A dishwasher often smells bad because food and grease remain in its filter, door edges or tub, or because wastewater is not draining correctly. Start with the user-accessible filter and seals, following your model’s manual. The smell can help you choose what to check, but odor alone does not identify a failed part. A burning or electrical smell needs a different response: stop using the dishwasher rather than running a cleaning cycle.
Match the Smell to Your Next Step
- Fishy, sour or garbage-like: check for trapped food and greasy residue.
- Sewage or rotten eggs: check when water collects and whether the sink also smells or drains slowly.
- Musty, mildew-like or wet dog: clean accessible damp seals and door edges.
- Detergent or chemical: distinguish a product fragrance from an unexplained sharp or burning odor.
- Burning plastic or electrical: stop use and follow the safety advice below.
Fishy, Sour or Garbage Smells
Food left on dishes or caught in the filter, spray-arm openings or lower door edge is a useful first place to look. A fishy smell is not proof of a particular bacterium or a broken pump. Note whether the smell is on the dishes, inside the empty tub or also in the tap water.
Remove loose food from accessible surfaces and clean a removable filter only as your manual allows. Our Maytag dishwasher filter cleaning guide is a brand-specific example, not a substitute for another model’s instructions. If the smell remains after cleaning, use the checks below rather than repeatedly adding deodorizers.
Sewage or Rotten-Egg Smells: Drainage or Plumbing?
Stale food and dirty water can produce unpleasant odors described as sewage or eggs, but the description does not prove sewer gas is entering the machine. Look at when the odor appears and where it is strongest.
- A little water down in the filter well: some models normally retain a small amount below the tub floor to protect seals. Whirlpool explains that a little water in the filter area is normal for its models; compare your own manual rather than expecting a completely dry sump.
- Water covering the tub floor after a completed cycle: this is different from a small amount in the recessed well. Stop further wash cycles if water remains abnormally high, backs up or leaks, and arrange diagnosis.
- Dirty water returning between uses, especially when the sink drains: the drain connection or installation may need attention. GE explains that an appropriate high drain loop or air gap is required by its installation instructions. Have the installer or plumber check the arrangement for your model and local requirements; do not disconnect hoses yourself.
- A slow, gurgling or smelly sink as well: a plumber should investigate the shared drain, trap or vent. Replacing a dishwasher part will not fix a household drain problem.
- The same odor in tap water away from the dishwasher: ask a plumber or your water provider to investigate the supply rather than assuming the dishwasher caused it.
Our Monogram dishwasher drainage guide covers that brand’s drainage symptoms. Filters, hoses, installation and pumps are different possibilities; a technician must diagnose the cause before recommending a part.
Musty, Mildew-Like or Wet-Dog Smells
Damp food film around the gasket, door edges or filter can smell musty. Smell alone cannot confirm mold or identify what is growing. Wipe the accessible surfaces as described below, and check that dishes are loaded without blocking the spray arms. If your manual permits leaving the door ajar after unloading, do so only when it will not create a child, pet or trip hazard. Persistent moisture, poor drying or a leak needs diagnosis, not removal of interior panels at home.
Detergent Fragrance, Chemical Odors and Mineral Film
A fragrance that began with a new detergent or rinse aid may be product-related. Use only automatic-dishwasher products and the dose specified by the product label and model manual. Hand-washing dish soap can cause excessive suds and leaks. GE notes that new-appliance materials and rinse aid can have a distinctive smell, but that does not make every chemical odor harmless.
White chalky deposits or water spots can indicate minerals; they do not by themselves explain a burning smell or establish that your home has hard water. See our dishwasher water-spot guide for that separate symptom. Use a descaler only if approved for your dishwasher. If an unexplained sharp smell persists, stop use and contact the manufacturer or a technician instead of masking it with another cleaner.
Burning Plastic or Electrical Smells: Stop Use
Stop the cycle and do not restart the dishwasher to test it. If safe to do so, switch off its power at the circuit breaker. Do not touch wet electrical equipment or reach into a hot appliance. For smoke, sparking or a suspected fire, leave the area and call emergency services.
