We clean over 600 homes every month at Tidy Casa, and one of the questions I hear all the time is:
“Why does my dishwasher smell like a wet dog that’s been eating leftovers?”
Here’s the deal — dishwashers get gross. Food bits, grease, and soap scum build up over time, and eventually, you open that door, and WHAM — eau de stink. While we don’t clean dishwashers as part of our service (it’s a total time-suck and would cost way too much), I’ll walk you through how to tackle it yourself so you don’t have to keep holding your breath when unloading dishes.
Why Your Dishwasher Stinks in the First Place
Think of your dishwasher like the kitchen sink’s little brother. They share the same DNA (and often the same drain line), but the dishwasher is a closed box where all that water, food, and heat mix together in a lovely little science experiment. Over time, gunk gets trapped in filters, under the door seal, and in the drain line. And that’s where the smell comes from.
How Often to Clean It
- Every 6 months: If you’re the scrape-and-rinse type before loading.
- Every 2 months: If you’re more of a “let the dishwasher earn its keep” kind of person.
- Right now: If you opened it today and it made you gag.
The Simple Vinegar Fix
Here’s the quick-and-dirty (well… quick-and-clean) way to freshen it up:
- Empty the dishwasher. All racks, all dishes, everything out.
- Vinegar time. Put 1 cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe cup or bowl and stick it on the top rack.
- Run it hot. Choose the hottest cycle your dishwasher has and let it go.
- Rinse cycle. Run it again, no vinegar this time, to flush it out.
- Wipe down the crime scene. Bottom, sides, door seals — anything you can reach.
When Vinegar Doesn’t Cut It
If it still smells like a swamp after all that, the problem might not be inside the dishwasher at all. Sink and dishwasher lines are often connected, and if the line isn’t installed correctly, food gunk can hang out there and keep stinking up the place.
In that case, you’re not looking for a cleaner — you’re looking for a plumber. Ask them to check the line, flush it out, and make sure it’s installed right.
Keep the Funk Away
- No 3D food. Scrape the chunky stuff off plates before loading.
- Check the filter. Most dishwashers have one at the bottom — rinse it once a month.
- Let it breathe. Crack the door after a cycle so moisture doesn’t turn into funk.
We might not clean dishwashers at Tidy Casa, but we do leave kitchens sparkling. So while you’ve got the dishwasher smelling fresh, let us handle the rest of the house.
Book your cleaning here and we’ll make everything else shine.