Amana Dishwasher Bad Smell: Find the Odor Source and Clean It Safely

Use only checks that match the exact appliance or system and its official guide.

1. Check 1

   With the dishwasher stopped and cool, note when the odor appears and what it resembles: food or musty odor after the door has been closed, odor strongest during draining, new plastic, hot-tar or petroleum, varnish-like motor odor, or charred/burning odor. Also note standing water, smoke, melting, a leak, or loss of cleaning performance.

   Expected result: The smell is food-like or musty; it follows draining and the sink or disposal smells too; it is a new plastic or petroleum odor; or it is charred, smoky, or accompanied by visible melting or a leak.

   Next step: Use the residue and filter checks for food or musty odor, the drain/disposal check when the odor follows draining, and the new-odor guidance for a new plastic or petroleum smell. For smoke, active melting, a strong recurring burning smell, or a leak, stop using the dishwasher and arrange qualified service.

   Stop if: Do not restart the dishwasher to reproduce smoke, sparking, active melting, or a burning odor.

   Why this matters

   Why: Food-like or musty odor makes residue, filter, stagnant-water, or drain-path checks more likely. A disposal-linked odor points outside the tub. New plastic or petroleum odor can be a normal break-in smell on a new dishwasher. Smoke, active melting, or a recurring burning smell is a safety escalation, not a cleaning diagnosis.

2. Check 2

   Turn the dishwasher off, let hot parts cool, and use the exact Amana model instructions to identify the filter style. If the model has removable filters, inspect the bottom filter area and visible sump for food soil or foreign objects and rinse the filter under running water; if it has the maintenance-free design, inspect and empty only the accessible foreign-object cup as instructed.

   Expected result: Food residue or an object is present in the filter area or cup; the filter is visibly damaged or will not lock; or the filter/cup and visible sump are clean and correctly seated.

   Next step: Remove only loose accessible debris, rinse a removable filter as the model instructions allow, and reinstall every filter or cup fully. Continue to the interior cleaning check. If the filter is damaged, a cover will not lock, or debris is sharp or inaccessible, stop and arrange model-specific service.

   Stop if: Do not operate the dishwasher without its required filters or cover, force the filter, or reach into an area containing suspected broken glass.

   Why this matters

   Why: Amana says trapped food can contribute to odors and that filter designs vary. A dirty filter or full foreign-object cup supports a residue or restricted-flow cause. A clean, intact, correctly seated system makes the interior and drain-path checks more important, but does not prove an internal pump or heater fault.

3. Check 3

   With the tub empty and cool, wipe the bottom front of the tub, door gasket, door edge, spray-arm area, and accessible interior surfaces with a sponge or soft cloth and warm water. Then run one model-appropriate cleaning treatment: affresh Dishwasher Cleaner according to its package, or a white-vinegar rinse using two cups in a glass or dishwasher-safe measuring cup on the lower rack, with no detergent and the dry option turned off where the model provides that option.

   Expected result: Visible residue is removed and the odor is gone after one cleaning; the odor is reduced but returns; or the odor is unchanged and there is still residue or mineral buildup.

   Next step: If the smell improves, keep the filter and interior on Amana's regular maintenance schedule. If it returns, check drainage and the disposal connection. If it is unchanged, do not keep repeating vinegar treatments; record the odor pattern and arrange service if the drain and new-odor checks do not explain it.

   Stop if: Do not mix cleaners or use vinegar repeatedly as a substitute for diagnosis; follow the exact model and product instructions.

   Why this matters

   Why: Residue on the tub, gasket, spray-arm area, or hidden wash path can support a food or buildup odor. A temporary improvement suggests residue or stagnant soil remains somewhere in the system. An unchanged odor after correct cleaning makes the drain/disposal path or a non-food odor category more likely.

4. Check 4

   Look for water left across the tub after a completed cycle and note whether the odor is strongest near the drain or sink. If the dishwasher drain is connected to a garbage disposal, run the disposer to clear accessible debris as Amana recommends; inspect only accessible sink-side and drain openings for an obstruction without pulling out the dishwasher or disconnecting concealed plumbing.

   Expected result: Standing water remains; the sink or disposal also smells or drains slowly; debris is present at an accessible connection; or the tub is dry enough and the sink-side path is clear.

   Next step: Clear only accessible debris and run one normal, model-appropriate cycle to observe whether the odor and water level improve. If standing water persists, a leak is present, or the odor returns with a clear path, stop troubleshooting and arrange qualified service for model-specific drainage diagnosis.

   Stop if: Do not disassemble concealed plumbing, pull out an integrated dishwasher, or keep running cycles with a leak or substantial standing water.

   Why this matters

   Why: Stagnant water or a blocked filter/drain path can feed an odor. When the disposal or sink shares the smell, the source may be the connected discharge path rather than the dishwasher interior. A clear path with a persistent odor does not identify an internal component by itself.

5. Check 5

   If the dishwasher is newly installed or newly used and the smell is plastic-like or hot-tar/petroleum-like rather than food-like, compare its age and odor pattern with Amana's guidance. Keep the tub clean and use the model-appropriate cleaning treatment, but do not open panels to search for sound-deadening material or motor windings.

   Expected result: The dishwasher is new and the plastic smell is fading; a petroleum smell is present on a new stainless-steel-tub model; or the odor is not fading, is present on an older appliance, or is accompanied by smoke, heat, or performance changes.

   Next step: Monitor a new odor only while the dishwasher operates normally and the smell is fading within Amana's stated window. If the smell is not fading, starts suddenly, or is accompanied by smoke, melting, unusual heat, a leak, or a cycle problem, stop using the dishwasher and request qualified service.

   Stop if: Do not continue operation when the odor is sharp, smoky, actively burning, or linked to visible damage.

   Why this matters

   Why: Amana describes new plastic odor as normally dissipating in about two weeks and hot-tar/petroleum odor as normally dissipating in four to six weeks. The time window is a limited normal-odor explanation, not proof that every chemical or burning smell is safe.

6. Check 6

   For a melted-plastic or charred-food odor, leave the dishwasher off until it is completely cool. Only if there is no smoke, active melting, or visible damage, inspect the accessible area around the heating element for a fallen plastic item or food particle and remove loose debris with a nonmetallic utensil; do not open panels or touch the element.

   Expected result: A cooled, loose plastic item or food particle is found and removed; no debris is found; the heating element or wiring appears damaged; or the odor, smoke, or melting returns on a later cycle.

   Next step: If a loose item was safely removed and there is no damage, follow Amana's model-appropriate rinse or cleaning guidance once. If no cause is visible, any damage is present, or the smell returns, stop using the dishwasher and arrange qualified service.

   Stop if: Do not use a metal tool, touch a hot element, restart with visible damage, or keep testing a recurring burning smell.

   Why this matters

   Why: Amana's odor guidance links this pattern to plastic or food around the heating element and says to clean only after the dishwasher has cooled. A damaged element, wiring, persistent smoke, or recurring odor cannot be safely diagnosed from the outside.