A plastic item touching an exposed heating element is one possible cause described by GE, but electrical faults can also require professional attention. Let everything cool and follow your model’s safety instructions. Do not scrape a hot heater, open electrical panels, test wiring or dismantle the pump. If the cause is uncertain, there is visible damage or the odor returns, have the dishwasher inspected before using it again.
Safe Cleaning Steps for a Smelly Dishwasher
- Check the manual first. Identify the model and its user-cleanable parts. Cancel the cycle, allow the interior to cool and follow the manual’s power-isolation instructions before maintenance. Do not clean a machine with a burning smell, leak or abnormal standing water by running another cycle.
- Remove accessible food debris. Empty the racks as needed. Look carefully for glass or sharp fragments; do not reach blindly into the sump, pump or disposer.
- Clean only a user-removable filter. Follow the specified release method and rinse as directed. Do not force a fixed or self-cleaning filter out. GE cautions against using brushes on some ultra-fine filters, so do not apply a universal toothbrush-scrubbing method. Use only tools and cleaning products your manual permits. Refit and lock the filter correctly before operating.
- Wipe the door edges and seals. Use a soft damp cloth and, only if permitted, a little mild detergent. Remove cleaning residue with a clean damp cloth. Do not pull seals off or force tools into concealed areas.
- Use a manufacturer-approved dishwasher cleaner if needed. Follow both the model manual and cleaner label for the dose, placement, empty-load requirement and cycle. Whirlpool recommends affresh for its dishwashers; that is not blanket approval for every brand or material. A cleaning cycle cannot repair a blocked household drain or failed pump.
- Never mix cleaning products. Do not combine bleach with vinegar, acids or ammonia, or add household drain cleaner to the dishwasher. Do not treat a vinegar-and-baking-soda cycle as a universal clog remedy. Use vinegar only if your model’s instructions explicitly allow it, with the specified method; do not improvise concentrations or combine it with other products.
- Prevent a repeat. Scrape large food scraps from plates, load according to the manual, and inspect the filter and seals at the interval recommended for your usage. If dishes wait before washing, use a rinse-only option only if your model provides one and it drains normally.
For Monogram owners, the same principle applies: use the exact model’s care and installation instructions, not a generic cleaning recipe. Filter types, cleaning tools and drainage expectations differ by model.
Questions About Odors That Keep Returning
Why Does My Dishwasher Smell Like Fish After Washing?
Start with food residue in the filter, door edge and accessible spray-arm openings. If the empty machine is clean but the smell remains on dishes, note the detergent used and whether the tap water also smells. A fishy odor alone does not tell you which component, if any, has failed.
Why Does My Dishwasher Smell Like Sewage or Rotten Eggs?
Check for abnormal dirty water and whether the sink has the same symptoms. Water returning after sink use suggests a drain-connection or plumbing check; water remaining after a cycle may require appliance drainage diagnosis. A small amount in the recessed filter well can be normal for some models.
Why Does My Dishwasher Smell Like Chemicals?
A new detergent, rinse aid or new-appliance material may explain a fragrance. An unexplained sharp odor or burning smell is different: stop use and seek advice. Do not assume that minerals, detergent or heat make every chemical smell normal.
Why Does My Dishwasher Still Smell After Cleaning?
Cleaning may have missed the lower door edge or filter, or dirty water may be returning from the drain connection. Note when the odor returns and whether water, poor washing or sink symptoms accompany it. Do not repeatedly mix products, increase cleaner doses or dismantle internal parts to chase the smell.
When to Contact a Technician or Plumber
Arrange an appliance inspection for recurring odor after approved cleaning, abnormal water after a cycle, poor washing or drying, leaks, or unusual noises. For sink backups, shared-drain odors or installation concerns, contact a plumber or installer. Stop using a leaking or burning-smelling dishwasher until it has been assessed.
Priority Appliance Service provides dishwasher repair in Vancouver. Monogram owners can also find our Monogram appliance repair information. Have the model number, the timing of the odor and any error code ready when requesting help.
