I’m not sure what’s going on here. There seems to be a funk coming from the dishwasher. It’s only noticable when the thing is running and you open the door. Not sure if there’s something stuck in the system, if part of the rubber is rotting or what. It’s one of those smells that tell you something is up, but you just can’t put your finger on what it is.
So what’s the best way to clean it? I’m leaning towards something like an empty cycle with either vinegar or baking soda, but not sure what is best. aNY SUGGESTIONS?
We’ve had a couple of threads about “sink stink” lately, search and ye shall find. In at least one of them the dishwasher was a suspected culprit, specifically crud building up downstream (I assume that yours cycles the waste water out through your garbage disposal) in the drain somewhere.
Do you have any smell from the sink or is it specifically just the dishwasher? I’d be surprised if it was crud in the dishwasher “tub” since that gets bathed in scorching soapy water every time you use it, that should remove/kill any food residue, unless there’s some kind of leak someplace.
The key thing to check is the vent cap, which should be above the sink.
They are cheap, so if it looks gummy at all just replace it.
Some amateurs install dishwashers without this, and the result is the stink you describe.
I recommend the vinegar treatment. What I do is take my 3 cup glass measuring cup and replace the cutlery basket with it. (In other words, in the center of the lower rack.) Fill the cup about 3/4 with white* vinegar, and run a full cycle.
And if you’ve got any drinking glasses with that cloudy build-up on them, this is the time to put them in the top rack, to get them sparkling clean.
*Thinking about this as I type, I wonder if cider vinegar would leave a pleasant odor? :dubious:
A good idea is to check the owner’s manual.
Most brands put their manuals online in .pdf format,
If you can’t find it, try GE.com under home appliance for their manual and good generic advice.
To clarify, the smell is from the dishwasher, not anything at all with the sink.
It is only noticeable if you open it mid-cycle with the water still hot. The cycle doesn’t matter, just seems to be when the water is hot, soapy or not.
After it’s dry/cool, you can’t notice the smell. It’s only when the washer is actually running. The dishes are clean as can be, and no spots on the glassware.
I’m half thinking it’s something with the rubber seal or some gasket somewhere. That would explain the heat/moisture component to it, but it seems the odor should linger even after it’s cooled if it was some rotting kinda deal. The more I think of it, the less it seems like a good idea to risk working vinegar into the equation. But I could be wrong. (No! Not me!)
Any ideas added to the others are appreciated. And thanks again for the effort.
Can you describe the smell? Is it like an open sewer or more like burning plastic or rubber?
For the former, you may well have some food remnants stuck in the pump housing or sparay arms. You’d only notice the smell when water, especially hot water, is being circulated through them. A little bit of disassembly and cleaning would be in order for this. Just remove the tower and spray arm and see if there is anything in there.
If it smells more like burning plastic or rubber, the culprit may be some bit of same stuck in the works near the heating element. It only starts to smell when the element comes on to heat the water or dry the dishes. This possibility seems less likely to me because no one with a nose would classify those smells as a funk, and they’re very noticeable even with the door closed.
Look at the spray arms both top and bottom for clogging. Couldn’t figure out why things weren’t getting clean, and funky smell. Somehow, long strips of poly were crammed in both.
The arms typically are removed by a plastic nut.
