Larry, that's a brilliant idea! I will try to answer your questions and I am very interested in your results.

Right out of the box, the DW did not smell.

Our smell began shortly after hooking up and got increasingly worse over the last two months.

We did not have the high loop but had been using Cascade Fresh Scent (will change this soon), and Jet Dry Regular scent.

We did the high loop about three days ago (this was not done by the installer) and the scent is still there though slightly better, but we have added baking soda to the wash. Still using Casacade fresh scent and Jet dry.

Rnu a load with distilled white vinegar (about 2 cups) through the machine, then run it again with just detergent.

Larry--Perhaps it might also be interesting to see if there is a particular model that tends to have the odor problem?

I've got a SHX57C05UC from the Integra 800 Series. No odor problem ever. Installed with the high loop. Don't know if it makes a difference, but we don't have an air gap. Have only used Cascade powder, original scent, and Jet Dry original.

Mine smelled when it arrived because the sample pack of rinse aid had leaked & the d/w been closed up for who knows how long. The smell disappeared with the 1st wash and has been fine since.

I use Cascade Complete & the Cascade brand of rinse aid.
I don't really know if I have a high loop, but suspect I do because the hose enters the sink cab near the top & goes into the disposal. I do not have an air gap.

Is there a possibility that some of the really foul smelling d/w's are hooked into the drain pipe BELOW the trap & thereby getting fumes from the vent stack? This seems too far fetched to be real, but it's something I would check if my d/w & dishes smelled rotten.

How odd. I don't have a Bosch dishwasher, but was interested in them. I was at Sears and smelled this in a display unit. I thought it had something to do with the funny looking liquid under the lower door seal. I told someone at the store about it and they said it was a live demo unit. The person just asked another employee to go clean it. I could not have missed that smell after opening the door if I had tried. Nasty.

Do those with the smell have an airgap installed?

I have High Loop, no airgap but then again this is not a foul smell and it was present before the machine was ever hooked up or anything else, as soon as we opened the box.

I posted on the other thread but wanted to add my experience here. I have 2 Thermador DWs -- basically a Bosch with Thermador name plates on the ends of the racks. Mine is the next to the top of the Thermador line - they only have a few models (3, I think).

Mine were here for a bit before installation was completed and they could be run -- months. I made sure to say something about the high loop when they went to install them and the installers pointed out that the loop is built-in. At least on this model, you would have to have it unlkess someone disassembled it.

One DW had no real smell to it and the other had a little bit of a funky water smell. Not bad, and it cleared right up with a short cycle run through it.

I don't know what explains the citrusy smell, but I thought I'd report that it isn't universal and I haven't smelled it in mine, any displays or in any of the many inthe Thermador/Bosch chowroom. I wouldn't want or use it if it made my dishes stink, but it sure doens't seem to be a universal or widespread problem to me.

McCall and Mari, hope you can resolve yours. I was using Cascade complete befroe and have continueed to. Seems the enzymes were the only thing that would help my old DW clean anything, but I wonder if they also help the smell you are noticing? Could you run Oxyclean through a DW? A cycle of febreeze (or did someone already do that and give you the stink??? LOL). Good luck.

This looks like it is a recent (last several months) situation.

My Bosch (SHU43C) has never had any odor at all. I use Cascade (sented/ original) and Jet Dri regularly. And yes, I have the high loop. Been running it for two years now.

Enjoy the journey.

eal51 in western CT

My Bosch SHV57 was just installed. I'd bought it in mid-Nov and it was sitting in the dining room until Tuesday (4/3). There was a noticeable "plastic" smell (like any new plastic), but no other smell. I ran a short load, and it seems to be dissipating. I figure it's just from the machine being closed up for 5 months before being used.

According to a lady at Bosch they DO NOT recommend Cascade Complete. She said use any powder-no liquid-no gels-no tablets-just powder and be sure it does not contain rinse aid. Cascade Complete,according to Procter&Gamble does contain rinse aid,this is why Bosch does not recommend it. They do say to use the Jet Dry of course to help with the drying.In some of the above posts some people are using the regular Cascade and are having no problems but then there are some using the Complete also that say they are having no problems. If I was using the Complete and had an odor I think I would try the Regular Cascade to see if it made a difference. It couldn't hurt.

Well...

True: is is better to use separate detergent and rinse aid instead of those 2in1 products. I've tried a couple of them and found them to be highly sudsing, mainly due to the built-in rinse aid. Separate rinse aid will also - in most cases - give better drying results.

