Somebody Help Me...Stinky dishwasher

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ajer72

Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2012
Messages
12
Location
Corneilus, NC
Hello, Let me start by say I really don't know what to do anymore. I have tried everything. We have a Miele dishwasher. I have had the repairman here 3 times, he says he doesn't know. I get this swamp / fishy smell the problem is it isn't every load. The repairman says I do such a great job with keeping the filter clean. I have took the drain line off and it is spotless. It is stainless steel, I only ever use 3 cycles even though being desperate I have tried them all. I use Pots and Pans, Normal and Sani Wash (when someone has a cold) I have had it drain into the disposer, I have had it drain into the air gap, I have even tried draining it into a bucket, I have every dishwasher detergent as of 2 weeks ago, I special ordered detergent that has been outlawed in some states with Phosphates in it...costing me 100 bucks 60 for commerial cascade and 40 for a product call Bubble Bandit. I have used tabs by all the makers, powders by all, cascade complete, gels, right now under my sink I have 8 different products, I have stop washing cookware thinking that might be it...I have stopped washing plastic....I don't know what to do any more....I am connected to very soft city water, our hardness is 1.8. Please is there any help? I have had the older kitchenaid that was amazing...before whirlpool ruined the name. I have also done bleach to clean, then other loads with vinegar and baking soda, Lemi shine, tang, Koolaid, Anyone else having this problem....in the past I have had Kitchen Aid, Maytag (older models) from 80's and 90's, the builders grade dishwasher they had installed never stunk...just didn't clean so I guess it did stink...just didn't smell....LOL....so sorry for rambling but I am so down and out and don't know what to do...is there any one that has had this problem and had success? Also I don't rinse the dishes, I do keep the filter spotless, I have started rinsing and washing the dishes before loading. Help me....Please :)
 
Have you looked where the bottom the door and the tank meet? I have a Miele LaPerla dishwasher and I clean the area every so often to prevent any chance of smell. There is a lip there and run a rag over it.
 
Thanks, I keep it spotless I know exactly where you are saying....I even clean under the bottom rack tracks. The repairman took the whole thing apart and says he has never see one so clean, The Dishwasher is amazing with cleaning the dishes, they just smell. I have also tried all the dishwasher cleaners, affresh, finsh dishwasher cleaner, even the $20 Miele one, Miele dishwasher detergent, Miele "jetdry" regular jet dry, cascade jet dry....it is when the cycle is complete esp, if they are left overnight (starting the dishwasher before bed or when I leave for work) or after they are dry, it the most terrible smell, you poor a nice glass of wine take a sniff and SWAMPY FISHY SMELL Yukky...Any other thoughts, Also the I run the dishwasher everyday, sometime twice...so it isn't like they are sitting long..thanks for the thought...
 
I have a Miele

As well and have not had any issues with a bad smell (or any smell for that matter) at the end of the cycle. What is your model number? How long have you been having this problem? Is your machine connected to cold or hot water? We'll see if we can't figure something out.
 
I eventually tossed our old dishwasher because dishes, especially glasses, would stink. Also tried different detergents and all. In the end, it was so bad I seriously wanted to cry when I opened the DW to unload and everything in there smelled really bad - melodramatic but true.

Our Bosch has this problem sometimes, too. I could pin it down to the type of soil in the load. Dishes with anything egg on them -> no-go in the dishwasher. Even the dishwasher I'm using at my new flat, a real water-hog, will render smelly dishes if I put anything coated with egg in there.

Miele can activate an extra rinse and/more water via the service menu of the machine.
 
I find that raw egg taints my dishwasher if I beat eggs up in a bowl. I thoroughly rinse the bowl before putting in the machine. The same goes for raw chicken - rinse before putting into the machine.
 
Just a thought...

Miele uses the Waterproof System.

 

Could it be possible that there is some type of stagnent water in the Safety Catch Pan that runs the Whole Bottom of the machine ?  Stagnent water (as we know) sure does smell.  I know in the Restaurant if the Dish Machine Operators do not mop under the machine every night, Whew... does it stink the next day.  It just comes to mind as that catch pan has just the right amount of heat to get a nice Mojo going under there.  If the repair man pulled out the machine and took the pan off, well, then you'd know.  But if he hasn't pulled the machine out, it might be worth looking into.  If there is a rank odor in the pan, during the dry it could be entering the machine through the vent ?  Just a theory.
 
Assuming that your dishwasher is new

Could it be that this fishy smell emanates from the plastic/rubber components inside the tub? Was the smell present from day one? Sometimes new plastics and rubber may have a strong odor about them and it's something to do with the manufacturing process.
 
