--- title: "Dishwasher Smells Bad: Causes and Fixes" description: "A sour, musty or sewage-like odor when the door opens, even after a cycle." url: "https://dishwasherrepair.center/problems/dishwasher-smells/" --- # Dishwasher Smells Bad A sour, musty or sewage-like odor when the door opens, even after a cycle. ## What it usually means. Almost every bad dishwasher smell comes from something left wet in the dark: food trapped in the filter, grease in the door seal, or water that should have drained out but did not. A rotten-egg or sewer smell is the exception, and it often means drain water is flowing back from the sink because the hose has no high loop. That one is an installation issue, not dirt. The 5 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 Is the smell sour and food-like, musty, or like a sewer or rotten eggs? 02 Is there water standing in the bottom of the tub between cycles? 03 When was the filter last cleaned? 04 Is the smell worse after the garbage disposal runs? 05 Is there black growth along the door gasket or the lower door edge? ## Check these before you book. Dishwasher smells bad: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Remove and wash the filter, and wipe out the sump area beneath it. 02 Wipe the door gasket and the bottom edge of the door, where drips collect. 03 Run an empty hot cycle with a dishwasher cleaner or a cup of white vinegar on the top rack. ### Also worth checking - Look at how the drain hose runs under the sink and confirm it has a high loop or an air gap. - Leave the door slightly open between loads so the tub dries out. ### How soon does it need a visit? Not urgent. A food or musty smell is a cleaning job. A burning or electrical smell is different: turn off the breaker and treat it as its own problem. ## The causes, cheapest first. 5 things dishwasher smells bad turns out to be, from dirty filter and sump to hose or sump buildup. [The cost guide](https://dishwasherrepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 no repair ### Dirty filter and sump Food trapped under the lower spray arm rots between cycles. Cleaning the filter removes most odors in one step. [Fixed by maintenance](https://dishwasherrepair.center/services/maintenance-and-filter-cleaning/) 2. 02 no repair ### Mold in the door gasket and lower seal The rubber folds stay damp and collect grease. Wiping them with a vinegar solution and leaving the door ajar stops regrowth. No repair: check it yourself 3. 03 lowest ### Backflow from the sink drain Without a high loop or an air gap, sink and disposal water drift back into the dishwasher and bring sewer odor with them. [Fixed by drain and pump repair](https://dishwasherrepair.center/services/drain-and-pump-repair/) 4. 04 low ### Standing water from a slow drain Water that stays in the tub goes stale quickly. The drain problem is the real fix. [Fixed by drain and pump repair](https://dishwasherrepair.center/services/drain-and-pump-repair/) [See dishwasher not draining](https://dishwasherrepair.center/problems/dishwasher-not-draining/) 5. 05 low ### Hose or sump buildup Grease coats the inside of the drain hose over time, and it smells even after the tub is clean. [Fixed by maintenance](https://dishwasherrepair.center/services/maintenance-and-filter-cleaning/) 6. What it costs ### Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side Open the cost guide ## What else it could be. Most often confused with dishwasher not draining, then dishwasher burning smell. [All problems](https://dishwasherrepair.center/problems/) Codes that come with it - [`F10` ASKO · Drain](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/asko-f10/) - [`F11` ASKO · Drain](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/asko-f11/) - [`F52` ASKO · Drain](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/asko-f52/) - [`F68` ASKO · Drain](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/asko-f68/) - [`F2` Bertazzoni · Drain](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/bertazzoni-f2/) - [`E24` Bosch · Drain](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/bosch-e24/) [30 more codes, by make](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/) Also related - [**Cloudy Glasses and White Residue** 6 causes](https://dishwasherrepair.center/problems/cloudy-glasses-and-residue/) ### Dishwasher Not Draining 6 causes Water or wiring at risk ### Dishwasher Burning Smell 5 causes ### Dishwasher Not Cleaning Dishes 5 causes ## The makes it happens on. 27 makes on this site; dishwasher smells bad can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 27 brands](https://dishwasherrepair.center/brands/) ## Dishwasher Smells Bad, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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Not on a stainless tub or with vinegar. Bleach can discolor stainless steel, and mixed with vinegar it gives off chlorine gas. A dishwasher cleaner, or vinegar alone, is the safer choice. ### Why does it smell like rotten eggs? That is usually drain water from the sink or disposal backing into the dishwasher. The hose should rise as high as possible under the counter before it connects, or run through an air gap on the sink. ### The smell came back a week after cleaning. Why? Something keeps getting wet and staying wet: a slow drain, a sagging hose that holds water, or a door that is always closed between loads. Clean again and look for standing water two hours after a cycle. ### How often should I clean the filter? Every month or so for a busy household, and whenever you notice grit on glasses or a sour smell. Machines with a self-cleaning grinder need it less often, not never. --- **[Read on the site: Dishwasher Smells Bad: Causes and Fixes](https://dishwasherrepair.center/problems/dishwasher-smells/)** **[Book a visit with DishwasherRepair.center](https://dishwasherrepair.center/schedule/)**