Also true: liquids and gels usually won't clean dishes as good as "solid" detergent.

False: tablets are powder - just in a compressed form. Their only disadvantage is that with powder one can better adjust the amount used to the level of soiling.

FWIW - over here, Bosch/Siemens actually highlights the fact that their dishwashers can use all types of detergents and automatically adjust the cycle accordingly. Here, this feature is called "auto 3in1". In the US it's called "optiDry".

HTH, Alex

I have also used the tabs and get way too much suds with that rinse aid ball made in them,but I have soft water. Yes you are right they are powder but she(lady at Bosch) didnt recommend those because of that rinse aid. She also said with those you cannot control the amount you use like you can with powder. She said since the machine uses so little water you might need less depending on your water hardness.
And BTW I know they are different ones besides the "jet dry ball" ones but that is where she says the measurement might matter?. I guess you could break them in half if you just wanted to use tabs.

You can break the tablet in half if you want to. We have soft water, too, since our Siemens has a built-in softener - one tab is fine for regular loads. Only if you have very lightly soiled dishes to wash I'd recommend breaking the tab in half.

HTH, Alex - who stayed up all night (it's 12:12 p.m. over here) to finish his term paper and now is finally done... and tired! ;)

Sparky - It's interesting that Bosch is not recommending Cascade Complete. It's been 4 years since I bought my dw, but that's what came with it. I think I'll try regular Cascade since it's cheaper.

jgarner53

I would avoid using detergent that is lemon scented. For whatever reason it seems to make the smell stand out more.

How about Electrosol? I like that for my dishwasher I am using now, but am getting a Bosch for my new house.

Sanborn, it isn't the brand that matters as much as the formulation. Use a dry detergent that contains enzymes (I think that there is also one Cascade gel that is enzyme based.) The rest of gels or liquid detergents, and some powders, that contain bleach are not nearly as good performers.

Just read the small print. Among the top performers in the Consumer Reports testing were the cheapest house brands from WalMart and Costco.

I don't have a Bosch dishwasher. When shopping I did consider one until I found out that it did not have a food disposer. Instead it had a filter screen that had to be cleaned out after every wash. Being a lazy person I though that would be too much trouble for me.

But my question is this. If the water from the dishwasher passes through this filter screen all the time doesn't it make sense that the water would always get tainted with some of the particles of food that are held back by the filter screen?

Additionally when the dishwasher does condensate drying doesn't the condensate water just drain through this same filter screen into the bottom and just sit there. If so this could be the source of the odor problem.

An interesting test to prove this would be as follows. Clean the filter screen in the dishwasher and run it without dishes. After the dishwasher is done, check the filter screen. If the filter screen is not clean it again. Run the dishwasher again with out dishes. Do this until the filter screen no longer has any particles of food in it. Then let the dishwasher sit for a day or two. Is the smell still there?

I don't have a Bosch and don't have any smell but my Dw sometimes will drain the water during the last 40 seconds of the dry. So perhaps it is draining the condensation that has run to the bottom. Perhaps the Bosch drains the water also.

I don't have a Bosch dishwasher. When shopping I did consider one until I found out that it did not have a food disposer. Instead it had a filter screen that had to be cleaned out after every wash. Being a lazy person I though that would be too much trouble for me.

Whoever told you that you would have to clean it out daily obviously was selling you a dishwasher with a disposer. There are hundreds of thousands of dishwasher owners using brands like Bosch, ASKO, and so on, that have filters. I would venture that about six of us clean them on a daily basis. It simply is not necessary.

I check mine every few weeks or so. Most times I find nothing. Other times I may find an errant bone or part of a jar label. That's it. It's not a gunky storehouse for food particles. The mesh is too large for that and it's flushed with clean water every time you use the dishwasher.

Don't understand jimmy's test. If you clean the filter and keep running the dishwasher empty, where does he expect to find food particles or otherwise unclean filter from?

I also agree with steve_o. I remember every other month to check the filter and rarely have I ever found anything there.

BTW, I suspect mariposa's DW smell is related to the drain. Either the absence of a high-loop causing backflow either from the DW OR even from the disposer if her DW drains into disposer or connects with teh sink drain. If she's been running it that way for a few months - well, I imagine it will take a bit to clean out. I had put in a new Bosch a month or two prior to our remodel. Washed well, no smell. Of course it then needed to be disconnnected for the remodel. Several months later when it went back in again, the DW smelled awful for about a week or 10 days. Checked the high-loop, checked the filter, did some empty loads and nothing produced tangible results. And it was nasty. Since I had never smelled this when we were first using the DW preremodel, I didn't suspect the DW necessarily but did wonder about its' interfaces.