Drying?

Are your dishes drying completely? Is the tub all wet at the end of the cycle? Perhaps extended drying is needed.

Malcolm
 
My thinking is that it could be your water. I would sniff it at the tap or in a glass. When I stayed at a place in NH the water smelled like that and so did the dishes. Not to mention taking a shower in it.
 
I had the same problem with the Miele dishwasher in my apartment in Brooklyn. It never fully went away no matter what I did but I propped the door open all the time and it got a little better. Really disappointed in a $1500 dishwasher to have this most basic problem.
 
For a dishwasher to stink when it is frequently used and pro

would indicate some design flaw/operational deficiency. I've never owned a dishwasher that smelt. If there ever was an odor it went away with the next wash.
 
Hi,

Smells from dishwasher are not the appliances fault, if you are running the machine very heavily "sometimes twice a day", you have to use a cleaner to prevent detritus from building up within the machine.

Unfortunatly with smells, 99.9% of the time its cleaning/ wahing ADVICE ONLY as there is nothing to put the tools on to stop this.

This may not be what you want to hear but all dishwashers suffer from this problem particulary if you are using them commercially.

good luck
 
You are the expert bertrum,...

but I couldn't disagree more with you. I've owned many different dishwashers. American, European and Australian. The best, most convenient and effective, were the American machines with built-in disposer and maintenance free filtration system. The second best are my current Fisher and Paykel dishdrawers regarding ease of maintenance and keeping the filters clean. The least convenient, from experience, are the European machines with their standard three to four piece filtration systems. I've never had a European machine with a self-cleaning filter and don't know how well they work, but the standard design requires periodic checking. None of the dishwashers I've ever owned have had persistent odor problems. Solids are scraped off dishes before they are loaded and nothing gets pre-rinsed.

My personal experience spans a number of decades now. The concept of a smelly dishwasher is anathema and, in most cases, has to be the result of flawed design, poor maintenance or both.
 
We had a Miele for years and it never stunk. I'm thinking there just has to be something somewhere rotting, or stagnant funky water pooling somewhere. It reminds me of the time one of our refrigerated semi-trailers had a huge fishy stink in it. We had that thing power washed, steam cleaned, deodorized time and again and the fishy smell kept returning, we couldn't load it cause no customer would accept it to load their stuff in. Weeks later one guy finally found the problem. The last load it had carried was frozen salmon on ice and a big chunk of now rotting salmon was found in one of the ventways . Why no one thought to check them out before.. well....
Maybe there's some gunk got into one of the spray arms or the pipes leading it to. How you'd check them not sure.. Or else there's funky water somewhere sitting.
 
WOW....thanks for the help and thoughts....

Thank you so much for the responses.

 

I am so glad many of you have not had this problem...but it is more common then you would think....google smelly stainless dishwasher.....I know many people may not keep there dishwasher clean like I do...but mine is spotless.  However I must be doing something wrong....

I don't think running the dishwasher every day is too much?? I do run it sometimes twice and that would be when cooking to take care of the prep dishes and other items. I would say my dishwasher runs atleast 7-10 times a week. I said I had bought the Heavy duty cascade used for commerical use because it has the phosphates in it. Not that I am using the dishwasher for commercial use. I thought maybe it was the formula of cascade being changed to Phosphate Free would help...I was wrong another 60 bucks wasted....and the other Product Bubble Bandit....40.00 more....ordered them on the same day....

The Dishwasher was bought in Oct 2010 It started shortly after, would say 2-3 months.

I have tried all different kinds of dishwasher detergents, I have spent...no lie in the last 14 month. I would guess at least 300-400 bucks on detergents and cleaners.

I thought it could be the water...but it never smells ever. I have lived in my townhouse for 5 years, I start out with the builders grade GE Profile (I know horrible) never had a smell...but didn't clean. Then I bought the Top of the line Stainless Steel Kitchen Aid in 2006 costing 1200.00. Did a great job cleaning but the control where the ones on the top and I went through 3 control board 1 under warranty and 2 not ringing in at 200.00 bucks a pop. Then I though oh hurray...see if you can sell a freakin kidney and buy a Miele. Holy Crap I am nearing the end of my rope....

The repairman has been here 3 times and says there is nothing wrong with it.

My dishwasher is not the top of line, it cost 1600.00, the top of lines cost over 2400.00.

