How to get rid of unpleasant odor in the dishwasher

Having a dishwasher not only relieves stress physically, but also saves the housewife time. Household appliances are now not uncommon; manufacturers offer expensive and economy-class units. But a high price offer does not guarantee that a specific odor will not arise during operation. There may be several reasons for such an unpleasant phenomenon. To get rid of the smell in the dishwasher, you need to determine the nature of its occurrence. Residues of food, stagnation of water, technical problems or incorrect installation not only cause a specific “aroma”, but also shorten the life of the device and deteriorate the quality of washed dishes.

Causes of odor

If there is a smell from the dishwasher, then in fact, the reasons for this phenomenon can be very different, from improper operation of the device to the occurrence of any malfunctions. If putrid unpleasant odors, the smell of mold or sewage appear, it is urgent to find out their source and take measures to eliminate them. The causes of such odors include:

• the use of low-quality plastic in the production of the dishwasher. Usually after a couple of weeks it disappears and is not felt;
• clogging with food debris accumulating in places such as the filter, drain hose, and gaskets on the door;
• water remaining after washing dishes at the bottom of the device or under the rubber seals;
• The smell of melted plastic or glue may occur if the machine is not used correctly.

Fault marking meaning

It would seem that everything was done correctly: all the necessary ingredients were added (from salt and rinse aid to the appropriate detergent). The device will turn on and water will flow through its hoses. However, literally five minutes later a message appears about error code E1.

To get started, you can refer to the instructions. The transcript provides data on long-term activation or closure of the valve. The latter means that no water is supplied. This can happen for the following reasons:

How to remove odor from a dishwasher?

Before you decide how to get rid of an unpleasant odor in your dishwasher, you need to determine the cause of its occurrence. First, you need to check the device for possible malfunctions by carrying out several simple procedures described below.

Cleaning the filter

Before starting this stage, you need to study the instructions to imagine where it is located. Then:

• Carefully remove the rack at the bottom of the dishwasher;
• remove the strainer;
• rinse it thoroughly with warm water with a soft brush and some soap or dishwashing detergent;
• rinse with clean water and wipe dry;
• put it back in its place.

Cleaning the strainer

Checking the door gasket

An unpleasant odor coming from your dishwasher can also be due to food residues that may remain on the walls of the machine and the rubber gasket on its door. To wash the gasket and internal surfaces of the device:

• First, carefully remove all the grates so that nothing interferes with the cleaning process;
• wash all internal walls with warm water with a soft sponge and the addition of special liquid detergents;
• Carefully remove the seals on the door and rinse thoroughly underneath them;
• also wash all grates using detergents;
• install them in place.

Presence of residual water

Be sure to check for any remaining water at the bottom of the dishwasher. It can remain there, for example, if the device finishes washing dishes prematurely.

If there is still water at the bottom, you need to run a special rinsing mode after the dishes are removed from the machine.

Cleaning the drain hose

If your dishwasher smells, it is often because there may be dirt or food leftovers inside the hose. It becomes clogged and causes an unpleasant odor from the car. To clean the hose:

• it is disconnected from the dishwasher;
• washed thoroughly;
• if necessary, clean it with a long wire, after wrapping it with a soft cloth, or use special brushes;
• After cleaning procedures, connect the hose to the device.

Attention! The drain hose should be located at a height of 40-100 cm, under the sink, since it is with this location that water will flow into the sewer pipes without any problems.

Preparatory measures

Before you start choosing and using dishwasher cleaning products, you need to prepare the device.

To wash your machine properly and without damaging it, you must do the following:

First you will need to remove all the dishes, otherwise they will be cleaned and not the surfaces of the device. Check the filter and wipe the door. If the filter is at the bottom, see if anything is stuck, such as a spoon

This is important because if something blocks the leak, you will be left with standing dirty water. Filter - a part that captures debris from the inside

The filter screws are unscrewed. Wash it in warm water and soapy water for 10 minutes. Wash the parts where water does not flow during machine operation with soapy water. Pull out the bottom post and inspect the drain area. Locate the drain on the bottom of the dishwasher and remove food with your hands before wiping the area with a clean rag. Make sure there are no objects there that could block the drain or cause damage to the pump or scratches.

Only after these steps can you start cleaning the dishwasher.

