Originally Created on: April 28, 2022 @ 7:13 am
Why does my dishwasher smell like rotten eggs? Is it also stinking up the kitchen, and you dread running a load each night? The smell coming from your dishwasher is a common problem in many households. There are many reasons why your dishwasher smells like rotten eggs, or worse, like sewage.
The smell of rotten eggs could result from bacteria because of the presence of moisture, warmth, and food particle remains. There may be other significant reasons, such as dishwasher hygiene: Many people do not know that dishwashers deserve a proper wash. Another possible cause could be due to poor installation of the dishwasher.
Fortunately, you can reverse the smell of rotten eggs coming from your dishwasher, and it can have a fresh and clean smell. It can easily be fixed when you identify the root cause. It is best to take preventative measures and clean the dishwasher as often to prevent the issue from recurring.
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Why Does My Dishwasher Smell Like Rotten Eggs?
As already mentioned rotten egg smell in your dishwasher is caused by a number of reasons, ranging from a build-up of food particles in your dishwasher, poor hygiene, a clogged drain hose, or it could be coming from your garbage disposal.
In this next section, we dive deeper into each of the above reasons in detail.
Key Reasons for Rotten Egg Smell in Your Dishwasher
- A buildup of food particles: Food particles tend to remain in the dishwasher, and over time the buildup of food causes your dishwasher to smell like rotten eggs. One of the common areas where the buildup occurs is at the door gasket, which prevents water leakage when running a cycle. Food particles do remain on the gasket resulting in the odor.
- Another possible reason for the awful smell is that wastewater is not draining correctly, as there could be an air gap in the drain hose. Large fob particles can block the drainage or cause a leakage resulting in an awful smell.
- Your garbage disposal: Your dishwasher pumps wastewater into the garbage disposal when you run a wash. A foul smell usually comes from the garbage disposal, especially if you have never cleaned it. The smell in your dishwasher could result from the location of your drain if the dishwasher was improperly installed.
- The issue with the air gap and the drain hose: Dishwashers have an air gap and a drain hose to prevent wastewater from coming back into the dishwasher. The wastewater is supposed to go into the drainage. If the air gap and the hose fail to prevent wastewater from going back into the dishwasher, it will result in a rotten egg smell.
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How Do You Get Rid of the Foul Smell in a Dishwasher?
The awful smell of rotten eggs coming from your dishwasher can be a nuisance. Is it possible to get rid of the smell entirely or even temporarily? Fortunately, the foul odor is potentially easy to fix.
Clean the drain pipe, which carries wastewater into the drainage, and over time, residue builds up inside the pipe resulting in a bad smell. Take out the hose and thoroughly clean using a drain cleaner-you will notice a significant change when you run the next load of dishes. Also, make sure the drain hose is not dipping down before draining because water will log there, causing bacteria that will eventually stink.
Check the garbage disposal because all the waste from your dishwasher is pumped into the garbage disposal. Consistently and adequately clean the garbage disposal. You use vinegar or cut up some lemon and run through the hose pipe to add a refreshing scent. Cleaning the garbage disposal will most likely solve the issue.
Whenever washing greasy dishes, use a high-temperature wash to avoid the greasy residue in the drain hose, which will cause an unpleasant smell over time. Additionally, make sure you have a high loop, at least 32 inches from the floor, and ensure the drain hose stays higher than the drainage.
General hygiene of your dishwasher will go along way. Cleaning your dishwasher more frequently by running an empty wash cycle with vinegar and baking soda will also help in fighting the foul smell.
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Tips on Keeping Your Dishwasher Fresh and Clean
To prevent your dishwasher from smelling like rotten eggs, ensure routine cleaning to remove food residue and keep it smelling fresh and clean. Prevention is better than cure. Be keen to scrap off big food particles from your dishes before loading the dishwasher and routinely do maintenance to ensure all parts of your dishwasher are functioning.
A dishwasher needs to be cleaned occasionally – at least once a month to keep off a foul odor. Your dishwasher will benefit a lot from the wash. To clean effectively, apply white vinegar solution. Regularly clean the spray arms with warm soapy water using a clean sponge.
Additionally, ensure no food particles are left at the bottom of the dishwasher. Scrape off large food particles from your utensils before loading them in the dishwasher. Scraping off food remains will prevent blockage of the drainage.
Incorporate an odor neutralizer such as vinegar or baking soda, a natural deodorizer. With vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar into the dishwasher and run an empty cycle. For baking soda, pour a cup of the baking soda solution at the bottom of the dishwasher and leave it overnight.
Don’t use other hot appliances such as a hot shower to avoid diverting resources while the dishwasher is running.
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Conclusion
The smelly dishwasher can give you distress, but the good news is it can be fixed easily at home without needing a professional. Why does my dishwasher smell like rotten eggs? A dishwasher that smells like eggs results from food buildup, and cleaning the dishwasher, especially on the gasket, might fix the issue.
Consistent maintenance will keep the foul smell at bay, and you will enjoy a stress-free dish-washing experience. A dishwasher can smell like different things, sewage, and eggs. A smell from your dishwasher is usually a cry for help, and you should take the time to examine your dishwasher to fix the issue.