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KarenBiggers
@foebud.org

KarenBiggers

Anon

Bad smell from dishwasher or something else?

During the past few days, I've been smelling somewhat of a foul odor in my house … namely that of eggs (think egg farts (sorry, not trying to be gross of obscene)). I believe the source to be the dishwasher although I have run it many times and not used eggs in over a week. Now it is getting picked up by the HVAC system and just stinking up the whole place (I do not have a big apartment). Any suggestion as to tracking down the true source? I have inspected the dishwasher the best I could but did not find anything foreign or out of the ordinary.

mmcgovern
join:2002-01-26
Saint Johns, FL

3 edits

mmcgovern

Member

Souns like plaatic(tupperware).

bent
and Inga
Premium Member
join:2004-10-04
Loveland, CO

bent to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
Try running the disposal for a while with copious amounts of anti-bacterial hand soap and water. they also make cleaners specifically for it, but why spend the xtra money?

ilikeme
Premium Member
join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

ilikeme to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
Pour a good amount of baking soda and vinegar into the garbage disposal.

PhoenixDown
FIOS is Awesome
Premium Member
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY

PhoenixDown to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
I read an FML like this... the punchline was the dead mouse that was stuck in the dishwasher for two weeks.
Korro
join:2008-03-15
Pittsburgh, PA

Korro to KarenBiggers

Member

to KarenBiggers
my dishwasher does this all the time. From what I haver read it is just left over food stuck in the lines...so when it runs the bad odor is released. To fix it I have heard you need to run it with vinegar or something. No dishes. Google you will find some answers.

It only happens occasionally.

brian
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mission Viejo, CA

brian to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
could be decomposing food stuck in the air gap line.

UHF
All static, all day, Forever
MVM
join:2002-05-24

UHF to KarenBiggers

MVM

to KarenBiggers
have had good luck using powdered Tang drink mix to clean the dishwasher.

another thing to check is any drains that don't get used often, basement floor drains, unused showers, etc. Run some water down them, if the trap dries out you will get sewer gas coming through them.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
·Charter

nunya to KarenBiggers

MVM

to KarenBiggers
My dishwasher stinks like this all the time too. Just a crappy design. Food stuffs get left in the sump no matter what. A little diluted bleach on an empty cycle every now and again helps some. Also, not fully loading it seems to help (although, what's the point of having a DW you can't load.
jfd15
join:2008-01-07
West Sacramento, CA

1 edit

jfd15 to KarenBiggers

Member

to KarenBiggers
the problem is likely caused by fat and debris, and the odor-causing bacteria that feed off of it....- if you use hot, hot water(i used boiling, but depending on your pipes i would try maybe 160 degrees or so to be safe) and laundry detergent- plain old dishwashing liquid isnt strong enough...i used 3-4 gallons hot water at a time and once you get any grease or fat dissolved and the debris is washed away there shouldnt be any problems....

bleach might work short term by killing the bacteria but unless you get rid of the fat and debris they will regrow and the problem will return...

if its just the garbage disposal you can use ice to clean it - 4-5 trays should do it.....then grind up a few orange peels or lemon peels and the whole kitchen will smell great....

if its a sewer problem, then i guess you'd need a plumber...

good luck...

edit: oh, if you think its the dishwasher and not the pipes, i think ive heard that they recommend running some empty wash cycles with vinegar - i dont know how much but its supposed to dissolve mineral deposits...

madylarian
The curmudgeonly
Premium Member
join:2002-01-03
Parkville, MD

madylarian to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
Run the empty dishwasher with about a half cup of bleach. This was recommended to me by a customer service rep at the manufacturer and it works great. We do it once a month to keep the dishwasher clean.

