If your dishwasher smells like cat pee or urine and you are wondering where and why is your dishwasher is smelling this way despite the fact that you don’t have a cat that you keep as pet in your house.
In this article we shall talk about why your dishwasher is suddenly smelling like cat urine and what you can do to get rid of the smell to get your dishwasher smelling fresh again.
Table of Contents
Why your dishwasher is smelling like cat urine:
One of the main reason why your dishwasher is smelling like cat pee or urine is because there is mold growing inside some hidden corners of your dishwasher.
It is usually the residues from dishwasher detergent, grease, and pieces of food remains that collects and gets trapped over time that allows molds to begin to grow.
This mold is a type of fungi that grows in a moist and hidden place and the dishwasher especially if not used for a long time can be a good place for molds to grow in as far as there is some water left inside the dishwasher that maybe didn’t completely drain out of the machine.
This can happen if the drain of the dishwasher under your sink is connected to the wrong side of the P trap at the back of the dishwasher.
You can however be able to confirm this by pulling out the dishwasher and checking the connection behind it.
If the drain is connected wrongly, it will allow sewer gas to build up inside the dishwasher which will cause the dishwasher to smell like urine because there will always be water at the bottom of the P trap which will blocks gasses from going any further out of the dishwasher.
This sewer gas coupled with trapped dirty water with detergent and food residues will not only stink very badly in your kitchen, but it is also dangerous as well.
Is it safe to use dishwasher with cat pee smell?
Molds generally apart from giving out some unpleasant smell or odour in the dishwasher they are also very toxic and are dangerous to your health.
That is why it is important that you quickly and completely remove all traces of molds from your dishwasher.
Using a dishwasher that has bad smell like cat pee or any other type of odour to wash your dishes is not safe for you and your family and so until you get rid of the bad smell coming from inside your dishwasher it is best you don’t use the machine for now.
Here’s what you can do to get rid of cat pee smell from dishwasher:
If you have a dishwasher that smell like cat pee, and you are looking for ways to get rid of this smell here are some steps you can follow to ensure your get your dishwasher smelling fresh once again.
The first step is to properly identify the cause of the smell from the dishwasher. However, it is most likely caused by a wrong connection of the drain hose to the P trap under the sink.
You should check to see if there is water trapped inside it that is not completely draining out and as a result is allowing molds to grow in the dishwasher.
If you are not sure what it is that is causing your dishwasher to smell of urine you can call a technician to help you identify the cause of the problem.
If it is a wrong drainage connection to the U shaped P trap under the sink that is causing the smell you will need to check the installation manual of your dishwasher and then ensure you follow the diagram and drawing connection described in the user installation.
How to keep your dishwasher smelling fresh always:
Even though the dishwasher is a cleaning machine it also needs to be cleaned itself on a routine basis so as to keep it smelling fresh and your dishes safe to use without any odour on them.
For this it is recommended that you clean your dishwasher at least once every two weeks or every 10 days to get rid of grease and small food particles that may be trapped in the dishwasher.
First you might be asking why would you want to clean your dishwasher? The answer is very simple overtime as you use the dishwasher to clean your dishes bits of food particles, water minerals, undissolved detergents, and grease build up on your dishwashers filter.
And this can cause the dishwasher to begin to smell which is why your dishware and glasses come out of the dishwasher looking dirty with bad odour.
It can also cause dishes to come out with spots and films on the dishes. If you fail to clean your dishwasher over a long period of time like for several months, the grime and food particles can actually damage the dishwasher filter and the dishwasher pump.
And this means more cost on repairs for you so your dishwasher should not be treated like a garbage disposal.
How to properly clean your dishwasher not to smell:
Now to properly clean your dishwasher and keep it running smoothly you will need to focus on seven areas on the dishwasher and these are the dishwasher door gasket, the spray arms, the interior walls, the dishwasher drain, filter, and the exterior look of the dishwasher.
Before you start cleaning your dishwasher it is recommended that you run your dishwasher on its hottest cycle so that it can loosen up all the grease and grime in the dishwasher making it easier to clean.
Dishwasher spray arms:
After running the dishwasher on its hottest cycle, you should check the spray arms of the dishwasher to see if there are any mineral builds up blocking the holes on the spray arms.
You can use a toothpick to remove any mineral build up or other food particles that you find to be blocking the spray arm.
Dishwasher filter:
The dishwasher filter is one of the most important part of the dishwasher that needs to be cleaned properly because if your filter isn’t clean your dishes will come out dirty.
To clean the dishwasher filter you need to remove the filter from under the spray arm at the bottom of the dishwasher and then soak and clean it with hot water and detergent.
You can use a small toothbrush to scrub the filter clean and then rinse it off well before replacing it back into the dishwasher.
You can check your owner’s manual to see detailed instructions on how to remove your dishwasher filter from your dishwasher to clean it.
Dishwasher drain:
After cleaning the dishwasher filter before you replace it back into its compartment you need to first check to see if there is any stagnant water inside the drain of the dishwasher.
If there is stagnant water, you will have to soak out the water with a piece of cloth and then unscrew the drain to see if it also blocked. If it is blocked with food debris, you should remove and clean the drain compartment.
After you are done with this you should also check the drain pipe hose that is connected to the back of the dishwasher that allows water to drain into the sink.
Remove the hose to see if it is clogged with grease and food particles. If it is soak in hot water and a good detergent to remove these dirt and grease build-up.
If after cleaning the dishwasher drain tract and the drain hose, you discover that you are still having standing water leftover inside your dishwasher then it is more than likely that your dishwasher pump has gone bad.
You will have to call a repair man at this point to either replace the dishwasher pump or you get a new dishwasher completely.
Dishwasher gasket:
The dishwasher gasket helps to completely seal the door of the dishwasher while it is washing your dishes as it does not allow water to leak out from the door of the dishwasher onto the floor of your kitchen.
However, the rubber gasket on the door of the dishwasher is a good place for small food particles and grease to hide and get trapped in which can allow mold to grow and also cause the dishwasher to stink.
To clean the dishwasher gasket simply get a clean cloth and then dip it into vinegar and some dishwasher soap and then slowly use it to clean the rubber gasket all over to get rid of all the dirt.
After cleaning the gasket, you should then clean the actual door of the dishwasher the same way you cleaned the gasket by applying vinegar and dish soap and then clean it from top to bottom to remove any type of black mold you might find.
Dishwasher exterior:
You should clean the dishwasher door exterior and handle. Use a piece of soft cloth to wipe the dishwasher control panel buttons to make the outside appearance look clean.
Dishwasher internal walls:
Finally, you will need to clean the inside wall of the dishwasher which is very simple and easy to do.
You just need to run the dishwasher on its hottest wash cycle to clean the interior walls of the dishwasher with the dishwasher racks and utensils baskets placed in their position inside the dishwasher.
All the other components of the dishwasher like the dishwasher filter should be installed back into the machine before you run the wash cycle.
Run it on the longest and hottest cycle to get the interior really clean and free of all grease, you can add vinegar inside the dishwasher.
Final thoughts:
It is important that you have a regular cleaning routine that you follow to clean your dishwasher because a dishwasher that is left uncleaned can not only smell like cat pee or urine it can also give out so many odours that you will not like.
By properly and always cleaning your dishwasher you will be able to prevent any form of bad smell from coming out of the dishwasher and you are also improving the efficiency and lifespan of the dishwasher.
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