Dishwasher Still Smells After a Wash? This Hidden Part Could Be the Reason
Clean dishes can come out of a dishwasher that smells anything but clean. Running another cycle may rinse the racks and walls again, but it won’t reach every place where old food collects.
YouTube creator Brandon Pleshek starts beneath the lower rack. A removable filter sits near the bottom of the machine, and when it comes out, its screen reveals the kind of buildup hidden during every wash.
That filter can be the source of the smell, but it isn’t the only part a normal cycle misses. Several other spots sit beyond the reach of the water jets, including one hidden along the bottom edge of the door.
The filter can hold what the wash cycle leaves behind
Filter location varies by model, but this one twists out near the center of the dishwasher floor. Its screen has caught food and residue instead of letting it move through the machine.
A second mesh screen around the filter also comes out. Both pieces go into a sink with hot water, Dawn dish soap, and about a cup of white vinegar.
After soaking, a toothbrush reaches across the screen and inside the filter, where buildup can remain out of sight. Both parts get rinsed before going back into the machine.
Start with the filter at the bottom
Tiny holes in the spray arms can fill with food
Spray arms present another place for debris to hide. Small nozzle holes distribute water across the dishes, but food can become lodged inside them.
On this dishwasher, both upper and lower arms come out. A pipe cleaner fits into the openings to dislodge trapped pieces, followed by water through the arms to flush them out.
Clogged holes don’t just leave another dirty part inside the machine. Restricted nozzles can reduce the water reaching dishes during a cycle.
Door seals sit outside the main wash area
Door edges can look like part of the dishwasher interior without receiving the same wash.
When the door closes, the seals keep water inside the main chamber. That also leaves sections around the perimeter beyond the reach of the spray arms, giving residue a place to collect between cycles.
A toothbrush or scrubber reaches into those narrow areas, followed by a damp towel to remove what comes loose.
Door seals collect grime outside the wash area
One dirty strip hides beneath the door
Another spot sits lower than the seals and can escape notice during a quick wipe.
The lip where the dishwasher door closes and hinges can collect old food and grime. Wiping the visible sides and edges won’t reach everything sitting underneath this section.
Because the main wash doesn’t clean it, residue can remain there from one cycle to the next even when the racks and walls look clean.
Some water beneath the filter is supposed to be there
Pulling out the filter can reveal something that looks like another problem: water sitting inside the opening underneath.
A small amount of standing water in this area can be normal. Water rising above the opening and pooling across the bottom of the dishwasher is different and can point to a drainage problem or clog.
For a deep clean, the remaining water can be absorbed with a towel, exposing any food or debris left at the bottom.
Cleaning the filter once doesn’t finish the job
Filter, screen, and spray arms go back into place before the final cleaning cycle. The filter needs to lock into position, while the spray arms need enough clearance to turn.
A dishwasher cleaning tablet can then handle the interior during a cleaning cycle, after the areas the machine couldn’t wash on its own have been cleared.
Keeping the filter from reaching the same state means checking it before another layer of residue builds up. The video recommends cleaning it once a month, or twice a month in a home where the dishwasher runs every day. Door edges can also be wiped when buildup appears instead of waiting for another deep clean.
How long has it been since you pulled out your dishwasher filter?