I thought it was our city water because I could also smell it on some synthetic material. After washing 3 times, my dishes still smell.

Anonymous wrote:I have tried everything and nothing seems to last for more than a few washes. I've tried Dishwasher magic, Finish dishwasher cleaner, Finish dishwasher booster (use every wash), and vinegar. After using these products the dishwasher smells better but it's only for a few more washes. Then the dishes start to stink again. I hate it! Please tell me what works for you. Can I run vinegar in every load with the dishes?

Does your dishwasher have an air gap? If not, it is probably the backup of dirty water from the sink into the dishwasher. Some states require air gaps for dishwashers by law. Mine doesn’t, so I always run the garbage disposal for a few secs before I run the dishwasher to make sure there is no dirty water backing up.

I know this is an old thread, but make sure you clean your filters regularly. Also, fill-up a bowl with bleach and run a cycle with the bowl of bleach only. It works wonders.

Op, it must be something fundamental re: your routine of loading the dishwasher. No food matter ever goes in our dishwasher.

Anonymous wrote:1. Clean the filter
2. Don't put dishes covered in food and sauces in the dishwasher. Rinse them off first.

This. We always rinse food off plates and such before they go into the dishwasher. Never had a problem with our mid-range Bosch.

Tang

1. Clean the filter
2. Don't put dishes covered in food and sauces in the dishwasher. Rinse them off first.

It all comes down to the humidity
I bought new dishes and dishwasher
I’ve used vinegar and bleach
I have used plastic cups Corelle and stoneware
I can bring a clean non smelly plate from my cabinet and set it on the table and within minutes it smell if it’s humid
Never have the problem in winter (mid west)

We found that running the quickest cycle got rid of any odor.

Clean the filters and run it empty every so often with a Pyrex measuring cup upright in the top rack, filled with 2 cups of white vinegar.

It must be an issue with the newer models. I have a 10-year old Bosch and never had this issue. I never pre-clean my dishes -- just scrape off the big food pieces.

I was debating if I should buy a Miele or another Bosch (I hate the bowl-unfriendly rack of the Bosch). After this thread, I am definitely going with Miele.

FWIW I’ve noticed that when I open the exterior kitchen door while I am pulling clean dishes out of the dishwasher they *always* smell like nasty pond water. I have no idea why this is the case but it has happened so many times that I am certain there is cause-effect relationship here. So now I make sure to keep all exterior doors shut while I am putting dishes away. When I do this the dishes smell fine. Has anyone else noticed this?