The dishes smell after washing in the dishwasher.

It's not uncommon for a dishwasher to clean dishes to a sparkling shine, but leave them with such an unpleasant odor that even a pig, let alone a human, wouldn't be able to eat from them. Admittedly, it's an unpleasant surprise, but what can you do? If your dishes smell disgusting after washing, it's essential to immediately investigate the cause of the problem. Read this article to find out what these causes might be and how to get rid of them once and for all.

Causes of bad odor

First, you need to understand why your dishes smell after washing. Sometimes this is fairly easy, and sometimes it's not. The nature of the smell itself can help.

1. If your dishes and washing machine smell like rubber or burnt wiring, the cause is poor-quality components installed in the unit. Repeated contact with hot water can cause the material (usually plastic or rubber seals) to deteriorate, releasing harmful and foul-smelling substances that settle on the dishes and can even be harmful to human health.

In some cases, unpleasant odors of this kind occur in new dishwashers and then disappear. But sometimes they persist.

2. If a strong chemical odor emanates from the inside of your washing machine or from freshly washed dishes, the detergent or rinse aid is to blame. The powder or tablets likely contain some "strong chemical" that not only smells unpleasant but can also be very harmful. Incidentally, tablets or powder don't always smell strong when dry. When exposed to hot water, their components can react, forming volatile compounds.
3. A washing machine can emit not only a rubber or plastic smell, but also a very common smell of garbage. In our opinion, this is the worst case scenario: when the washing chamber or dishes smell as if you've just stuck your head in a trash can. This happens because the user neglects to clean their appliance, and a significant amount of food debris has accumulated inside, which isn't being washed out naturally.
   

   

4. Dishes or a dishwasher can smell unpleasant for a very common reason: if water has stagnated inside and mold has formed. Water inside can stagnate and become stale due to poor ventilation of the washing chamber, especially if the user forgets to open the dishwasher door after finishing work.

How to eliminate the stench?

Eliminating a stench once you know its cause isn't all that difficult. A rubber or plastic odor will either disappear on its own or never go away. If you notice your dishwasher is emitting it and ruining your dishes, you should contact the seller. This is a good reason to return the machine for a refund.

Chemical odors can be eliminated by changing your detergent and thoroughly cleaning the dishwasher. Throw away your old detergent, buy a cleaning solution, and run the dishwasher empty with it. After two or three washes, the smell will disappear. Sink odors can be eliminated by hand cleaning or using a special cleaner. dishwasher cleaning productsAfter these procedures, both the machine and the dishes washed in it will smell nice.

Regular ventilation will help remove excess moisture from the dishwasher. Make it a rule: as soon as the cycle ends, you've removed the clean dishes and put them away, don't close the dishwasher door completely, but leave a crack open for at least a few hours. In most cases, this is enough to avoid problems with stagnant water and mold.

If dampness and mold are not just in the dishwasher but throughout the entire kitchen, the problem will need to be addressed comprehensively, with a complete renovation. This is in your best interest.

How to prevent it from happening again

Daily dishwasher maintenance will help prevent odors. Don't forget to regularly clean the dust filter, perform sanitizing rinses, and wipe the inside with a dry, clean cloth. To ensure that water flows freely through the sprinkler nozzles, these nozzles need to be cleaned at least once every six months.

Generally, dishwasher care instructions are detailed in the instructions. If you follow these recommendations, you'll not only extend the life of your dishwasher, but also make using it enjoyable and effortless. Take good care of the appliances in your kitchen, and they'll surely reciprocate.

Finally, if even the dishes you take out of the dishwasher smell bad, what can you say about the appliance itself? It likely smells like a city dump, and the entire kitchen smells like one too. Urgent action is needed; this can't go on!

   

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