Why does my dishwasher leave dishes smelling funky?
Dishes coming out with a foul, mildewy odor force people to run loads twice just to get them clean. Even after cleaning filters, checking drain hoses, and running hot cycles, the persistent smell remains because trapped residue and buildup continue to contaminate the wash.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Running the dishwasher twice for each loadDid this help you?
- 2cleaned the food trapDid this help you?
- 3refilled the rinse agentDid this help you?
- 4ran an empty load with vinegarDid this help you?
- 5leaving the dishes in the dishwasher overnightDid this help you?
- 6installing a high loop in the drain hose anchored to the bottom of the cabinetDid this help you?
- 7installing an airgapDid this help you?
- 8Checking if the dishwasher is hooked up correctly to the sink drainDid this help you?
- 9Cleaning the inner filterDid this help you?
- 10Running multiple cycles with vinegarDid this help you?
- 11Using Affresh tabletsDid this help you?
- 12Cleaning the rubber liningDid this help you?
- 13Putting baking soda and vinegar down the sinkDid this help you?
- 14Having maintenance suction out the tubing under the sinkDid this help you?
- 15Checking the condition of cabinets where dishes are storedDid this help you?
- 16Hand washing or running through the dishwasher againDid this help you?
- 17Cleaning the filter and washing armsDid this help you?
- 18Running clean cycles with cleaning pods or vinegar in a cupDid this help you?
- 19Stopping the use of rinse aidDid this help you?
- 20Rinsing all plates before putting them inDid this help you?
- 21Cleaning the drain trap of an adjacent sinkDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“It always leaves the dishes smelling funky, so we have to run it twice each load.”source ↗
“Not a plumber, but had and fixed the same issue.”source ↗
“I run my dishwasher every few days but it constantly seems to smell, I pulled the filter out and it looks like water is just sitting here.”source ↗
“I've been having issues with my dishes smelling mildewy lately.”source ↗
“I don't remember this ever being a problem the last place I lived, but I'm running out of ideas.”source ↗
“have been dealing with a somewhat sour smell in my dishwasher that seeps out even when the door is closed.”source ↗
“there’s still a noticeable smell when I open my front door and the dishwasher door.”source ↗
“Oh is this what you mean? There’s definitely water in the thicker white tube 😮”source ↗
“Every day my dishes have an off smell coming off of them.”source ↗
“Typically the dishes won’t smell strange until they’ve had food put onto them, but sometimes they just smell bad straight out of the dishwasher.”source ↗
“The smell would probably be compared to the wet dog smell I’ve seen many complain of.”source ↗
“Any ideas here would be much appreciated, since I am feeling defeated.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5Dishwasher has a funky smell but looks visually clean
- 10Why is my dishwasher getting filthy right after deep cleaning?
- 22Why does my kitchen sink drain keep smelling bad?
- 9Why does a spoiled food smell linger even after cleaning?
- 4Why does my washing machine smell musty even with the door open?
- 8Why do dirty dishes pile up in the sink?