Dishes Smell Fishy Out of the Dishwasher?

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

May 11, 20180 found this helpful

Run the machine with a diluted white vinegar solution then do the same for your sink (pour diluted vinegar down and run the disposal)

MBB

July 17, 20190 found this helpful

I have read countless blogs and comments on the smelly glasses and dishwashers as we were struggling with our glasses always smelling. I cleaned hoses, changed hoses, cleaned filters and the garbage disposal. I used baking soda, vinegar and switched from Cascade to Finish. NOTHING was working! My whole family could always smell when I opened the dishwasher. We ended up buying a new dishwasher and I couldnt believe itthe same smell after using it twice!! I was so frustrated! I then tried running the dishwasher without the heat dry and then opening the door right when it was done with the cycle.

Advertisement

Still a smell but a little fainter. On a whim, I bought a box of Ecover automatic dishwasher tablets citrus. Today is the 3rd day that I have run the full cycle on the dishwasher at night and opened it in the morning with NO SMELL at all from the dishwasher or the glasses!! I cant tell you how happy I am!! Just wanted to put it out there if it might help someone else with this VERY frustrating problem!

Reply Was this helpful? Yes

Julierpal

March 21, 20200 found this helpful

The smell comes from eggs left on pans and even dishes. You can test this if you like but that is the answer.

Reply Was this helpful? Yes

Judy
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts

May 10, 20180 found this helpful

You need to clean out the filter. Food gets in there and will cause an odor.

mom-from-missouri
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 255 Posts

May 10, 20180 found this helpful

Also clean out your garbage disposal. Smell can travel back through the dishwasher.

15mhhm15
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,298 Posts

May 10, 20180 found this helpful

• Clean the filter.
• Clean the dishwasher.
• If you don't already, try to rinse your dishes before tossing into the dishwasher.

Hello
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 107 Posts

May 10, 20180 found this helpful

you might try to run a cycle through with nothing but vinegar to help clean out the odours, or baking soda

lucy_summer

July 4, 20190 found this helpful

"Fishy" smell might be a warning sign.

For instance, with our previous dishwasher we found out that there was an issue with piping. It sounds like there is food stuck in the drain area. Can you snake it? Can you remove the strainer in the bottom and then snake the drain? If there's food stuck in the drain, cleaning the dishwasher won't fix the problem, and you might need an assistance.

But if everything is fine with water pipe, do you empty and clean the filters regularly? Sometimes lefties can stuck in your machine and rot causing this odor. Also, if you don't do it already, risen off the most heavily soiled dishes and remove as much food debris as you can, before loading the dishes into the dishwasher?

It's also a good idea to use a dishwasher cleaner every couple of weeks or monthly, and that's how we maintain our portable machine (it's SunBeam, wisepick.org/best-portable-dishwasher). Just don't use the bleach - it might ruin your machine. Though, regular maintenance will produce a better result than just the empty hot wash and should remove any unpleasant odours.