Someone asked about it being dry, they have reprogramed the dishwasher to heat the final rinse temp to 165 and run the dry period longer. There isn't a heating element for drying, just for heating the water. I guess the Miele uses some way of drying by moving cool air around the tub, Normally they are dry, just the normal damp top of glasses unless I really focus on loading to angle.

As far as detergents, I have done them all. I have run the dishwasher with a cup of bleach. I have run vinegar, I have tried detergent in the pre wash and lemi shine in the main wash, I have tried so many combination of detergent table spoon, to filling the cups completely up and dumping a bunch more in. Baking soda in the bottom.

But like today, I went to cupboard took out a wine glass smelled fine...but poured the wine and moments later thought I could die it stunk so bad. Sometimes it will stink right at the end of the cycle. other times not...

Now...you might be on to something with the raw eggs, I do give it a quick rinse, but I will really try to make sure it is really clean first....

I do have a question about the "Brand New Kitchen Aid Kuds22" I saw you guys talking about it in CT, I found the post and have emailed the person. I am seriously considering driving from NC to CT to get it I truly don't know what else to do. I had that model in the other house and it was the most amazing dishwasher. No matter what I loaded in there it would be spotless also smell free!  Also it finished the cycle in 60mins vs 2hours it takes mine now. My question is....for a 20 year old dishwasher do I need to be concerned about the seals or dry rot? I have hard wood floors and if I drive 12 hours to buy somethings for 600.00 that leaks and destroys my floors...I truly will be on sucide watch...I have already had to hide my shoe laces....Thoughts?

[this post was last edited: 2/17/2012-23:37]
 
Does it stink AS SOON AS IT'S DONE? Or hours later? If hours, something is growing in it. Bleach "should" have killed it but apparently not to where it lasts.

All DWs have a sump where water remains. Try this. Put a splash of bleach in a cup of water and pour it in the sump when finished/unloaded. Next day it should smell of chlorine and that's all. NOTHING can grow in bleach.

I grew up with a Westy frontloader that retained water in the boot but it never stunk because it never went more than a day without running. Running MORE should make it stink LESS if that is any indication.

I seldom run my DW but I use it as a drying rack for handwashed dishes so there is always water in it and even THAT doesn't stink. It's hard to imagine what's going on with yours.
 
Yeah it is really odd...sometimes it stinks and sometimes not.  You can open it and the smell will knock you over and other times you don't smell it till you pour something in a glass.  It goes both ways....when I run it and leave it or run it an open it right after....but it is not every time, normally a few times a week....hmmmm, I am wondering about the eggs now
 
If you are using your dishwasher daily....

stagnating water ought not be the problem. Unless there is a leak, where water pools in an un-obvious place and stagnates, how could that be the case?

Did the repair guy not notice the smell? I would write to Miele. If this smell is frequently present it has to be some kind of problem with the design of the machine or the materials that were used in its construction. Maybe some of the plastic components react with certain food substances? Your dishwasher shouldn't leave a smell of muddy water and dead fish, even if that's what you've had for lunch.

I know that smelly dishwashers are a common problem. I also know that a lot of people, who have these issues, are not interested and they buy dishwasher deodorizers and other gimmick products to mask odors. For them that is a good enough solution. They would never think to check and clean filters and, even for the dirtiest loads, only pick low temp eco cycles.

It's the same with folk who think their vacuum cleaner is broken when the dust bag is full or they have a mold farm in their washers for only washing with cold water and lots of waxy, oily additives.

Since you are not one of those, the problem is not of your making and that points the finger right back to Miele.
 
After having read your problems with your Miele. It sounds to me that it depends on the soiling on the dishes which either leave a smell behind in the machine or not. Since you may vary what you cook and eat it seems the most logical explanation.

I don't believe it would be any components in the machine because if you run the machine empty no smell is noticed at the end of the programme, so you can rule this out.

If you have the machine correctly installed, you can rule this out as well, so this leaves the type of detergent used to break down food residue and neutralise odours.

Today's detergent contain active oxygen and enzymes to break down food residue containing protein and starch and the active oxygen removes bleachable stains such as tea, coffee and lipstick.
It may be that changing to a detergent with chlorine bleach which could solve this problem.

I have a Miele dishwasher and have never had a problem with smells. My mum has a 17 year old one with no problem either, but if she uses raw eggs in bowls or dishes, she actually rinses them and rubs a lemon over them prior to putting them in the machine as she said to me once that egg smell is the most stubborn to shift.
 
Miele

Does your dishwasher have a salt re-generation unit like Miele European models??, if so, do you use it and fill with salt regularly??, I know you said you have soft water but I would still advise filling with salt & using it just turn the selector down to its lowest setting...

