Quick question on “dog dishes”

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meldew

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Jul 20, 2018
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101
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Georgia
Can anyone identify with this? Do your clean, sanitized dishes and glasses ever come out of the dishwasher with the aroma of wet dog? I would do almost anything to fix this. I’ve changed dishwashers and detergent. I’ve dried the dishes and let them air dry. Sometimes I have to rewash the whole load. I’ve plastic cups are fine. Right now I’m using a Kitchenaid dw that’s fairly new. It has a hot wash/rinse and a sanitize setting. I alternate finish tablets and cascade or Palmolive liquid with chlorine bleach.

It’s not always noticeable right away but after they sit in the air for a while we notice it. And no no dogs lick the dishes. Nor are dogs even usually indoors.

Any ideas?
 
Hot water heater?

I’m assuming you’ve already checked/cleaned any filters present in the machine.

Have you considered your hot water heater as the source of the issue? I know of people where their water heater is starting to fail (or the sacrificial rod inside the WH is almost spent) who have had similar odor issues. Once their WH was replaced or serviced (flushed and had he rod replaced) it took care of the odor.

Bob
 
Do you have an air gap installed?

One of my neighbors told me that their pipes in the kitchen smelled like sulfer. I googled it and got a few hits that basically said that dishwashers could smell if they didn’t have an airgap. And low and behold, I just saw him today and he told me that he had isolated the smell to the bottom of the dishwasher where the filter goes. I asked him if he’d put in an air gap? Nope, not yet.

The previous owner that he bought from several months ago apparently replaced the DW DYI, and didn’t replace the air gap. In our county an air gap is required by code.

HTH
Eddie
 
I get this once-in-a-while too (maybe once every couple months at most.)  And my dishwasher is installed with an air gap.  It's not terrible and I've never rewashed anything, it's just sort of an off-putting smell instead of the usual faint smell of the Cascade pak.

 

I only run my dishwasher once-a-week (but in the summer I will run the rinse-only cycle once or twice mid-week.)

 

I've never figured it out.  When it happens I usually empty the dishwasher and run a rinse cycle with 1/2 cup of straight liquid bleach and then another rinse cycle.  I don't know if this is helping prevent the problem or not.

 

I suspect it might be some magic combination of the soil on the dishes, my water and the detergent.

 

 

 
 
Hmmm. I don’t know what an air gap is. Will have to research it. And I have cured it for short spans of time by adding bleach to the washer. And yes I have been fanatical about cleaning the dishwasher filter and interior. I’ve replaced the drain hose and changed the disposal when it broke.

BUT our water heater (tank) is 12 years old. We’ve noticed a drop in hot water volume (I think). I’d say we’ve suffered from dog dishes for several years. We’re on municipal water. But now that y’all mention the incoming water as a source, I remember getting a whiff of the same odor from an older front-load washer! I’ve asked a couple neighbors and they looked at me like I was crazy so it must be us. Tho I once smelled it on a glass at a friend’s house (well water) and I think she was insulted when I asked if they have that same problem.

We’ve never lived in one house this long and have never had to replace a water heater. I guess I’d better start reading up. Thanks I thought about the city water but did not consider the heater!
 
Melissa, here is just one article about why a dishwasher might smell. It mentions that you either need for the drain hose to have the proper loop in it or an air gap installed so it drains properly. Since you’ve mentioned that you have dogs, maybe if you’ve washed their food bowls in the DW, and the DW isn’t draining properly, the residule water that hasn’t drained may retain a “dog smell”.

See the link below.

Also, here is a page from Walmart showing various DW air gaps.

Also, a You Tube about why you need an air gap.

HTH
Eddie


https://www.walmart.com/search/?que...79416&wl5=9032112&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&veh=sem[this post was last edited: 8/10/2018-22:01]

http://https//www.washingtonpost.co...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.8555f29555b9
 
Thank you. We definitely don’t have an air gap. I will go check the hose to see if it has a high loop. We’ve had a couple Bosches and they made a big deal about the high loop now that I’m reminded of it. I think we’re on our 5th dishwasher in 12 years. We run a few loads a day so not much time sitting there.

