Like any other appliance, the dishwasher must receive regular maintenance to ensure its proper functioning. But although it is now essential for our daily life, because it saves time, it still does not escape the problems of bad smells. Fortunately, countering this problem is possible thanks to a natural ingredient.
As practical as they are, dishwashers can emit bad odors due to many factors. The good news is that you don’t have to resort to hand washing, as there are several natural odor-absorbing products that stand out as the answer to the problem.
What causes bad dishwasher odors?
The dishwasher can smell bad for many reasons: limescale buildup in the pipes, grease or leftover food on dishes, etc. These can settle in the drain and cause unpleasant odors.
There are a plethora of deodorant power ingredients, most of which nestle right in our pantry. This accessibility together with its efficiency beats them to be counted among the most used natural remedies in the home for all kinds of tasks. And the dishwasher is no exception! Here’s how to naturally remove stubborn odors from your appliance.

Smelly dishwasher – Source: spm
Lemon already impresses with its high effectiveness as a natural cleaner. Whether it’s for polishing cutlery, sanitizing toilets, or removing bad odors from the refrigerator, lemon has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that act as an excellent disinfectant and deodorant. So, to act against the odors emanating from your dishwasher, the process is simple:
Place a glass of lemon juice (seedless) in the basket of your appliance.
Close the machine, run an empty wash cycle, and let the citrus effects take over. The bad odors should disappear. In addition, the acidity of the food also allows to fight against the possible deposit of lime in the machine.
But that’s not all, lemon can perform a 2-in-1 action, since in addition to eliminating unwanted odors from your appliance, it will also make your dishes shine. For this, there is no need to throw the squeezed lemons in the trash! Put one or two in the dishwasher before running it and your cookware will come out shinier than ever.

Deodorize a dishwasher with lemon – Source: spm
Like lemon juice, there are other ways to deal with the problem of unpleasant odors. Here are some examples:
Citric acid is a very good alternative to lemon. as it has the same descaling capabilities. And this is not by chance, because it is, in fact, a compound of this citrus fruit. So these are the steps to take to absorb dishwasher odors using citric acid:
Pour 150 g of citric acid in glass and bucketplace it on one of the device shelves. Next, select the highest temperature and longest duration, then run an empty wash cycle.
This technique is even more practical, because it not only helps you fight bad odors, but also to thoroughly clean your device as white vinegar does it so well. It is also the next allied deodorant on this list.
When we know that white vinegar is frequently used to deodorize smelly refrigerators or to thoroughly clean a washing machine, we cannot doubt its effective action on a dishwasher. The proof, you can use it to deodorize the device as is the case with the cup of lemon juice. To do this, simply fill a glass with white vinegar, place it inside the dishwasher, run an empty wash cycle, and let it act until it comes to an end.

White vinegar – Source: spm
Finally, when it comes to getting rid of bad odors, the star of natural cleaners is not to be missed; sodium bicarbonate. In fact, thanks to its stain-removing, alkalizing and cleaning properties, this white powder neutralizes odors and sometimes even the strongest ones, such as those that come out of the bathroom.
In the case of a smelly dishwasher, you don’t have to do much except put a glass of baking soda in the rack of a completely empty dishwasher and then run an empty cycle. Although this is more than enough, you may need to sniff the device. If that’s the case, a few drops of the essential oil of your choice in the glass will serve.
Now all you have to do is enjoy an odorless dishwasher.
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