Dishwasher stinks: Four tips that help against bacteria
Created: 05/25/2022, 08:17
By: Natalie Hull Drawbar
How nice not having to clean the dishes by hand.
But the dishwasher also needs care, otherwise an unpleasant odor can develop.
Munich – It makes everyday life much easier for many people and saves a lot of time.
It's no wonder that most people in the kitchen no longer want to be without them: the dishwasher is a grateful invention of the 19th century.
Simply put in with the cups, plates, glasses, pots, cutlery - even caps, hairbrushes and make-up brushes can be cleaned in it.
After about an hour, just open the dishwasher door and everything will be sparkling clean – but what is that smell?
Does the dishwasher stink even though it has just washed the dishes?
Dishwasher stinks: Four tips that help against bacteria
Dishes do not have to be pre-washed in most dishwashers, but you should remove large leftovers beforehand, otherwise an unpleasant odor can form from the dishwasher.
(Iconic image) © Diego Martin/Imago
Even if cleaning is done in the dishwasher, it is still possible that unpleasant odors and thus bacteria can form when washing off grease and leftovers.
Simple tips help to counteract and prevent the stench from the dishwasher, such as with intensive cleaning and simple household products.
Keep the dishwasher clean - Tip 1: Remove odor-causing leftover food
"The most common cause of unpleasant odors are leftover food," explains chemist Dr.
Jörg Kinnius to the "Bayerischer Rundfunk" (BR).
It is true that modern dishwashers are said to clean dishes properly, even without pre-rinsing - it also saves energy and water - but it is important to note: Coarse and above all odor-forming leftovers such as fish and eggs should be removed from the dishes before they are washed goes in the dishwasher.
This could also prevent pathogenic bacteria that may survive the wash cycle.
We recommend pre-washing the dishes and washing them in the machine at at least 60 degrees, especially for dishes that have come into contact with raw food.
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Keep the dishwasher clean - Tip 2: Don't close the door
Washing off strong-smelling leftovers from plates and cups to be cleaned before they go into the dishwasher is particularly important in households where the hard-working helper is not started so often and not immediately after they have been put away.
Hence our second tip: Never close the dishwasher door with dishes that are still being used!
This is because moisture cannot escape.
It is better to leave the dishwasher door ajar so that moist air can escape, which reduces the growth of odor-causing bacteria.
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Keep the dishwasher clean - Tip 3: Start the intensive program
Even if it doesn't seem obvious at first - after all, the dishwasher is there to wash dishes - it makes sense to start and run your appliance at least every four weeks without dishes and at the highest temperature.
Don't forget the dishwasher tab!
At over 65 degrees, deposits are dissolved and almost all odour-causing and possibly pathogenic bacteria die off.
The rubber seals in the dishwasher are also a source of bacteria and odors, as fat and dirt deposits build up here over time.
After rinsing, wipe the seals with a damp cloth and some all-purpose cleaner, then unpleasant smells are guaranteed to stay away.
Incidentally, this also helps with washing machines.
Keep the dishwasher clean - Tip 4: Put a lemon in the dishwasher
Are you looking for a home remedy for bad smells in the dishwasher?
Then try it with a lemon and vinegar or baking soda.
They drive bad odors out of the dishwasher with every wash.
How to proceed:
Place half a lemon in the cutlery basket so that a fresh scent can unfold with and after the rinse cycle.
Lemons are also said to help with a smelly cutting board.
Vinegar not only helps against limescale deposits, it is also the first choice when it comes to bad smells in the kitchen.
Four to five tablespoons of vinegar spread on the bottom of the dishwasher will drive away the annoying stench from your device.
Soda, the all-rounder in the household, binds unpleasant odors and dissolves smelly deposits.
Put two tablespoons in the tablet compartment, start the rinse cycle without dishes and let it finish.
As a scouring agent, baking soda is the ideal cleaning agent - even for people who are allergic to industrial cleaning agents - for heavily soiled pots.
With the help of these measures against annoying smells in the dishwasher, lemon, vinegar and baking soda are ideal - home remedies can also work wonders for smelly clothes - but it is difficult to achieve a long-term effect with them.
A combination of the different solutions is certainly helpful and drives the annoying smell out of your dishwasher for a long time.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.