Also if it does have a salt fill reservoir, make sure the cap is on tight to seal, have seen a few instances where the unit is not sealed after filling and dirty water has entered the unit, all the salt is flushed out , the cycle completed but then the next water regeneration before the start of next wash has dirty water in it and pumps that into the tub instead of clean regenerated water...

Good luck with finding the problem!!
 
Does your Miele have the turbitdity sensor?

If soil level is causing this malodorous problem, could it be that your machine isn't using enough water to flush out the feculence that comes off your dishes?
 
In my opinion if you have spent this amount of money on detergents and such I would scrap that dishwasher and buy something new. You can but a Whirlpool silent partner for around $400.00 at Sears. Have had 2 of them with no problems or smells. I don't have the time to keep "playing with a problem" such as smelly dishes. Ugh. The mental anquish is another story. Get rid of it and get something for a third of the money and be done with it. Just my 2cents worth.
Jon
 
I would give Miele Technical Services a call and discuss the situation with them. They seem to be very interested in keeping their customers happy. When I had a problem with the bags on my Miele vac, they sent me a free set of new bags and a new HEPA filter free of charge and then called me a week later to find out if the problem was resolved and if I was happy with the results. And this was for a 6 year old Miele vac too!

I'd tell them that you are most unhappy and that you would like them assist you in determining why your unit is odoriferous.
 
Morning update...

Yesterday before going to dinner and the theatre, I took all the glasses out of the cupboard and ran the cycle, came home unloaded it and no issues, was just a glasses load washed on normal wash and cascade complete liquid.  This morning I had a very lightly soiled load of dishes, cereal bowls, flatware, coffee pot, and just mixing bowls...ran the same cycle normal wash and cascade complete and I opened the door and no smell...the moment things started to cool everything stinks.  I think I am going to give up.  Re running it now....as far as the eggs go...I was thinking this week....there hasn't been any eggs all week and 4 times this week it has stunk.....

 

Any thoughts from anyone on a 20 years old KitchenAid KUDS220, it I have emailed the person still waiting to hear back, I am in NC and I am going to be willing to drive to CT.  I had that dishwasher in another house.  I found the lower model on Craigslist.  I am going to buy it today and try it to see if it makes a differents KUDI220, I had the Superba in my other house and my mother had Imperial, the main difference was more cycles and mine was much quieter. 

 

My concern is if the dishwasher is 20 years old even if it hasn't been used...do you think the seals will be ok?
 
Does you dishwasher have an air vent in the door for drying? If so, has that been taken apart for inspection? Sorry to go to basics here, but does your tap water ever have an off smell? I ask this because we have had several periods of stinky water when we had algal blooms in the rivers and reservoirs. You are not on a well are you? Have you asked neighbors & friends if they have noticed any off smells in their DWs? Have you called other service companies to see if they have had similar complaints? Finally, the rotten egg smell you are talking about is hydrogen sulfide. That can come from the anode in your water heater reacting with sulfur in the water. Check the link to see if you might avail youself of any of the knowledge it contains. Maybe changing out the anode in the tank from magnesium to aluminum would help.

There is also this from the article I linked so I would ask the question have you turned down the water heater thermostat?

Odors from Hot Water Only
"Rotten egg" odors from hydrogen sulfide are sometimes only present in hot water. This may indicate a reaction with the magnesium rod in the water heater. Consider either removal or replacement with an aluminum rod as a remedy. Sometimes hot water will have a "sour" smell, similar to the smell of an old damp rag. This happens when, in an effort to save energy or to avoid blending hot and cold water, the thermostat of the water heater is lowered. Odor-causing bacteria live and thrive in warm water and can infest the water heater. This is corrected by returning the thermostat to its recommended temperature, because the odor-causing bacteria are killed at the higher water temperature (at or above 140 degrees). Caution: Be sure the water heater has an operable pressure relief valve before increasing the water temperature. If you want to keep your water heater temperature at a lower setting because scalding from hot water is a concern, each time the odor returns, increase the water temperature for a few hours to kill the odor-causing bacteria. Then flush the very hot water out of the tank and lower the temperature back to the desired level.

I remember staying in a hotel in Mississippi in the 50s that had water from an artesian well and the water stank. You did not have to do anything in the bathroom to make it stink. The water was almost undrinkable unless it was so cold it numbed your tongue. Thank heaven it was only an overnight stay.

I hope you find relief.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0319.html
 

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