how to clean the food trap of dishwasher?

[seashanty]

so the dishwasher smells bad. okay, not noticeable really but when you open it, there is a sour smell.
i looked up online that there may be food or debris caught in the food filter.
mechanical me (not) i can't find it. i looked online for a manual or diagram but so far not finding a picture. what does the food filter look like? realizing that all dishwashers are different, what am i looking for?
i don't have the money for an appliance repair (person) and i don't want to break my sister's dishwasher.
advice?

 

[gillumhouse]

Wish I could help. My dishwasher is a very old model with no filter - John!

 

[GeorgiaGirl]

Have you tried just cleaning it?? When my dishwasher was stinky and yucky I sprinkled in a half box (give or take) of baking soda then poured in some white vinegar. I left it in there for a little while then ran a rinse cycle it seemed to take care of the problem. Well, it took care of the smell but not the crappy dishwasher itself

 

[Morticia]

What brand and model do you have?

 

[seashanty]

she has a maytag jetclean EQ plus
the dishwasher doesn't have an odor right after it's used ...

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

What brand and model do you have?.

Seems like every brand is different but generally speaking, the food trap is located under the main cleaning jet in the bottom of the tub. The part with the nozzles should just pull striaght up and allow you to get at the food trap.
Our old KITCHENAID had two filters in it and both were accessed the same way.
Our new BOSCH ( dream of a brand, who puts all their R&D into designing, simple to use and maintain appliances which are THE most energy and water efficient ) products on the market, has the simplest food trap I have ever seen in a dishwasher.
This feature alone was a major consideration when we were shopping to replace the trusty ol' KITCHENAID when it died in January.
The baking soda and vinegar only cycle every once in a while seems to eliminate odors and clean hard water deposits off the interior very well. Its also much cheaper to use than the ready to use products for the same purpose.

 

[Morticia]

she has a maytag jetclean EQ plus
the dishwasher doesn't have an odor right after it's used ....

she has a maytag jetclean EQ plus
the dishwasher doesn't have an odor right after it's used ...

We have an old Maytag. Hubs says to remove the bottom spray arm and check in there for the filter. He also said all of the spray arms come off differently! So...the little cap on the top of the arm may twist off or pull off. The best bet, tho, is if you have the model number, go to the Maytag website and search on it under 'Owner Center' and 'Literature + Manuals'. That's where we get the old manuals from. You need the model number which may be on the frame or the control panel, depending.

 

[scrambled_eggs]

Have you tried leaving the dishwasher door open when it is not in use to let it air out. I've noticed that when you close it all the way it makes it smell.

 

[channywanny]

Good old bleach, my dear. I had the same problem with my Maytag, as well as issues with food accumulating at the bottom because there doesn't appear to be a food trap to empty. Anyway, I scraped all the gunk out of there and gave it a good shot of javex. I let it sit a while then gave it another. Then I ran it through and it was beautiful - clean, fresh and brighter! I now give it a shot of javex anytime it's smelly and it works like magic. Also seems to help with the food accumulation at the bottom....

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

Good old bleach, my dear. I had the same problem with my Maytag, as well as issues with food accumulating at the bottom because there doesn't appear to be a food trap to empty. Anyway, I scraped all the gunk out of there and gave it a good shot of javex. I let it sit a while then gave it another. Then I ran it through and it was beautiful - clean, fresh and brighter! I now give it a shot of javex anytime it's smelly and it works like magic. Also seems to help with the food accumulation at the bottom.....

Are you on a municipal sewer system or a septic?
If on a septic, one needs to be careful with how much bleach one introduces into the system because it can kill the good microorganisms eating the waste.

 

[agoodman]

In the dishwashing (cleaner) section of the grocery store there is a "dishwasher cleaning" product .. just goes in upside down in your utensil basket and run with an empty load. I just do it every so often. It's probably Javex or similar .

 

[EmptyNest]

In the dishwashing (cleaner) section of the grocery store there is a "dishwasher cleaning" product .. just goes in upside down in your utensil basket and run with an empty load. I just do it every so often. It's probably Javex or similar ..

Did you realize you are posting to an 8 month old comment?

 

[Joey Camb]

i have diswasher cleaner from the supermarket and run it on an empty cycle about once every two weeks and don't have a problem and our diswasher can run up to 5 times a day when we are mad busy.

 

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