Why Does My Dishwasher Smell? How to Find and Fix the Odor
14.08.2026
Your dishwasher smells because food debris, grease, and standing water get trapped in the filter, spray arms, drain, and door gasket, where they break down and turn sour. In a small NYC apartment kitchen, a rarely-run machine makes it worse. The fix is cleaning the filter, wiping the seals, and running an empty hot cycle.
What you'll need
- Dish soap and a soft sponge
- An old toothbrush for tight spots
- Distilled white vinegar (about 1 cup)
- Baking soda (about 1 tablespoon)
- A microfiber cloth
- A dishwasher-safe cup or bowl
- Rubber gloves
- A flashlight (your phone works) to see into the drain
Step by step
- Pull out the bottom rack so you can reach the floor of the tub.
- Twist out the cylindrical filter at the bottom center. Most models unlock with a quarter-turn. Rinse it under hot tap water and scrub the mesh with the toothbrush and a little dish soap until the water runs clear.
- Check the sump area where the filter sits. Fish out any food chunks, glass, or gunk with a gloved hand. This trapped debris is the most common smell source.
- Wipe the rubber door gasket all the way around with a soapy cloth. Grime and old food collect in the folds, especially along the bottom lip.
- Look at the spray arms. If the little holes are clogged, poke them clear with the toothbrush and spin the arms to confirm they turn freely.
- Reinstall the filter. Put the empty vinegar-filled cup upright on the top rack.
- Run the hottest, longest cycle with nothing else inside.
- Once it finishes, sprinkle the baking soda across the tub floor and run a short hot rinse to freshen and cut any lingering odor.
- Leave the door propped open an inch afterward so the interior dries out.
What NOT to do
Do not mix bleach and vinegar, or bleach and any acidic cleaner. The combination releases dangerous fumes, and in a tight apartment kitchen with a window that may not open, there's nowhere for it to go. Don't run bleach through a stainless-steel interior or on stainless parts, since it can corrode and discolor them. Skip abrasive scouring pads on the rubber gasket and plastic tub, which scratch and create new crevices for grime. And don't ignore the filter because your model "cleans itself" many newer machines still have a manual filter that needs a rinse every couple of weeks.
When to call a pro
DIY handles the everyday sour smell. But if the odor comes back within a day, or you see standing water that won't drain, the problem is likely in the drain hose, the under-sink connection, or the air gap, and that's a plumbing job, not a cleaning one. A musty smell that spreads through a cramped studio can also point to a bigger buildup behind the appliance. If you'd rather hand off the kitchen deep-clean while you sort out the hardware, book apartment cleaning with CleanWhale.
FAQ
How often should I clean my dishwasher filter?
Rinse the filter every one to two weeks if you run the machine often, or monthly for light use. If you scrape plates well before loading, you can stretch it, but the filter is still where smells start.
Why does my dishwasher smell like rotten eggs?
That sulfur smell usually means food is decomposing in the filter or sump, or water is sitting stagnant in the drain. Clean the filter and run a hot empty cycle. If it persists, the drain hose may be holding old water.
Can I use vinegar and baking soda together?
Use them in separate steps, not at once. Run the vinegar cycle first to cut grease, then do a short baking-soda rinse. Combining them immediately just fizzes and neutralizes both before they do much.
Does leaving the door open really help?
Yes. Dishwashers smell partly because they stay sealed and damp between runs. Propping the door open an inch lets the interior dry, which slows the buildup that causes odor especially useful in a small kitchen where the machine runs only a few times a week.
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