To eliminate lingering odors from your dishes after washing, follow these steps:
Spotless Dishes, Here's How to Eliminate those Frustrating Odors!
Is your dinnerware still smelling like last night's feast, even after a dishwasher cycle? Find out the reasons behind this pesky problem and learn how to make your dishes squeaky clean and odor-free!
7 Reasons your Dishes Still Stink After a Wash
- Microbial clingers: Those tiny critters known as microbes are sticking to your dishes, causing the lingering odors. This can happen whether you wash your dishes by hand or use a dishwasher.
- Residual food particles: Leftover bits of food can stick to your dishes and create funky smells.
Getting Rid of Those Unwelcome Scents
1. Re-wash the Dishes
- What you’ll need: Hot water, dishwashing liquid containing degreasing agents, a clean sponge or soft-bristled brush.
- How to do it:
- Fill up a sink or tub with hot water.
- Add your dishwashing liquid and give it a stir.
- Scrub your dishes with the brush or sponge. (Just pretend you're venting all the dish-related frustration!)
- Rinse your dishes with hot water to remove any soap residue.
- Air dry the dishes thoroughly before storing them.
2. Vinegar Soak
- What you’ll need: Distilled white vinegar, warm water.
- How to do it:
- Mix equal parts vinegar and warm water in a container.
- Submerge the dishes in the solution for at least one hour.
- Drain the solution and rinse dishes with hot water.
- Let your dishes air dry before using them.
3. Scrub with Baking Soda
- What you’ll need: Baking soda, water.
- How to do it:
- Make a paste with baking soda and water in a bowl. (Think of it like a homemade exfoliating mask for your dishes!)
- Dip a soft-bristled brush in the paste and scrub your dishes, plastic containers, or cookware.
- Let the paste sit for up to an hour, then rinse your dishes with hot water.
- Air dry your dishes before putting them away.
Pro tip: If you're battling extra stubborn stains, let the dishes soak overnight in undiluted vinegar or allow the baking soda paste to sit on the stained areas overnight.
Keeping Your Dishes Fresh
1. Clean your Dishwasher and sink
- For the dishwasher: A dirty dishwasher can transfer odors to your dishes. Visit the dishwasher's manufacturer's website for cleaning instructions, or try a vinagar rinse cycle to freshen things up!
- For the sink: Regularly clean your sink, run the garbage disposal, and flush the sink drain daily to eliminate bacteria that causes smells. Don't forget to sanitize your dishwashing tools like brushes, sponges, and cloths after each use, and replace sponges every one to two weeks.
2. Proper loading and unloading of the dishwasher
- Don't overcrowd the dishwasher, as this can leave some surfaces unclean.
- Unload the dishwasher promptly to prevent mold and mildew growth.
3. Use hot water
- Whether you're handwashing or using the dishwasher, hot water is essential to remove grease and buildup from dishes.
4. Choose a quality dishwashing liquid
- Make sure your dishwashing liquid has a degreaser, which helps get dishes spotless.
5. Store your dishes properly
- Regularly clean your cabinets and storage areas to eliminate cooking grease and odor-harboring molecules.
- Never store dishes away while they’re damp to prevent mold and mildew growth.
6. Dispose of cracked dishes
- Cracks in dishes can harbor bacteria that cause odors. Toss those chipped, cracked, or damaged dishes.
- Microbes and residual food particles attached to dishes cause lingering odors, even after a dishwasher cycle.
- To re-wash smelly dishes, fill a sink with hot water, add dishwashing liquid containing degreasing agents, scrub with a clean sponge or soft-bristled brush, rinse with hot water, and air dry before storing.
- For a vinegar soak, mix equal parts distilled white vinegar and warm water, submerge the dishes for at least an hour, drain, rinse with hot water, and air dry.
- To scrub with baking soda, make a paste with baking soda and water, dip a soft-bristled brush in the paste, scrub dishes, let paste sit for up to an hour, rinse with hot water, and air dry.
- To maintain fresh dishes, clean the dishwasher and sink regularly, properly load and unload the dishwasher, use hot water, choose a quality dishwashing liquid with a degreaser, store dishes properly, and dispose of cracked dishes to avoid odors.
