When you open your dishwasher to take out clean dishes, the last thing you want to smell is a foul odor. But if you’ve faced this problem before, you’re likely wondering why it’s happening. And more importantly, how do you get your dishwasher smelling fresh again? The appliance repair service experts at Honest & Fair Appliance Repair in Monroe, NY, have compiled a short list of some things you can do to keep it smelling like new.

Clean the Inside

Small pieces of food can stay in your dishwasher and rot, but you can’t just wipe out the inside and expect smells to be gone; you have to clean all of its parts. The screen at the bottom can get particularly grungy, and you may be surprised by how many food particles remain after a wash. The door lip and door gasket can hold a lot of debris and odors, too. And food can remain in the sprayer arm, so be sure not to overlook it.

Run a Cleaning Cycle

You can buy special cleaner for your dishwasher, or you can just use white vinegar or baking soda. Fill a small cup with vinegar or baking soda and set it on the top rack. Run it through a normal cleaning cycle and the smells should be gone. You can also fill a cup with lemon peels and run it through a cycle, but be sure to check that none of them fall under the bottom rack or sprayer arm.

Clean Out Your Garbage Disposal Hose

Your garbage disposal is connected to the same hose as your dishwasher, so you may have to remove the hose from your disposal and clean it out. If you remove the hose and smell something bad, you’ll know you’ve found the cause of your dishwasher odor. You can simply clean it out using a stiff brush and damp cloth.

Do you have other dishwasher questions? The friendly staff at Honest & Fair Appliance Repair can help. Since 1976, they’ve been providing appliance repair service to commercial and residential customers. They also sell and install many top-of-the-line brands, including Amana, Hotpoint, and Kenmore. Honest & Fair Appliance Repair can provide maintenance on your refrigerator, washer and dryer, oven, and other appliances. Give them a call at (845) 782-0460 or visit them online to see how they can help you.