Well, then about 10days later, the sink backed up and wouldn't drain. Turns out that after the remodel, the plumber hadn't flushed the drain lines when he connected the plumbing up. We had our own plumber out for some things and he did find a blockage in the drain lines, cleared the drains, which fixed the blocked sink AND the DW smell. It has never smelled since.

For years I always thought Bosch was THE BEST!! But I never bought one, because I figured they all clean the same and I still think they pretty much do. But I am now building a new house the deserves a Bosch. Also, because open to family room and do not want to hear d/w run. (I now have a Maytag, which cleans fine, but noisy, and dishes are usually still wet even though I have drying setting. I have talked to three stores and Bosch and they all say they have never heard of this smell issue. I am installing a garbage disposal and I don't want this to be a problem. Hopefully it does have more to do with installation then with the DW. I just have to wonder though why three appliance stores and Bosch claim they have NEVER heard of this smell issue????

As an owner of a non smell Bosch, the screen/filter is a non-issue. In 4 1/2 yrs I have had one pumpkin seed and maybe 3 twisties that fell of counter oh and one tea bag. I do scrape dishes.

eandhl,
I scrape dishes also, and rinse them, old habits. I watch my daughter and daughter-inlaw put the dishes directly in their $400.00 dishwashers and they wonder why they end up with some of the dishes still dirty??

Yep, last night a baked on pan from a roasted pork tenderloin, I did go do "reg wash", everything clean & dry this am.

My DW's been installed for a couple of weeks now, and I've made numerous runs through it, especially as I've been unpacking the kitchen and running loads to wash off construction dust. So far no smell at all, even with regular dishes that sit in the machine for a couple of days before running a load. My GC installed the DW with the high loop, and it's connected to the disposal.

I don't pre rinse just scrape and my DW has filters. It has a reminder you can set. I have mine set at 45 days, but am in the habit of seeing the reminder and forgetting it. I check every few months. Nothing much in it and I don't have any smell, so checking a filter should not be necessary after every wash.

Mariposa

How is your Bosch dishwasher doing? Have you been able to eliminate the odor? We're getting ready to replace our 10 year old GE - it washes fine, but for some reason the drying cycle doesn't work - and we're looking into replacement brands. So I've been reading through the various threads for opinions.

I haven't read this entire thread, but here's what I have:
Bosch SHV99A03/UC, one in island, one on wall.
High loop on both, no air gap
Cascade
Jet Dry or Cascade rinse aid
No odor, ever.
Both in use 18 months

mcmann, do a search of mari's name. I believe she posted the problem is resolved with the high loop.

eandhl

Thanks for pointing the new thread out. I missed it somehow. I kept checking the orignial one.

kitchen detective - Thanks for your post too. I was leaning toward the Bosch until this thread came up. What a relief. one less thing to worry about.
Thanks again.

Does the "high loop" just refer to how the drain hose is positioned in the dishwasher cabinet? Is it critical whether the drain hose enters the sink cabinet at a high or low point? For our dishwasher that has an air gap, the drain hose enters the sink cabinet at the bottom, goes up to the air gap, than down to the sink drain. Is that OK?

We have two Bosch dishwashers, and right now they both have a mildly unpleasant plastic-type smell. We haven't moved in yet, but they were apparently run at the factory and the builder tested both to make sure they worked. We're hoping the smell is just because they're new, but after reading all these threads, I'm a bit concerned.

TIA!

I'm also curious about installation of the high loop - our dishwasher smells. When it was installed I spoke with the plumber and he said he knew about the high loop. Ours though is in the peninsula and we have rear facing cabinets with a toe kick cab so (I think) the hose goes from the bottom of the dishwasher to the top of the cabinets (that's roughly a 28-30" straight shot) then goes across the top of the inside of the cabinets around the corner to the sink cabinet where it drops about a foot into the drain.

Does anyone know if there is something wrong with this installation? It appears to be correct - bottom to top and down - but would snaking it around cabinets make a difference? Oh and we have NO disposal.

