Q&A for How to Clean a Smelly Dishwasher

You can hand wash the dishwasher, including the interior and all parts with a dish detergent. Follow this by cleaning everything again with vinegar. A harsher approach would be to use bleach, but this is strong - so should be used as a last resort.

There is no need. The alkaline in the tablet will likely negate the acidic nature of the vinegar.

Yes, you do. If you placed it upside down, the vinegar would fall to the bottom of the dishwasher. The movement of water in the dishwasher will move the vinegar out of the cup and spread it throughout the container.

There is a cleaner that is also used to clean washing machines. You can find it with the laundry detergent at the grocery store.

Normally, the water is removed by the dishwasher pump. So, for some reason in your case, the pump is not getting the water out. First, listen to see if the pump is running when the dishwasher is ready to pump out the water. If it doesn't even try, it could be a defective pump. More likely though, there is some kind of obstruction in the drain line. The drain line goes from the pump up to the sink drain. Trace the drain line, checking for any kinks or obstructions in it. Finally, if there is an "air gap" in the line, see that it is not obstructed. This is a device, usually on the top of the sink, where the waste water is poured from one hose into another.

Get a water softener. The new ones are energy-efficient and don't need rock salt.

We use Dishwasher Wizard, which you can buy on Amazon. It clears out that white film and removes hard water stains.

You can add extra water and then use the "Drain" cycle most dishwashers have. That way it will keep the fresh water you added at last and discard the old smelly water

On the bottom of your dishwasher, beneath the rotating arm, there should be a large plastic grate with a cylindrical filter holding it down. Push gently down on the cylinder filter and turn it counterclockwise; it should pop up. Once it does, lift it and the large grate out from beneath the rotating arm and scrub in your sink with baking soda and hot water. Reverse the procedure to reinstall it, gently turning the cylindrical filter in with a clockwise motion.

Be sure that whatever cleaning supplies you store under the sink (if any) or plastic bags are not near and heat producing element, drain line, or your disposal. Otherwise, something may have been plumbed incorrectly. Get a second opinion from a different plumbing company.