I have washed dog bowls in it, but not with human dishes and I always run the sanitize cycle though I’m learning that may not really sanitize everything. And the problem may have predated our dogs. I do run disposal cleaner through. It’s not really sewer gas or food smell. Actually the dishes smell clean at first but then develop the odor, it seems more quickly when it’s humid.
 
Do you have well water?

As there also is always a little water left in the pump sump, it may have an odor.
If it is draining nearly thoroughly, Try 2 tablespoons of bleach,or even vinegar in the bottom of the machine once you unload it.
 
Well I’ve been catching up on laundry and outside and just now logged in! Eddie I will watch the video when I get back home. I still haven’t looked at the drain hose!

I have tried adding bleach and that does seem to help. I can try the vinegar too.

No I never even thought about a commercial dishwasher. I didn’t know they would fit in my small kitchen. Our first in this current house was a Frigidaire - and I didn’t like it. It left so much debris on the dishes. Then a Bosch that I liked and I don’t remember what happened. A whirlpool which was fine. Then another Bosch which was a good washer but the racks were corroding/rusting and then it completely broke and the repairman said it would be an expensive repair and just replace it. So I got the Kitchenaid sight unseen from a scratch and dent store a ways away. It’s fine.

I had repairmen our for the smell. They assured me the dishwasher was installed correctly. I think was when I had one of the Bosch.

I’ll get back to y’all on the drain hose configuration. And I can call someone to ask about the air gap.
 
One tip off your water heater is going is white chunks collecting on the aerators at various faucets.  Replacing an anode rid is cheap and can get many more years out of a tank if done as needed.  If the tank has issues, how does the water in your showers smell?  If it's fine I'd rule that out as the issue with the DW.
 
Smelly Bosch DW

Hi, I would use a little liquid detergent with chlorine bleach in every load in the pre-wash cup or just put a tablespoon or two on the inside of the door each time you run a load [ and always use a premium DW tablet in the main dispenser cup as well ].

 

We get a lot of complaints about this with Bosch and other DWs as well that do not have real drying heating elements in the bottom of the DW.

 

An air-gap will not help this problem and in fact they can lead to odors in the kitchen area due to the gunk that collects in the [ open at both ends ] hose that connects the AG to the disposer or tee pipe above the trap.

 

John L.
 
The original post states that she is using a Kitchenaid DW John. But my neigbors that are having a problem with their DW smelling do have a Bosch. I’ll pass your suggestion on to them about using a drop of liquid detergent in the pre wash cup andbsome LCB in the bottom. I believe that they are already using a premium DW detergent pak.

Eddie
 
curveball...

...but the only times we have noticed bad smells from the dishwasher / crockery (especially glasses) is when any amount of EGG residue is left on the dirty dishes. Therefore we always pre rinse eggy items by hand now. I wonder if egg could be your culprit too?! Hope you get it sorted. Nick
 
Egg...

I also confirm that eggy dishes, in any form, seem to taint the load. Noticeable on glassware and crockery, as these are the items that come closest to the nose.
 
So I rinse.

Maybe a trace of egg left on dishes, but I use Finish complete tabs for the main wash, Cascade gel with bleach for the pre wash. Never any odors.
 
Ditto on eggs

I, too, have found that eggs can leave dishes smelly - although not always.

Cannot comment on the air gap situation as we don't have these things over here (nor have I ever needed to high-loop a drain hose).
 
Egg

Yes even uncooked raw egg results in smelling up the whole load of dishes. Noticed it with curry as well. Im just a scraper and always use high temp wash. Everything goes in type here. 3 dogs use my dishes or maybe you could say I use theirs. No separating loads for me. Cascade boil out and always clean and clean smelling dishes. Also if you're using chlorine bleach with enzyme detergent powders or pucks you're just killing the enzymes with bleach before they work on the dishes.
 
I was noticing a bad smell also from our 4 1/2 year old KA, as well as dishes not drying. So I pulled the paperwork on it and found out I did purchase a 5 year extended warranty, from Lowe's where I bought it. Gave them a call and they sent out their contracted repair shop tech. Well, they are rebuilding it. It needs a new control panel ($142.08), heater ($50.93), and drain pump ($61.54). Not sure what they would charge for labor....but we're not paying a dime. We have really hard water, hence the drain pump. I used a water softener in the prewash, to ward off any build up. Our last dishwasher sprung a leak underneath and did major damage to floor and cabinets. So two weeks without a DW and my dishes are looking better now that I'm handwashing with Dawn and a squirt of Lime-A-Way!! I do like the fact that I can get done quickly just handwashing, but I'd feel better about the stemware and cups and glasses in sanitizing with the DW.

