A smelly dishwasher is a sign of a dirty dishwasher.
Over time small particles of food that aren’t rinsed from dishes as they are put in the dishwasher build up in the filter and crevices and start to smell.
These smells transmit to the clean dishes during the drying cycle, leaving them less than fresh when you go to empty the dishwasher.
There are DIY steps you can take to eliminate your dishwasher’s funky smell and in turn maximise its cleaning efficiency.
How you can stop your dishwasher from smelling:
Clean the dishwasher
Even though there is constantly water running through your dishwasher it doesn’t mean it stays clean! You can clean the dishwasher by lightly scrubbing the inside, including shelves and walls with soapy water when empty. Then run the dishwasher on a hot cycle to thoroughly rinse. Doing this regularly should keep odours at bay.
Clean the filter
When you remove the filter you will usually find it has a build up and layer of food remains on it. This will quickly harvest bacteria and start to smell as well as hinder the dishwasher’s ability to do its job! To clean; remove the filter and use a scrubbing brush to scrub with hot soapy water. Thoroughly rinse before you put it back.
Scrape and rinse dishes
Make sure to scrape all food off dishes and rinse them prior to placing them in the dishwasher. This will mean your dishwasher can work more effectively and it will keep excess food from building up in the filter and the pipes and causing odours!
By taking preventative action and periodically cleaning the inside of the dishwasher and filters you should be able to keep dishwasher odour at bay and your dishes sparkling clean in turn!
