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Dishwasher Smells Bad? How to Find the Source and Get Rid of It

Published 2026-10-19 · Last reviewed 2026-10-19 · Checked against manufacturer sources

Quick answer

A dirty filter is behind most dishwasher smells: food and grease rot in the mesh at the bottom of the tub. Pull the filter, scrub it in warm soapy water, then wipe the door gasket and run an empty hot cycle with dishwasher cleaner. A sewage smell or standing water after the cycle points to a drain problem instead.

Safety first: Switch off the dishwasher breaker before reaching near the heating element or working on the drain hose under the sink. Let the element cool before touching anything in the bottom of the tub, and never run the dishwasher with a burning or electrical smell.

Name the smell to narrow it down

Different smells come from different places. KitchenAid's odor guide links each one to a likely cause, and GE adds the burning-plastic case. Use this list before you pull anything out.

Clean the filter first

Pull out the bottom rack and look at the floor of the tub. Many newer dishwashers have a removable cylinder filter that twists out and a flat mesh screen under it. Removal varies by model, so check the manual if it won't turn by hand. Lift them out.

Rinse both under warm running water, then soak them a few minutes in hot soapy water and scrub the fine mesh with a soft brush. An old toothbrush works. Skip anything abrasive, since steel wool or a wire brush will damage the fine mesh. Wipe out the sump opening below with a paper towel and check for glass shards or bones before you reach in. Put the filter back and lock it, since a loose filter lets debris into the pump.

How often depends on how much you pre-rinse. Whirlpool recommends at least monthly. KitchenAid's prevention tips say every 3 to 6 months on average, and Electrolux says every 2 to 3 months. If you scrape dishes but don't rinse them, monthly is realistic. Our filter cleaning guide has photos of the common styles.

Wipe the gasket, door edges and spray arms

The door gasket and the bottom edge of the door never get hit by the spray directly, so they collect grease and food that grows mold. Wipe the full gasket with warm soapy water, getting into the folds, then dry it with a towel. Do the same along the bottom of the inner door and the sides of the tub where the door meets it.

Pull the lower spray arm (most lift straight off or unscrew from the center) and look into the holes. Rinse out anything lodged in them, and poke out stubborn bits with a toothpick. Check the upper arm too. Clogged arms leave food on the dishes, which then sits in the tub and smells.

After every load, leave the door cracked open an inch or two so the inside dries. KitchenAid recommends this to cut down on musty smells, and it costs nothing.

Run a cleaning cycle

With the filter clean and the dishwasher empty, run a hot cycle with a dishwasher cleaner such as affresh. Whirlpool suggests doing this about once a month. Follow the product's directions on where to put it.

White vinegar is the other option the manufacturers mention. KitchenAid and Whirlpool both use 2 cups of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe bowl on the bottom rack, run through an empty cycle (KitchenAid says with the dry option off). GE suggests 1 cup in a bowl on the upper rack. Electrolux recommends cleaning about every 3 months, either with vinegar or with an empty Heavy cycle plus Sanitize.

If you don't run full loads every day, a quick Rinse Only cycle on half-loaded dishes keeps food from drying and rotting in the racks for days.

Check for standing water and a slow drain

Open the dishwasher right after a cycle. A little water around the filter is normal. KitchenAid says an inch or more in the bottom can mean a drain clog, and that water goes foul fast. Clean the filter and drain basket, then run a Normal cycle and see whether it drains.

If the dishwasher drains into a garbage disposal, run the disposal for a few seconds with cold water first. A clogged disposal backs water into the dishwasher. On a new disposal, check that the knockout plug inside the dishwasher inlet was removed during installation. KitchenAid lists that as a cause of drain smells.

Drain codes include LG OE, Samsung 5C or 5E, Whirlpool and KitchenAid F9E1, Frigidaire i20, Bosch E24 and GE C3 or FTD. Our dishwasher not draining guide covers the full drain path.

Look at the drain hose loop and air gap

A sewage smell that comes back no matter how often you clean usually means dirty water from the sink drain is finding its way back into the dishwasher. GE says the drain hose needs either a high loop or an air gap to stop that back-siphoning. With a high loop, the hose runs up and is fastened as close to the underside of the countertop as possible before it drops down to the disposal or drain. AppliancePartsPros notes that a loop that isn't high enough may not stop backflow.

An air gap is the small chrome or plastic cap on the sink deck or countertop next to the faucet. AppliancePartsPros notes that local plumbing codes in many areas require one, while others accept a high loop. Pull off the decorative cover, unscrew the inner cap and clean out any gunk. A blocked air gap slows draining and can spill water out of its side vent.

Turn off the dishwasher's breaker before you move anything under the sink. Fasten the hose up under the counter with a strap or clamp if it's sagging. If the hose is kinked, cracked or smells foul inside, replacing it is a reasonable job, but water and drain connections that leak afterward cause real damage, so call a plumber or technician if you're unsure.

Burning or electrical smells

A sharp burnt-plastic smell during the cycle usually means a lightweight plastic lid or utensil has dropped through the rack onto the heating element. GE says to check for that before calling for service. Turn off the breaker, let the element cool for at least 20 minutes, then remove the item and scrape off any melted residue once it's cold.

If nothing has fallen and the smell is more like hot wiring, don't run the dishwasher again. Leave the breaker off and book a technician. KitchenAid lists a burning smell or damaged wiring as a reason to call for service rather than troubleshooting it yourself.

When to call a professional

Call a technician if the dishwasher keeps leaving more than an inch of water after you've cleaned the filter and checked the disposal, if a sewage smell persists with a proper high loop or air gap, or if you notice a burning smell with nothing touching the element. A cracked gasket or damaged door latch is also service work on most models.

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