How To Make a Stinky Dishwasher Smell Fresh, According to Whirlpool

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I hope I’m not alone: Sometimes, my dishwasher stinks. I wish I could claim it smelled and felt sparkling clean 24/7, but that’d be a lie.

Recently, I got fed up—even though the odor comes and goes, it’s honestly just gross. So, I reached out to appliance brand Whirlpool to see if the pros had any advice on this smelly subject. And they did! Here’s what Mackenzie Reed, Brand Management Analyst at Whirlpool-owned Affresh Appliance Care, had to say.

Why Do Dishwashers Get Stinky?

“There are, in general, four common reasons your dishwasher might smell,” explains Reed. The first: Your dishwasher needs a good cleaning. If improperly cared for, she warns, “the machine can accumulate food solids, detergent residues, and bacteria, which rot and smell over time.”

The second reason: Your dishwasher may have a drain hose that’s clogged or damaged. In either case, it will backflow odors into the machine. If your dishwasher and garbage disposal are connected, a backup in the disposal might cause this as well.

Thirdly, the dishwasher may have mold or mildew buildup caused by improper maintenance, and lastly, food particles may be trapped in soap scum in your machine. “When the filter is dirty or too much dish detergent is used, food particles can build up, causing a strong, fishy scent.” Pretty gross right?

How to Make a Dishwasher Smell Fresh

Regular maintenance is the main advice Reed gives for properly caring for your dishwasher and eliminating any odors. She goes on to say this can easily be done by running a cleaning cycle with vinegar and baking soda; deep cleaning your machine to ensure the drain isn’t clogged or damaged; and by checking that your garbage disposal is in tip-top shape.

Reed also advises: “Open your dishwasher door after every cycle to air-dry the interior, preventing mold and mildew from building up.”

But if it’s too late and the appliance is already smelly, Reed says the best course of action is to use a dishwasher cleaner, like Affresh’s dishwasher cleaning tablets, once a month. Not only will these tablets help prevent odors and buildup, says Reed, “they’ll also optimize your machine’s performance.”

Dishwasher cleaning tablets are easy to use: Just pop one in the bottom of your machine, if you’re running it with dishes, or in your dishwasher’s detergent dispenser, if you’re running it empty. Voilà! You have yourself a sparkly “new” machine.

If you have a lot of residue or a very strong odor, Reed says feel free to double up and place one tablet in the bottom of the machine and one in the dispenser. In addition, using a dishwasher cleaner every now and then—even if no odor is present—will help keep the machine scent-free and working smoothly. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some dishwasher cleaning tablets to order.