mady
Corp000085
join:2003-03-09
Penfield, NY

Corp000085 to KarenBiggers

Member

to KarenBiggers
No matter how "clean" your dishwasher or sink is, something is stuck inside the lines SOMEWHERE, I guarantee it 100%. Here's how to fix the problem easily. First, empty the dishwasher, then fill it with a cup of bleach (dump bleach directly into the bottom of the dishwasher. don't mess with the fill cups or anything). Run the dishwasher. After that's done, fill up both sinks with water and bleach (1:10 is an ample ratio to kill anything), let it sit for 10 minutes, then drain both sides and run the disposal while it's draining. Finally, spray some bleach water (1:10 again, this time in a spray bottle) around under the sink and on the plumbing. You may have a tiny leak that's not accounted for yet, also you may have something stuck on the outside of your plumbing system (garbage, dogfood, etc). Just remember, if all else fails, bleach kills everything.

BTW, don't bother with the vinegar. That just cleans and shines. You need bleach to sanitize and kill the odor.
bigddybn
join:2000-10-18
Stuart, FL

bigddybn to KarenBiggers

Member

to KarenBiggers
We used to get this too, especially after having kids and the dish load went way up. I do like the others now and run some bleach through it once a month or so. Also run it through the garbage disposal in the sink as well as the other side of the sink where bits of crud tend to sit in the trap.

Works like a champ.

CylonRed
MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
·Metronet

CylonRed to KarenBiggers

MVM

to KarenBiggers
said by KarenBiggers :

During the past few days, I've been smelling somewhat of a foul odor in my house … namely that of eggs (think egg farts (sorry, not trying to be gross of obscene)).
The smell is caused by sulfer.
ctggzg
Premium Member
join:2005-02-11
USA

ctggzg to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
Vinegar smells worse than egg farts.

VR Laura
Queen Of Cyberspace
Premium Member
join:2002-02-10
NYC

1 recommendation

VR Laura to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
said by KarenBiggers :

During the past few days, I've been smelling somewhat of a foul odor in my house … namely that of eggs (think egg farts [...]
How exactly does an egg fart? Even if a baby chicken was inside, wouldn't any smell from it's farts be contained because of the sealed egg shell?

Hmm... Perhaps the egg really did come first.

Jake O
@mchsi.com

Jake O to KarenBiggers

Anon

to KarenBiggers
Had this smell when new dishwasher was installed. Reason the new one has a very tight seal so when closed it will smell like crazy. (EGG FARTS) So remember to leave door open slightly and no to shut tight. This took care of our problem completely. Other methods are only a short term fix. Jake

tvtek
Live life to its fullest
Premium Member
join:2004-03-07
Walnut Creek, CA

tvtek

Premium Member

Mind you of course do not try to keep it open slightly during operation, only when it is not in use. This is also a great tip for front load washers to avoid mold/mildew build up.
tvtek

tvtek to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
I ran some vinegar in the dishwasher when it was empty to help clean it out and get rid of odors. Using bleach does work but remember the odor from bleach in my opinion is far worse than vinegar and bad for the lungs if you inhale to much in fumes. As far as the disposal goes, you can place lemons without the rinds in the disposal and run it with water.

StepR
Code Warrior
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Elgin, IL

StepR to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
Check the door seal gasket. Earlier this year, the end of our gasket was worn out, and water and gunk slipped into the door where it would decay. Replacing the gasket is an easy fix. Check also the drains and hoses

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

1 recommendation

morbo to KarenBiggers

Member

to KarenBiggers
1. empty your dishwasher
2. fill the soap containers with vinegar
3. run your dishwasher on HOT with HOT PREWASH with no dishes in it.

Problem solved. Repeat once every few months, just to be safe.

Mr Stone
stupid should be painful
Premium Member
join:2001-06-20
From hell

2 edits

Mr Stone to KarenBiggers

Premium Member

to KarenBiggers
said by KarenBiggers :

(I do not have a big apartment). Any suggestion

You say (I do not have a big apartment) If you live in any kind of good apartment the management/owner then I would take this problem up with them and have them fix this. They are responsible for the mechanical end of your unit. If not then I would not want to pay rent nor live there. As far as a fix every one here has hit right on how to take care of this.