Dishwasher problem - dishes smell foul!

[TinyPanic]

Often, but not every time, the dishes smell bad (stale, slightly fishy) at the end of the cycle. Sometimes the smell is obvious straightaway when you open the door, but sometimes it can take a few hours and only hits me when I open the cupboard to get some plates. I have tried all combinations of detergents and programme settings and nothing seems to make a difference. Our water tastes fine to drink and there is no funny smell when washing up in the sink. Has anyone had this problem or can anyone solve this problem please?

Do you regularly put an empty hot wash on with a specific cleaner or soda crystals?

Do you use salt and rinse aid always even with 3 in 1 tablets?

Do you use the hottest wash at least every other day?

Look at the waste pipe, which is probably a grey, convoluted plastic hose.

Does it connect to the sink waste trap?

If so it must take a route which includes an upward bend, where the top of the loop is higher than the water level when the sink is full. Otherwise sink water will run down into the dishwasher when you pull the plug out, carrying tea leaves, bacon fat and fish heads in the dirty water.

You have already cleaned all the dishwasher filters per the instruction book, and the spinning arms, haven't you?

If you have an integrated dishwasher, make a mental note to buy a freestanding one next time so you can easily pull it out for cleaning and servicing.

Thank you both for your suggestions.

It is a brand new dishwasher and it does connect to the sink waste trap and the route has a high bend. We use salt, rinse aid and finish classic tabs (not 3 in 1) and we are currently using the hottest wash every day. We have also spent a small fortune on dishwasher cleaners.....
Is there anything else you can suggest?

is the smell inside the dishwasher?

If you leave the door open for it to air, does the smell go?

how often do you clean the filters?

what make is it?

can you see a heating element (metal, about as thick as a pencil, bent into a loop) at the bottom of the cabinet? is anything stuck to it, e.g. melted-on plastic?

No smell inside dishwasher. The smell is on the crockery.
The smell doesn't go when the door is opened - in fact it builds up and gets worse.
The filters have just been cleaned and are cleaned regularly.
It is a Bosch SMV65E00GB
I can't see the heating element. It is an integrated dishwasher if that makes a difference.
Thank you so much for trying to help me!

don't know then.

Just in case it is the hot element, whisk the door open the moment it has pumped out the final rinse, but before the drying period. See if that makes any difference.

You could also try changing the brand of tablet and rinse aid just in case the smell doesn't suit you. Aldi is good, or try (expensive) Fairy or Finish, whichever you aren't currently using.

Not washing up egg remenants?

I've noticed the fishy smell in brand new dishwashers/washing machines. I'm guessing its something to do with the hot water and plastic parts.

The smell will be on the crockery as the chemicals have passed through the affected parts in the dishwasher at a high temp, then dried on at a high temp. Crockery has a higher level of porosity than stainless steel (so no smell in the actual washer), therefore more opportunities for the odours to attach themselves to the plates and whatnot.

Thanks for your replies.
We have tried different brands of tablet and rinse aid so that is not the problem. Definately not egg remenants.
LuisSuarezTeeth - that is really interesting. That explains why melamine crockery and cups don't smell but the porcelain does. Is there anything that can be done?

some thermoplastics smell fishy when hot, hence the idea of whisking the door open before the drying cycle.

You could also try the "auto" cycle which will not be so hot.

According to google it's a common problem and half a cup of vinegar through a hot wash sorts it.

Thanks, i'll try both. Fingers crossed!

Hi. We've got a brand new Bosch and have found this page when googling our problem, which is a strong, chemical type smell coming from the dishwasher which gets worse after it has been run, it smells like hot plastic which even taints the plates etc. Please could you let me know if you found a way to get rid of this problem in the end? Thanks!

OP, give Bosch Customer Services a call and ask advice. They will probably send an engineer out within a couple of days as your machine will still be under guarantee.

I have pretty much all Bosch for everything and have done for years. Bought a new tumble dryer 18 months ago and it kept switching itself off. Checked the filters and everything and no problem so called CS who sent out an engineer within a few days at a time to suit me. Engineer decided to fit a complete new motherboard and then discovered it was actually a faulty plug socket 🙀 so nothing to do with appliance. Engineer was fab! Just said no worries, filled in his paperwork and we didn't have to pay a penny. . Definitely worth giving them a call. They are lovely!

Our Bosch dishwasher stank when it first arrived, it was a nasty chemical smell from the plastic, fortunately I chose one with a stainless steel interior which minimised it but the other bits still needed airing and a few hot washes with vinegar and dishwasher cleaner, and it went in a couple of weeks.

If you have one with a plastic inside it may take longer to stop it stinking. Run hot washes with lots of vinegar, a bow full in the top rack, and leave the door open as much as possible.

@TinyPanic - I know your thread is a few years old now, but I came across it while searching for a solution to the same problem.

Sometimes, but not always, the plates come out of my brand new Kitchen Aid dishwasher smelling like rotten egg. Have tried all the things above. Did you ever find a solution?

If I wash with the same soap, on the same cycle, a second time, the smell goes away. The worst part is that it doesn't always smell straight away. Sometimes I smell the plates as I'm unloading and they seem fine, and then later when I go to open the cupboard, I get the smell.

I know it's bizarre. Open to any suggestions.....

Hi not sure if others will reply as this is an old thread but try white vinegar on a hot wash also clean the filters, arms and rubber on the doors that should help. I tend to use white vinegar instead of the finish cleaners now. I am a bit ott but do at least one machine clean a week - good luck!