Asklemmy

Oh oh, finally something I can comment on!

I've replaced a number of dishwashers and in every case like this the drain hose, under the dishwasher, had a low spot where water then mold collected.

It's usually pretty easy to check. Most dishwashers are secured with a couple of screws to the counter top or sides. Once those are removed it should be easy to slide it out. Probably best to look up a YT video on it. But if that's the problem the drain hose is a dime a dozen, don't try and clean it. You'll know if it's the source of the smell pretty quickly.

Have you tried not using it to wash your dog?

I have the same issue and eventually gave up and got whats called a "verfrisser" in Dutch. I suppose it translates to "refresher"? Its a little thing that hangs on the rack that keeps it smelling fresh. One is good for 60 washes, or 2 months. The one I have is made by "finish" and was €2 for 2.

My apartment also has extremely hard water so I also run it empty at max temperature with a descaling powder once a month. I find the smell is greatly reduced for a few days after descaling. That may be why youre smelling it less when using the vinegar rinse.

Posting this as a top level comment as well for visibility.

The tablets are a scam.

Ridiculously detailed video about them here.

The TL;DW is: use powder over tablets, and fill both the main detergent section AND the prewash section (or just throw a little extra powder in loose)

Also, run the hot water before turning it on
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To help with smell in the washer we keep the liquid soap tray open after we finish using it. And leave the lid open most of the time. It seems to keep humidity down and the smell went away almost instantly.

Are you taking out the filter and removing all the food bits?

I’ve had success with Jet Dry and Cascade Platinum plus pods. Our filter gets super gross after about 10 cycles. Between cleaning out the filter often and running those two product combos, we don’t really have a smelly washer. My other thought was your water quality. We have a whole house water softener. Have you tested to see if you have super hard water? This ruins appliances. Simple test can be bought on Amazon.

Not a dishwasher, but may be related. I air dry my clothes indoors, sometimes overnight, and used to get that damp rag smell on my clothes as a result. Solution: toss in a tbs of baking soda - no more smell.

Splash the insides with vinegar, run it, toss in some baking soda, run it again.

And keep it at least partially open most of the time when not in use

If your dishwasher has a musty odor it is harboring bacteria that will fuck up your mental health. I forget the name of the bacteria but it starts with an A and its airborne products can give you chronic inflammation.

That problem goes so much deeper than funky smelling dishes. It’s a threat to your health.

Same for any part of your home that produces this smell. It’s not to be taken lightly.

Run an empty cycle with a bunch of bleach.

I'm pretty sure my wife ran an empty cycle (no dishes, no detergent) with half a lemon in the cutlery basket. She seemed pretty happy with the outcome.

• Make sure the heating element is working. If you open the dishwasher immediately after the cycle ends, some steam should come up in your face and the dishes should almost be too hot to hold.

• It's not enough to just pick food out of the filter. It might still be slimy. You have to remove the filter and scrub its parts with a stiff soapy brush. Especially the screen type parts.

• When the filter is out, check the hole where it goes to see if there is food or slime in there.

• Don't use liquid detergent, pods, or any detergent with fragrance. You don't want dishes that smell like fragrance. If they do, then they're not rinsed. Instead, use fragrance-free tablets. Fragrance interferes with the cleaning because the fragrance itself needs to be cleaned.

• Put the detergent tablet in the bottom of the dishwasher, never in the door compartment.

• Take both the top and bottom spinning spray-arms out of the washer and examine every squirt hole in each one to see if any are blocked. Bits of eggshell and vegetable are common culprits. Make sure each hole is completely clear by putting the spray arms inlet agains the kitchen sink faucet.

• Last and most important, and probably your issue: the last thing you need to do before EVERY wash is to push both baskets into the washer, then reach in and give each spinning spray arm a spin to see if they spin freely or blocked by a dish. Listen when you spin it, if it is blocked you'll hear it banging on a plate as it goes around. They are powered by the water, and even a slight catch on a plate or dish will stop it from spinning. This is what usually causes "wet dog ass" plates.

They sell those little dishwasher tablets that help clean inside. Its a bit fragrant, so it smells nice for a few days too.

I don't put certain things like dishes that contacted raw eggs in the dishwasher so that won't happen. I'm still learning what the optimal way to use a dishwasher is though. This smell has a name in Arabic, زنخة (zanakha).

Mine doesn’t smell, unless I’ve put an omelet pan in there. Egg just does not go away.