{"id":1781,"date":"2026-05-31T19:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T00:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/?p=1781"},"modified":"2026-05-26T05:05:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T10:05:17","slug":"dishwasher-smells-like-mildew-check-these-fixes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/dishwasher-smells-like-mildew-check-these-fixes\/","title":{"rendered":"Dishwasher Smells Like Mildew? Check These Fixes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Dishwasher Smells Like Mildew? Check These Fixes<\/h2>\n

Question:<\/strong> I just moved in, and my dishwasher smells like mildew.<\/p>\n

The dishwasher looks fairly new. The filter is clean.<\/p>\n

Also, when it is windy, my kitchen sink and shower smell a little.<\/p>\n

Do you have any suggestions?<\/p>\n

Answer: The smell may not be from the dishwasher itself. It may be coming from the drain, a dry trap, a vent issue, or a bad dishwasher drain hose setup.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why A Clean Dishwasher Can Still Smell<\/h2>\n

A clean filter is a good sign.<\/p>\n

But mildew smells can hide in other places.<\/p>\n

Food film can sit inside the spray arms.<\/p>\n

Grease can also build up in the drain hose.<\/p>\n

Start by running a dishwasher cleaning cycle.<\/p>\n

Use a dishwasher cleaner or white vinegar.<\/p>\n

Do not mix cleaners with bleach.<\/p>\n

Check the rubber door gasket next.<\/p>\n

Wipe the folds with warm, soapy water.<\/p>\n

Then leave the door cracked after each wash.<\/p>\n

Check The Dishwasher Drain Hose<\/h2>\n

The drain hose should rise before it enters the sink drain.<\/p>\n

This is called a high loop.<\/p>\n

Some homes use an air gap instead.<\/p>\n

A low hose can let dirty sink water flow back.<\/p>\n

That can make the dishwasher smell bad.<\/p>\n

You can read more about dishwasher air gaps from The Home Depot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Windy Weather Is A Big Clue<\/h2>\n

The sink and shower smell during the wind is important.<\/p>\n

That may point to a plumbing vent issue.<\/p>\n

Wind can affect the air flow at the roof vent.<\/p>\n

A blocked vent can also pull water from traps.<\/p>\n

When traps lose water, sewer gas can enter.<\/p>\n

The smell may seem like mildew or rotten drains.<\/p>\n

Run water in every sink, tub, and floor drain.<\/p>\n

This helps refill dry P-traps.<\/p>\n

Also, check any unused basement drains.<\/p>\n

Simple Checks Before Calling A Plumber<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Clean the dishwasher gasket and spray arms.<\/li>\n
  2. Run a dishwasher cleaner cycle.<\/li>\n
  3. Confirm the drain hose has a high loop.<\/li>\n
  4. Run water in every drain for one minute.<\/li>\n
  5. Look under sinks for loose trap parts.<\/li>\n
  6. Check for slow drains or gurgling sounds.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If the smell returns during the wind, call a plumber.<\/p>\n

    Ask them to check the roof vent.<\/p>\n

    They should also inspect the drain traps.<\/p>\n

    A smoke test may help find leaks.<\/p>\n

    The EPA indoor air quality guide<\/a> has more home air safety tips.<\/p>\n

    Sewer gas should not be ignored.<\/p>\n

    It can point to a real plumbing problem.<\/p>\n

    Fixing the vent or trap issue may stop every odor.<\/p>\n

    That includes the dishwasher, sink, and shower smells.<\/p>\n

    I’m Chris Mayer, writing for Plumbing 101<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \"Dishwasher
    Dishwasher Smells Like Mildew? Check These Fixes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Dishwasher Smells Like Mildew? Check These Fixes Question: I just moved in, and my dishwasher smells like mildew. The dishwasher looks fairly new. The filter is clean. Also, when it is windy, my kitchen sink and shower smell a little. Do you have any suggestions? Answer: The smell may not be from the dishwasher itself.… Continue reading Dishwasher Smells Like Mildew? Check These Fixes<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[79],"tags":[725,1533,1528,35,1724,109,111,1530,897,1723,1529,115,1532,152,1531,54,1725],"class_list":["post-1781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-plumbing-help","tag-check","tag-dishwasher-drain-hose","tag-dishwasher-smells-like-mildew","tag-dishwasher","tag-fixes","tag-general","tag-help","tag-kitchen-sink-odor","tag-like","tag-mildew","tag-mildew-smell-in-dishwasher","tag-plumbing","tag-plumbing-vent-problem","tag-sewer-gas-smell","tag-shower-drain-smell","tag-smells","tag-these","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1781"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1790,"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1781\/revisions\/1790"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plumbing101.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}