After reading this thread, I never knew that about egg or the drain hose. I'm going to ask the tech about the air gap, there are no regulations for that in our neck of the woods. He told me the worst thing for any appliance is to regularly use it then quit and let it sit for long periods not using it. He said to run a cycle with one cup of vinegar once a week, if used frequently, and that all dishwasher parts are about all the same, think he repairs Whirlpool mostly.

I do miss my dishwasher though, you get used to them and it's not the easiest thing to go back handwashing on days if you have a lot of cooking to do. My poor hands are looking all the more dry and rough!!! LOL. Have new found respect for my mother and grandmother growing up when dishwashers were merely a dream.


Barry
 
“So two weeks without a DW and my dishes are looking better now that I'm handwashing with Dawn and a squirt of Lime-A-Way!! I do like the fact that I can get done quickly just handwashing, but I'd feel better about the stemware and cups and glasses in sanitizing with the DW. “

I still haven’t used my DW since about the middle of March, and I still don’t miss it!

I know you all probably think I’m crazy as a crap house rat, but seriously, I look forward to doing the dinner dishes. It strangely is a calming ritual.

And I really do believe that my dishes are much cleaner. As far as the glasses and stemware being more sanitized using the DW, well I don’t know how any bacteria will survive the detergent and hot water. I use a fresh, clean dish towel to dry,but they pretty much dry on their own, as I use the hottest water out of the tap. And I have a good pair of rubber gloves so my hands can withstand the heat, and aren’t any worse for the wear.

I may never use the DW again. I especially like that when the dishes are done, so is the kitchen cleanup. No unloadoing the DW latter on at night, when I’m tired, or worse yet, getting up to having to do it first thing in morning. And I enjoy cooking more again too. Works for me.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 8/14/2018-02:49]
 
I can totally get that it's a calming ritual.

But for me it's the worst.

Most bacteria are not harmed by normal cleaning agents (tensides) and survive temperatures below 120F with ease.
Even at 140F you need several minutes for any sanitisation.
And even with rubber gloves I doubt handwashing happens at 110F, provably max 100F.

As for cleaner: I doubt that to. Given that handwashing usually is only wash-rinse done.

And efficency wise, modern DW are unbeatable.
 
I have to agree that dishwashers these days, are economical beasts, and that they wash rather well.

As for dishpan hands - no thank you. Been there, done that, and got a nasty eczema into the bargain. Far too much faffing about, and instantaneous water heaters these days, have a tendency to run cold if you try to run the hot tap as a trickle rinse.

Oh - I spied a tv advert for Currys PC World, flogging an AEG dishwasher with that cantilevered bottom basket which moves out and up. 'Comfort-lift' I think it said on the basket handle.
 
I can appreciate that someone might find washing dishes a "calming ritual."

 

I personally find it more like pure drudgery.

 

Part of this may just be some personal history involving a bad time of my life, during which I did a lot of dishes by hand...

 

Unfortunately, my kitchen doesn't have a dishwasher, so I'm stuck washing dishes by hand.

 

I have trouble finding enthusiasm for cooking, and I wonder, sometimes, if I'd be more inclined to cook if I had a dishwasher.

 

 

 
 
All this fear of lingering germs on hand washed dishes makes me laugh. Really, just think about all the exposure one has to germs when they kiss another person, or engage in any other intimate, personal behaviors, with persons who are often strangers when one is single. And yet you worry about the germs that may be left on a hand washed glass? Serioulsy?

As long as the dishes are washed in hot, soapy water, and rinsed in hot water, air dried or dried with a clean towel, there is little chance that anyone is going to become ill from these hand washed dishes.

Yes, a DW does use hotter water, for a longer period of time, and they probably come out with less bacteria on them, but its not like you need to autoclave your dishes,. You’re not going to be doing surgery with them.

And I can understand how some are completely adverse to hand washing dishes for one reason or another. So don’t then. But no one is going to become gravely ill from properly hand washed dishes.

Eddie
 

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