For several years now, we have had a problem with our dishes smelling bad after washing. Drinking a glass of water is downright gag inducing. I can’t liken the smell to anything in my experience. Kinda like wet dog, but not, or swamp water, but not, or rotten egg but not quite. At first I blamed the dishwasher, but have found that the smell is there even if I wash them by hand.
If I google, there are lots of people asking this question, but no definitive answers. I can use a brand new dish rag and clean dish towel to dry and it’s still there. It does not seem to be 100 percent of the time, but is often enough to be really annoying. The water itself doesn’t smell bad, just the dishes after they dry, whether by hand or air drying. I have read that it could be some rod in the water heater, and we did get a new water heater about six years ago but I can’t remember for sure if that is when it started. Anyone have any ideas?
ETA: We called the water department, and they seemed to think it was the dishwasher, which is why I tried hand washing them.
My sponges I use for washing tend to get the swamp water odor if I don’t rinse them and squeeze them out good. I does transmit to the dishes which I only drip dry.
I get the same “wet dog” smell at times. There is no screen to clog up with food, so it’s not that. When it happens, I have to wash the dishes again in the sink before using them. It’s a mystery.
The glasses are made of glass and the plates are Corel. As I mentioned, it doesn’t matter whether the dishes are washed in the dishwasher, or if I do them by hand with a brand new dish cloth so a musty sponge isn’t the explanation.
Maybe it’s the soap. I’ve noticed that same smell in pub glasses. I don’t get it with the dish soap, only with the dishwasher soap, and not all the time.
I noticed it last night at the IHOP from my ice water, but never in other restaurants I frequent. I’ve read all kinds of theories now, from the removal of phosphates in dishwasher soap to magnesium anode rods in water heaters. And you’re right, it’s not all the time. I know if I invited the folks from the water dept. out, I probably wouldn’t be able to duplicate it to save my soul. Very very frustrating.
In some ways life was better when I smoked and I couldn’t smell anything.
I wonder if you filled a separate tub when washing, with a dab of bleach in it. After dish is rinsed, dunk it in the sanitizer for 10 seconds or so and then air dry. It’s the extra step restaurants take if they don’t have an automatic washer. I believe the air drying is also important to the process. Might be worth a try just to see what happens for a week or something. I wonder if the Ihop has an auto washer and the others you frequent hand-wash with that extra step.
I’d get a water quality test kit and see if there are any unusual chemicals in your water supply. Just because your local utility is (presumably) sending clean, non-stinky water, that doesn’t guarantee your dishwasher and sink are getting clean, non-stinky water.
Also, next time you notice the smell, i’d try the other faucets in your house to see if they have a similar problem, which will help you narrow down the source.
I agree; it’s probably something to do with your water supply.
If not, I’d look at your hot water heater and it’s temp; if it’s not hot enough, it’s conceivable that you just have a 50 gallon incubator for all sorts of funk, that then comes out and into your dishwasher.
Not the one in my home. In fact the installation instructions say to ensure that the incoming water temp is at least 120° F. It does have heating elements for the high temperature wash and desantitize setting and probably to ensure that the water temp stays above a certain level.
I’d say the majority of home dishwashers are meant to connect to a hot water supply; the heaters are relatively small ones used to boost the temperature to sanitizing levels and keep it there during the cycle.
I can’t think of a residential DW I’ve owned, installed or researched that was for cold-water input. Possibly some European models, but the 3 Bosch’s I’ve had were hot-water.
Oops, you’re right. I just looked at mine and sure enough it’s coming from the hot side. I wonder if it would make a difference if I ran the hot water in the sink until it’s, you know, hot, prior to running the dishwasher. It can take at least 30 seconds or longer for hot water to get from the tank to the other end of the house, which means the dishes are initially being rinsed with cold water.
I’d guess also that it’s something in your water that’s leaving a residue smell on the dishes after the water evaporates.
Try rinsing your hands in the water, letting them air dry, and then smelling them.
I always run the hot water tap in the kitchen sink for just this reason, especially in the winter. It does seem to make a difference. I scrub the sink while I’m waiting for the hot water to start.