Odor Eliminators

After a thorough inspection of all places that may be causing odors and taking corrective measures to eliminate possible problems, you should try to remove the remaining unpleasant odor from the dishwasher. You can do this yourself, spending no more than 15-20 minutes on the entire process, using special chemicals or using environmentally friendly home methods.

Folk cleaning products

To do this, experts recommend using the environmentally friendly, fairly effective home remedies presented below.

Using table vinegar

Vinegar has always been considered an excellent absorber of unpleasant odors. To use this method you need:

• pour about 50-60 ml of vinegar into a glass;
• place it on the very top grille of the car;
• turn the dishwasher on normal mode.

After completing the full cycle, the vinegar will evaporate and treat all surfaces. Acetic acid will break down all food debris that will come out with water. All unpleasant odors will disappear, including those from vinegar.

Using Baking Soda

When the smell first appears, baking soda will help get rid of it. It will perfectly clean all the dirt, give the car cleanliness and freshness:

• take about 100 g of soda;
• pour it onto the bottom of the dishwasher;
• turn on any mode when the machine is empty, without dishes.

Cleaning with borax

Before removing the unpleasant odor coming from the dishwasher, you need to thoroughly wash the machine by hand with a wet sponge, cleaning the walls and gaskets with it. Then:

• take a bag of powdered borax;
• sprinkle it on all internal parts of the car;
• run a full cycle when the machine is empty.

Soda with hydrogen peroxide

To use this method you need:

• pour a packet of baking soda into a bowl;
• pour 10 ml of hydrogen peroxide there;
• add 20-30 drops of any (whatever you like) essential oil;
• stir the resulting mixture and place in the freezer for 20-25 minutes;
• form a lump from the thickened mass, put it in the basket instead of dishes;
• start the dishwashing process at high temperature.

Store-bought chemicals to get rid of odor

You can also quickly get rid of unpleasant odors from your dishwasher by using store-bought chemicals.
They act very quickly, effectively eliminating not only odors, but also scale that occurs during operation of the device. In addition, such products perfectly clean the internal surfaces of the machine from grease and dirt. Their main disadvantage is the content of various chemicals and phosphates in them. After using them, you must thoroughly rinse the machine using the rinse function.

The most popular chemicals that eliminate unpleasant odors in dishwashers include, for example, the following drugs:

1. Calgonit Fusion Power or (Finish), removes greasy deposits well, disinfects the dishwasher, removes mold, and descales.
2. Finish Rinse, a concentrated product that perfectly cleans the inside of your car, prevents the formation of mold and bacteria.
3. UniPlus, an excellent German quality product that removes all types of dirt, including grease. Prevents the growth of mold and bacteria, removes scale.
4. Rinnova Lavastoviglie, a comprehensive cleanser and disinfectant from Italy. Perfectly removes fatty deposits, limescale, and prevents the formation of mold and bacteria.

Special preparations

There are many products on sale to rid your dishwasher of unpleasant odors. Top 3 best lineups:

Finish

Dishwasher cleaner is placed in the appliance along with the bottle and the cycle is started . The water temperature should not be less than 65 degrees. The product helps get rid of unpleasant odors, remove scale and fat deposits. The price of a 250 ml bottle is 300 rubles.

Somat Machine cleaner

The dishwasher cleaner is available in tablet form. You can load them into the machine along with the dishes. They eliminate unpleasant odors and help clean all hard-to-reach places in the device. Their use allows you to eliminate minor blockages, remove scale and fat deposits. The price for a package with 3 tablets is 600 rubles.

Paclan

A dishwasher cleaner is available in the form of a gel; its use can effectively get rid of unpleasant odors and grease deposits. In one cycle, the entire package will be used up; it will not be possible to divide it into several parts. The bottle with the cleaning product is placed in the machine without unscrewing the cap (it will dissolve on its own while the device is operating). The price of a 250 ml bottle is 200 rubles.

Prevention measures

To prevent water from stagnating inside the machine and emitting an unpleasant odor, you should always, immediately after finishing the dishwashing procedure, take it out, hide it in a closet and do not close the machine door tightly. This almost always helps to avoid problems with stagnant water and odors. But to be sure that the machine will not emit unpleasant odors, you must adhere to the rules of its operation, namely:

• Always remove any remaining food from dishes before placing them in the machine;
• after finishing the washing process, be sure to wipe its internal surfaces dry, making sure that no grease or food remains remain on the walls;
• regularly clean the machine from scale and grease using special cleaning agents;
• it is necessary to wash the strainer and drain hose more often;
• You shouldn’t keep dirty plates in a closed car for a long time if you don’t have time to wash it right away. As a last resort, it is preferable to use the rinsing function with the addition of any fragrance to absorb the odor.

