The Dishwasher Drains Into the Sink With a Bad Odor

Smell

• If you notice a bad odor when your dishwasher drains into your sink, the smell is probably bacteria, like food that has begun to spoil. The odor will be strongest while the dishwasher is draining and immediately afterward, but you could notice it in your sink in between dishwasher uses if you lean in over the drain. The bad smell could also be noticeable inside the dishwasher.

Causes

• One possible cause of the bad smell is a clogged dishwasher filter. Your dishwasher contains filters designed to trap and remove food particles during the wash cycle. If they get clogged, the food in them starts to spoil. When the dishwasher drains, foul bits of old food are washed into your sink drain. The other cause is a clog in your garbage disposal. When stringy or forgotten food clumps inside the dishwasher, it can also start to spoil. As the dishwasher drains, the food clog is force up and into the sink.

Solutions

• Getting rid of the spoiling food will get rid of the bad odor in your sink. If the problem is a dishwasher filter, clean it out. Use a few wet paper towels to wipe the filter at the bottom of your dishwasher clean. Be careful because broken glass could also be caught in the filter. For a clogged garbage disposal, wait until the next time your dishwasher drains into the sink and turn on the sink faucet, then turn on the disposal. The water will help the disposal’s blades shift and break up the clump of food.

Considerations

• To keep the smell from coming back, scrape and rinse dishes thoroughly before putting them into the dishwasher. The filters there can deal with small bits of food but are more likely to clog if you put a dirty lasagna pan in to be cleaned. When using your garbage disposal, always run the sink faucet while the unit is on. After you turn it off, continue to run it for another 20 seconds to completely wash all food down the drain.