water filming to make the dishwasher interior look clean.

• Avoid running any other hot water appliances while using the dishwasher so that the hot cycles would be hot enough to kill any bacterium