How to Remove Those Bad Smells From Your Dishwasher

The dishwasher is one of the most used appliances and certainly one of the most useful in the kitchen because it allows us, in a short time and with minimal effort, to have dishes, plates and cutlery that are always clean and shiny. Using it every day, however, the dishwasher can become a receptacle for bacteria and microorganisms that, in the long run, can cause bad smells. High temperatures, food residues and humidity help the proliferation of mold and bacteria and therefore the onset of annoying odors: for these reasons it is very important to always keep the dishwasher clean and avoid stagnant water; but, if normal maintenance is not enough to keep bad smells away, you can intervene in an "extraordinary" way in a simple and effective way. Let's see how to effectively eliminate bad smells from your washing machine.

Bad Smells in The Dishwasher: What Are The Causes And How to Prevent Them

Before taking action to eliminate them, it is important to understand how and why bad smells form in our washing machine: food residues that accumulate over time even in the least visible corners, high temperatures and the humid environment of the washing machine (perfect habitat for the proliferation of bacteria and mold) are the reasons why, after some time from the purchase, our appliance does not give off a good smell. How can we prevent the formation of mold and bacteria? With some small and simple tricks:

• Leave the dishwasher door open after each wash, so that the inside can dry more easily and does not retain moisture;
• Quickly rinse the dirtiest dishes under running water to eliminate any food residue that may build up in the dishwasher casing during washing;
• if you have pots and pans that are too encrusted, opt for hand washing;
• While it is advisable to only start wash cycles with a full load so as not to waste water, it is also true that this may mean waiting a few days to fill it up completely (especially if we live alone or with two people) and thus increase the possibility of bacteria and mould growing, the advice is therefore to choose programs suitable for small loads to help the environment and not leave your dishwasher in the clutches of smelly mould.

How to Remove Bad Odors From Your Dishwasher

Ordinary maintenance is often not enough and we have to intervene in an "extraordinary" way to allow our dishwasher to be in good shape and not give off terrible odors. How to do it? Arm yourself with vinegar, lemon and baking soda and follow our advice.

• Remove the filter and the propellers; remove the drain filter, which is most likely responsible for the bad smells in your dishwasher because it is a perfect receptacle for food residues. Once removed, clean the filter with hot water and dish soap. Repeat the operation with the propellers, taking care to remove them delicately to avoid breaking them.
• Seals and baskets: Soak a dish sponge in white vinegar and gently scrub the dishwasher seals to remove food residue and the inside walls. Take the baskets and soak them in boiling water and vinegar before scrubbing them with the sponge and making them as good as new.
• Empty wash: after cleaning the dishwasher parts, all you have to do is run an empty wash to disinfect and make your appliance shiny and fragrant: to do this, just pour a liter of white vinegar into the dishwasher and run a full wash cycle. As an alternative to vinegar, you can use baking soda: sprinkle it into the dishwasher and start the cycle. If you think your dishwasher is really in irreparable conditions, you can use vinegar and baking soda together, a winning combination. Empty wash with vinegar and baking soda is also one of the most effective techniques for preventing bad odors: our advice is to do it at least once a month.