If you constantly carefully monitor the cleanliness of the internal surfaces of the machine and all its parts, the question of why the dishwasher stinks strongly will not be asked.

Preventive measures

To prevent unpleasant odors from causing discomfort to the owner of the dishwasher in the future or not appearing at all, you should follow the basic rules for operating expensive equipment:

Following these simple rules will help avoid the occurrence of unpleasant odors associated with the accumulation of liquid or impurities in the filter. A dishwasher is an expensive piece of equipment that will serve its owner faithfully if you carry out timely maintenance, clean it of grease and scale, and pay attention to strange odors immediately after they appear. This will help save not only time, but also money that will have to be paid for expensive equipment repairs.

Get rid of dirt in the removable compartment for powder and detergents

Most often, no one looks into this container - they poured the powder into the reservoir, poured in fabric softener, slammed it shut and off they went. But if you look there, you can see a lot of interesting things. There you will find dirt, black stains in the form of mold and even fungus.

It’s an unpleasant sight, and most importantly, all these contaminants are in contact with the drum of the washing machine and your laundry during each wash. How to clean a washing machine and powder container from mold:

• The container is easily removed from the compartment. Take out the powder receptacle, take a sponge, or better yet, an old toothbrush, soap it with laundry soap and try to clean all the dirt and mold deposits that have accumulated inside.
• There may be deposits in the air conditioner reservoir. Plaque can be easily removed by using a toilet bowl remover. You can take an inexpensive product with chlorine and pour 20-30 ml into the compartment. Let stand for 1-2 hours. The mold particles will dissolve along with the plaque.
• Cleaning the powder container is not difficult - therefore, preventively rinse the reservoir after every 3-5 washes to avoid the formation of dirt and mold.

Helpful information

Tips for caring for your dishwasher to prevent unpleasant odors:

• after using any cleaning product, you need to ventilate the device - the longer it remains open, the better;
• Do not scrub the surface of the dishwasher with a hard metal brush;
• Do not violate the rules for operating the device specified in the instructions;
• to get rid of a slight odor, before the next wash you need to put 2-3 slices of lemon in the basket and run the standard program;
• If the dishes are loaded into the machine, but there is no time to run a full washing cycle, you need to turn on the rinse - this will wash away food residues and prevent them from rotting.

You will find a lot of useful and important information about removing various unpleasant odors from objects and surfaces in this section.

What to do if mold has already settled in the dishwasher?

After purchasing household appliances on credit, many housewives remember the need for preventive cleaning too late - many months later. During this time, the fungus settles in well, and traces of its presence become visible to the naked eye.

Obvious signs of the activity of black yeast Exophiala are hard-to-remove black spots in the folds of the seal. Getting rid of colonies of corrosive mold is quite difficult, but it is still possible.

Fungi found in dishwashers showed amazing resistance to hot water (up to 80 degrees) and chemical cleaning products. But Exophiala also found a solution - it turned out that mold does not like the acidic environment that can be created with vinegar.

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To remove mold, dilute 50 g of baking soda in a glass of 5% vinegar. A solution of white vinegar and water (in a ratio of 1.5 to 2) is no less effective. Use a vinegar solution to wipe all surfaces (including the seal). The solution can be applied using a spray bottle. To remove mold, it is better to use a toothbrush.

The fight against mold can also be carried out automatically. In the first step, place a glass of vinegar on the top rack of the dishwasher and run the wash cycle at the highest temperature. At the second stage, pour 200 g of soda into the bottom and start the hygienic washing mode again. Carry out this procedure at least once a month.

The article was found by the following queries:

• How to treat black mold in the dishwasher

Traditional cleaning methods

Some experienced housewives clean the dishwasher using home remedies. Their advantage is that they can be found in any home, are considered natural and safe, and are inexpensive.

Using table vinegar

Vinegar is considered an excellent tool for removing scale from the walls of an electrical device and removing unpleasant odors.

To carry out manipulations, the following points should be observed:

Don't worry about vinegar having an unpleasant odor. It will disappear after finishing washing.