Toomuch, your installation sounds like mine (just installed this past Friday). I haven't used mine yet because it's not fully installed, but my GC tested it. I too noticed a "smell". I'm wondering if it's due to the fact that the model appears to have been tested at the factory and then boxed with remaining water in it. No doubt it was tested as it had some leftover water when the door was opened. I've had it aerating since Friday. I can't wait to run a load in it.

We had a KitchenAid dishwasher that lasted for about 30 years, with a couple of minor repairs done by my husband. Then we got a Bosch in 1996. Its a great machine, and we are very very pleased with how well it works. But, alas, 2 years ago when it was only 9 years ago, a wire broke in the wiring harness that threads up into the door to the control panel. The opening and closing of the door obviously flexed the wires and after a while, one of them broke. Had it fixed to the tune of $98, as we couldnt diagnose the problem. Like who would think of a broken wire?
So now the machine is 11 years old, still in perfect condition, but one of the wires has broken again. So rather than patch it up again, and risk a short circuit, or purchase a whole new wiring harness for about $120, and go thru the tedious process of installing it. We are opting to get a new Bosch model SHE-44C0 for about $600 Going to look at it now at our local appliance store right now. We have friends who own this model and say its great. Quiet too. And has the shortest cycle of any of the dishwashers in Consumer Report book.
So here goes, I shall post back here soon as weve had it a few days to see if we have the smell problem, or any other issue.
Jane

Results, No Smell! Just a slight plastic new smell like any new appliance has.
We did take out the hot water line and replace it with the flexible water pipe stuff, the stuff that looks woven. It made the installation much easier, and resulted in fewer swear words uttered by my husband.
Put the machine thru its first run, the "Quick Wash" as I only had a few dishes.
I usually rinse all dishes well, so this Quick Wash is going to be really nice, as its only a 35 minute cycle. And they suggest opening the door to enhance drying, this is something I have always done with the old one, even though those had the drying element, which these new units dont.
So all in all, we are very pleased with it, and it is very very QUIET, which is wonderful.
Jane

be kind to those little drain pumps with those high loops. My drain pump in a SHU43 croaked and it costs $64. Caution with additives because seals aren't cheap either. I like the Bosch design for quiet but I don't think I'll expect it to last past 2012 if it gets there. Much plastic, and heat. And oxidizers. Low durability in those conditions.

I don't think the flexible line is as reliable as the real thing so I would not trust it connected to my dishwasher unless you have a way of turning off the water pressure to it when not in use. I stuck with the copper line running to the DW. Just my thought.

Also

I think todays detergents, loaded with enzymes, need some soil to work with or they start working on your dishes so it may not be a good idea to rinse dishes before putting them in the DW. or maybe reduce the detergent amount or something. I never rinse, just scrape regardless of what cycle is going to be used.

The 'plastic' smell could be caused by various factors, including odours from the machine's felt padding. This padding is added to absorb noise and to keep the heat in. I suspect the felt padding will be treated with fire retardant chemicals. These chemicals may evaporate to a certain degree as the machine warms up, eventually deminishing after a prolonged period of time.

Some detergents and rinse aids have perfumes that linger when the machine is empty. These perfumes seem to be absorbed by plastic components such as the spray arms and cutlery basket.

The unfortunate thing is that fewer detergents are scent-neutral nowadays; everything seems to be lemon fragranced.

I am sick of citrus scent. I can't stand it. Get it away from me.

I like your idea about the smell originating from the insulation. This actually makes sense. New carpets sometimes have a scent. I figured it was because it was treated with formaldehyde, but perhaps the DW odors are coming from insulation that has been heated or worse yet that has gotten damp.

Not sure the insulation - damp or otherwise - makes much sense to me. At least in the Bosch DWs and I would have to imagine, any well constructed DW, the insulation is not open to the DW itself and in fact is more open to the outside than to the inside of the DW cavity. So should the insulation be getting overheated or dampened somehow, I would imagine that smell would be just as profound when you're in front of the DW with the DW door shut as when the DW door is open because the source of the smell is on the outside of the DW.

I did have the dreaded DW stink. We had put in our DW about a month before the renovation and at that time, the DW did not smell at all. After the renovation, put the DW back and it smelt like the dickens for a few days. I didn't really suspect the DW 'coz it hadn't smelt at all at its first install but still, the smell was something fierce and entirely unpalatable.

