Does your dishwasher smell like fish?

[novum]

It just makes no sense to me that a dishwasher could smell bad. The ones I've used are pretty close to being dish sterilisers. Between the very hot water and the detergents laced with enzymes and oxygen bleaches, there's not all that much could possibly survive a cycle.

The only explanations I can see are people using way too low temperatures, short cycles or particularly poor detergent. Or they've some weird filter / grinder design that is full of food waste and doesn't clear itself out.

Unless your dishwasher is drastically faulty and isn't washing properly, I just can't see how they get smelly.

If it smells like fish, it's probably denaturing protein stuck in a filter somewhere.

 

[whitewhiskers]

now trying Finish Cleaner Tablets

I'm reviving this thread as I'm now trying the Finish Tablets. Affresh is good but dissolve too fast. The Finish cleaner tablets come wrapped in a gel packet, notice how the actual 4-pack looks very different from the Amazon stock photo. The tablets pull out of the cardboard into their own packaging. The back peels off, made in Poland also.

 

[Chetlaham]

@novum: I'll say it. Insufficient soil maceration, trapping and carry away coupled with normal cycles that use to little water. Few realize the normal cycle is just the economy version of the light wash cycle. Not enough water and heat- some normal cycles cut out at 105*F. Yuck.    

 

[gelaundry4ever]

dishwasher smell

It depends. Sometimes, it'll smell like, coffee, blueberry pancakes, even different types of cheeses mainly sharp cheddar from the omelette and mozzarella from the shrimp Alfredo casserole. It all goes away when I use a scented dishwasher detergent like Finish ultimate. I always use smart wash for best results.

 

[thomasortega]

Good practices, maybe?

I have one of the crappiest dishwashers ever (kenmore portable, modern) and I NEVER had any issues with smelly dw.

OTOH, the racks probably won't survive until the end of the year and replacement racks are more expensive than replacing the dw. I've never seen such cheaply-made racks. It feels like Whirlpool did that intentionally. They're literally dissolving in rust.