There are countless explanations of why a dishwasher may begin to smell bad. However, the most well-known culprits are food particles and dirty water getting trapped in the drain hose, drain filter, spray arm, or different areas. If your dishwasher isn’t draining entirely after each usage, you could even have mold growing inside. This could lead to the dishwasher breaking down or additionally cause health issues for sensitive household members.
To clean your dishwasher, the best place to begin is with the drain filter. A clogged drain filter is the most common reason for a smelly dishwasher. Several dishwashers have a drain filter located in the bottom rear of the tub. To clean it, pull it out and wash it with hot soapy water and a bottle brush. Then check the drain itself to make certain that it is clean.
If your dishwasher has spray arms, they could likewise turn out to be clogged and begin to discharge unwanted odors. If you’ve cleaned the filter and even smell something funky, you can remove the spray arms and rinse them out. Make use of a toothpick to remove any food particles that have lodged in the holes and afterward run water through the arm until clean water comes out.
Same as drain filters and spray arms, the inside of your dishwasher can really turn out to be filthy and coated with soap scum and grime. On that account, it’s significant to periodically scrub the interior surfaces of your dishwasher – along with the racks and door gaskets – with hot soapy water. One excellent method to clean your dishwasher’s interior is to run separate empty cycles with vinegar and baking soda. These two natural cleaners are good for removing bad smells and gunk.
To clean a smelly dishwasher correctly, you’ll want to run it twice. The two cleaners create a chemical reaction when combined, so do not mix them in the dishwasher. In the first cycle, place a bowl filled with white vinegar on the dishwasher’s top rack and run it on a hot water cycle. If you don’t want the smell of vinegar, try putting in quite a few drops of essential oil like lavender, orange, or lemon. Then afterward, run a second cycle after pouring a cup of baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher. Whenever that’s finished, that should be all your dishwasher needs to eliminate any unwanted odors.
When the odors are gone, your last step is to prevent them from coming back. Appliance experts recommend repeating the above steps as many as three or four times a year to keep your dishwasher running at maximum efficiency. But as it happens, there are several things you can do too. Scraping and rinsing your dishes before loading them in the dishwasher can prevent food particles from being trapped in the first place. Likewise, avoid running other appliances in the home that use hot water at the same time. This will make certain that your dishwasher has all the hot water it requires to dissolve the soap and food particles on your dishes and leave whatever inside clean and residue-free.
Would you like more tips on how to keep your rental house clean and odor-free? Visit our blog today, or if you’re in the market for a new Seal Beach rental home, take a look at our current listings.