Well, it took a few days but eventually our kitchen sink backed up - the drain had had a slow clog somewhere and it took a while to be detectable. We got our plumber out, he flushed the line to look for the clog and indeed he did mention that after a renovation, it is not uncommon for the drain to become slow because during a renovation, construction trash does tend to get into the drains and so usually the drain lines should be snaked to ensure they're clear.

He did say that he didn't hit anything noticeable but bottom line, the drain cleared, the sink drains perfectly and the DW immediately lost its stench. In the two years since the renovation has been done, the DW has not smelled at all except on the couple of occasions when a dirty dish was left in it for several several days when I went out of town (don't usually leave dirty dishes in the DW when am to be out of town for a week or more but I've forgotten a couple of times). I do a DW load every 3 to 4 days and I don't get DW-odour in that interval.

Based on my experience, whenever I read of smelly dishwashers, I suspect a slow drain with the sewer gases backing up. One probably doesn't smell it in the kitchen because the smell gets a chance to diffuse.

Well, that's my $0.02

Can someone please explain to me what a high loop is? Is it where the DW hose meets the garbage disposal unit?

High loop - just make a loop with hose at back of dishwasher, then attach as usual.

Finally using my new bosh with regular cascade and not a bad whiff in the air! Not even on the first wash.

So far so GREAT!

I am a newcomer to GW and was looking for updated info on Bosch DW's and was intrigued by this thread. We are building and I am trying to decide on appliances. We had a Bosch DW in our previous home-lived there 9 years and DW was new when we bought in 1998. DW cleaned great the whole time but after about 4 years I started noticing a smell and the unit seemed to be noiser than when we first moved in (I am sure NOT related issues). Tried vinegar "flushes", different detergents, etc. with no luck. I had service come out and they could not find anything wrong with the install or insulation. Had no clue about the smell. I checked the drain filter regularly and never had much of anything in it. As with other posters, I really didn't like how my dishes smelled when they were clean. I didn't find this site until recently or I would have had a plumber check the install (high loop deal). Anyway, now that I know this is apparently a problem with this brand I have decided not to consider them. I guess I could get lucky with a "no smell" unit but I am not interested in taking that chance!

I have a thermador unit that has the same issue. I had it well documented from authorised reps. And they acknowledged the smell and it should be replaced. Thermador has denied the claim and said it was an introduced smell. well I about to introduce them to a lawsuit. Any Takers let me know? This could be class action? It is something in the metal stamping or in packing or insulation. Its not a high loop issue of soap problem.

My Bosch and my mom's Bosch both smell like sewage. Her's is over a year or two old and I've had mine for about four months. I wish she would have told me about the smell. I dont want to have to call a plumber, but I guess I have to have my lines checked. This is disappointing!

I have noticed that this complaint is coming up more and more with my customers of various brands and not just the Bosch. My theory is the detergents are just not doing the jobs they used to do. I see more calcium build up now on every dishwasher. This used to not be a big issue but over the last 5+ years it is becoming one of the bigger issues a servicer sees. If you are getting these smells it is because the calcium build up is holding the odors. I used to recommend citric acid washes every 6 month to a year but now I'm finding that this is not enough and now I recommend citric acid every 3-4 months. These detergents just aren't able to take care of the calcium like the older ones.

I would recommend contacting the manufacturer of your detergent and lodging a complaint with them. Most boxes have their 800 number printed on it. Call them and complain,

I bought a new 8series Bosch dish washer in 2017. Even it’s a brand new dishwasher it was full of horrible smells after wash. The awful smell actually paint on my dishes. After months of inspecting, I finally caught the suspects. First at all, make sure your dishwasher filter is clean.(however this is not my scenario because my DW is totally brand new)

so the next two big things that caused weird smell:

1. The Rinse liquid. Many users include me find it smell like dead fishes.

try not adding it anymore and discharge them from your DW through empty washing(and adjust the rinse setting to the max so the DW discharge them all within a few cycles of washing)

2.the plastic basket for knifes and chopsticks. I found out that these baskets have very plastic burning smell after hot wash. Try remove them and you will experience instantly improvement.

1 and 2 finally solved the smell problem for my DW. Hope they work for you too.

I've been dealing with a horrible rotten egg-like smell, especially on tall glasses. I've been trying several things, including rinsing the glasses with cold water after they come out of the dishwasher. This actually seems to work. My latest theory is that the rinse agent gives the dishes & glasses a slick finish that helps the water to sheet so that it doesn't cause spots, BUT it also holds odors. Anyone else care to weigh in on this?