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A hand in a rubber glove wiping the lower door gasket of an open dishwasher with a cloth, a bowl of vinegar solution on the counter beside it.

Dishwasher
Smells Bad

A sour, musty or sewage-like odor when the door opens, even after a cycle.

(844) 430-4286

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 5 causes, cheapest first

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 430-4286

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.

A drain pump and its hose lie on a towel beside an open dishwasher in a US home kitchen. 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
  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
  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
  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 See 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
  6. What it costs

    Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side

    Open the cost guide

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

Dishwasher Smells Bad,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

A family unloading clean plates from an open dishwasher together in a bright contemporary kitchen, a child handing a plate to a parent
For the heart of your home.

Questions about
dishwasher smells bad.

Can I use bleach to get rid of the smell?
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.

Back to your everyday

Still seeing dishwasher smells bad?

Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.

Schedule a repair Call (844) 430-4286
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