Dishes smell - anyone else have this problem?

[POPholditdown]

For a while I’ve a smell from my plates, sometimes cutlery (never mugs though for some reason)

I have googled it, and apparently it’s somewhat common but the results are only bringing up dishes washed in a dishwasher. I wash mine by hand. The dishwasher results mention bacteria could be in the appliance, but I don’t think that would apply here?

To me, it’s a an old rusty tinny smell, but google results keep mentioning ‘wet dog smell’. Never had dogs, but it could be that smell?

I’m definitely cleaning them properly, before anyone asks! I’ve used new sponges, I’ve left dishes soaking in boiled water, running the tap at it’s hottest (my poor hands), washing them straight away before bits of food have time to dry.

I have tried using more Fairy liquid, sometimes I’m adding a couple of fresh drops every 2nd thing I wash. I scrub every inch, and rinse them for ages.

Sink is washed regularly too.

I’ve started sniffing dishes after I’ve washed them to make sure 🙄 they are more likely to smell when they’re dry rather than just washed. They either air dry, or I only dry them with a fresh towel.

The plates aren’t that old, probably a year. I have 2 sets, one from Sainsburies and one is a Denby set incase anyone else has the same and has noticed a smell too.

I really hope I’m not the only one!

That’s strange about the windows TitzillatheHun. They’re open sometimes, but not as much recently in the kitchen, since its been colder.

It is ‘moderately hard’ according to Severn Trents website.

We get this depending on the dishwasher tablets we use, a really metallic smell. Hard to describe.

Changing tablets fixed it along with washing on a longer hotter wash a few times a week

I also thinking it might be the cupboards.

I have a tiny kitchen which gets steamy really quickly when am cooking. I noticed a weird musty smell coming from the dishes in the cupboard. Cleaned out the cupboards and washed all the dishes. Now every other day I leave the cupboard doors open for a few hours and air everything out. Smell seems to have stopped.

Yes we get this too, with dishwasher and hand washing, and it is worse when we've had eggs too. As someone upthread said its even worse if plates are left to dry with the windows open and on a cool day. I'm pretty convinced its a chemical reaction thing to do with the water.

Again, I rinse them thoroughly, inside and out. And only use clean tea towels. Tea towels are washed on 60 with the dettol laundry cleanser.

Unless it's a fresh tea towel every time you wash, the tea towels can still give funny smell quite quickly. Can only suggest changing sponges regularly, rinsing thoroughly in fresh water and using the dish drainer to dry rather than the towel. Shouldn't smell too much if all this is followed.

Do you wash egg dishes with hot water. I find that makes them smell. I wash egg dishes in cold water and washing up liquid then rinse in hot water. It stops the egg smell.

I get this....mainly when DH washes up. I blame it on him not using hot enough water. It smells minging. Bleurgh!

I would say it's limescale build up on your plates etc. our glasses get like this every now and again so we used to hand wash wash them in hot soapy water with vinegar in it, seems to do the trick. Now I've started cleaning the dishwasher once a week by running the shortest cycle with a small bowl of vinegar in the machine and we haven't had smelly glasses since!

Maybe try replacing your draining rack.

Check for dead birds in the water tank.

Unless it's a fresh tea towel every time you wash, the tea towels can still give funny smell quite quickly.

It is, but I don’t think it’s the tea towels. As I say, I let them air dry more often than using towels.

I was thinking cupboards too pickleme but cutlery, which I let air dry, smell whilst they’re on the rack. Mugs are kept in the same cupboard that glasses are and they don’t smell.

Couple of people have mentioned eggs, but we rarely eat them these days. I’ve honeslty no idea anymore!

I’m going to dry the lemon and vinegar suggestions, see if it makes a difference.

One of the websites I found when googling mentioned heat can make some materials smell. I cant find it now to remind myself which! But I might try rinsing off with cold water after washing/rinsing normally.

Other than that it could well be the water but I don’t really know how to tell. If it is, it’s more likely the hot water as cold water doesn’t smell when I’ve filled a bottle or just washed glass.

This was happening me with some old glasses. I'd fill one with water to drink but the smell would be rank. I use a dishwasher, but this was only happening with certain glasses. I got rid of them and bought new ones. Hasn't happened since.
A little trick when you are googling, put a minus in front of a word and it is not included in results, e.g. -dishwasher

I get this too, usually in the summer.

A squirt of bleach in the washing up water stops the dishes smelling.

No need to over do it use the same amount of bleach as washing up liquid.

running the tap at it’s hottest (my poor hands)

You know this is what rubber gloves are for right

What scent fairy do you use? Try a different one?

DerelictWreck

I have really small hands, and when I’ve worn them my hands kind of slip around inside, becomes hazardous.

I’ve washed a load after dinner, and used tepid water instead of using only hot. There doesn’t seem to be a smell now It could be a fluke, or it could actually be an issue with the hot water.

I’ve left them on the rack as normal to see if the smell comes back.

I think I’ll maybe do some testing, wash some with tepid, some only hot or rinse some off with cold etc and see if there’s a difference between the two.

I have no idea where to even start with fixing it if it is the hot water.

What washing liquid are you using? I find some of the more floral ones make stuff smell weird....
I only use original or lemon scents.

Haven’t read all the replies but I notice what my family have always called a “fresh” smell (it’s not actually a pleasant smell) after using the plates or whatever for egg, especially raw egg, and bleach gets rid of it

Try soaking in white vinegar after first wash, leave the vinegar ten mins then wash again with cold water. Always works when i’ve it this way

OP, not sure if it has been suggested but change your washing liquid first. I used one a while back from Aldi that smelled nice when I was using it and then it left an awful sweet sickly smell on the plates and especially glasses once they had dried.

I binned it and went back to my normal washing liquid and it was fine.

Also, when your glasses are stored in the cupboard are they upside down (blocking in the air) or the right way up? I can’t stand the musty smell from the cupboards that upside down glasses take on. Blurgh.

Hello @POPholditdown
An old thread but i was curious if you figured out what was causing this for you?

We have a similar issue in a brand new apartment block, new dishes and cloths with sponges but convinced it's the water or pipes. The smell is so hard to explain but maybe like stale fish or worse.

Last thing I noticed was, the sink itself. The smell is on the metal material of the sink, sides and bottom. I always use fresh lemon and this helps but for me it's ceramics and metal materials (pans) primarily.

Will keep searching too. Thanks