How do I clean a smelly dishwasher?

They make a disaster cleaner , find it next to dishwasher soaps . Run your dishwasher more frequently , if you close it right after putting dishes in it and don't run it , the water drips to the botto m and sits there and you will get a mildew smell .

also always rinse off everything before you put it in the dishwasher , if food is sitting on your plates for awhile that will smell , also . In some newer models there is a trap that catches food particles , that might need to be cleaned out .

Clean out the traps at the bottom and wash. There are parts on the bottom under the rack that pop out. Make sure they are food debris free and cleaned with a scrub brush. I pour vinegar directly into the rinse agent compartment. It’s cheap and a great alternative to buying those blue rinse agents. Considering its the number one cleaner for most machines it keeps your dishwasher clean as well.

After you make sure your filter is cleaned and there is no debris, you can clean the dishwasher. Place a cup of white vinegar in an open container on the top shelf and run a short hot cycle. Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and run another hot cycle. This should be done once a year or 6 months, depending on how much you use your machine.

A little trick I read a couple of years ago was very helpful for maintenance: place 1 drop of blue Dawn in the dispenser prior to adding detergent.