Complete guide

What's That Smell? Appliance Smells and Symptoms, Explained

Quick answer: An appliance smell names its cause. Musty: damp buildup. Rotten eggs or sewage: drain water or a dry trap. Sour or fishy: rotting food and grease. Burning: switch it off. For buildup and food residue, one BLITZ tablet in the empty machine is the fix.

Washer or dishwasher: clean the seal, drawer or filter, then one tablet in the empty machine, about $1 a clean.
Plumbing, not cleaning: sewage with the machine off, or rotten eggs from every tap, is a trap, a hose or the water.
Both machines: the Essentials Kit (24 + 24 tablets) is $43.95, $4.95 less than buying both, and ships free.

Essentials Kit4.9(29)$43.95 ~~$48.90~~ · $0.92 a clean

Get the washer and dishwasher kit, $43.95

Pick your appliance

Washer Dishwasher Garburator Ice maker Coffee maker Toilet Which BLITZ product

What does each appliance smell mean?

Chart of appliance smells: musty is damp buildup, sour or wet dog is food and grease, rotten eggs is drain water or a dry trap, burning means unplug it — Chart: what each appliance smell usually means and what to do first, from the makers and Health Canada as cited in our guides, October 2026.

Washing machine smells

Most washer smells hide where the cycle can't reach: the seal fold, the drawer recess, the pump filter.

Washing machine smells musty or like mildew Damp residue in the seal, drawer or outer tub Washing machine smells like rotten eggs A dry trap or a siphoning drain hose: plumbing first Washing machine smells sour Too much detergent or softener, cold-only washes Washing machine smells like burning Unplug it now and call service Clothes coming out of the washing machine smelly Wet loads left too long, too much soap Top-load washing machine smells A closed lid, residue under the rim Front-load washer smells Seal, drawer, filter or drain: the 5-check sniff test Washing machine still smells after cleaning The 8 spots a cleaning cycle misses Black flakes in the washing machine Buildup breaking loose from the tub

The BLITZ fix: after the seal, drawer and filter, one BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner tablet in the empty drum, hottest cycle: $24.95 for 24, about $1.04 a clean.

A new washing machine smell of rubber fades after a few cycles (LG). Black spots on the washer door seal that won't wipe off are mould stains. Every washer smell in one guide: why your washing machine smells bad.

Dishwasher smells

Most dishwasher smells are food and grease in the filter. Empty it by hand, then a BLITZ cycle cleans the rest.

Dishwasher smells sour or fishy Food and grease rotting in the filter Dishwasher smells like rotten eggs or sewage Sink or garburator water coming back: hose loop, air gap Dishwasher smells like wet dog Dirty water and food left in the bottom Dishwasher smells musty A damp door seal and a door kept shut Dishwasher smells like burning plastic Something on the heating element, or a fault New dishwasher smells like chemicals A new tub: fades within a few weeks Dishwasher still smells after cleaning The filter or the drain hose was skipped White film on dishes and glasses Hard water, detergent or etching: the vinegar test

The BLITZ fix: clean the filter, then one BLITZ Dishwasher Cleaner tablet in the detergent compartment, empty, normal cycle: $23.95 for 24, about $1.00 a clean.

Every dishwasher smell, step by step: why your dishwasher smells bad.

Garburator smells

Food under the splash guard and grease in the grinding chamber cause most garburator smells.

Garburator smells like rotten food Food stuck under the rubber splash guard Garburator still smells after cleaning Grease in the chamber, or too little water Garburator smells and the sink drains slowly A clog: a plumber, never a caustic drain cleaner (InSinkErator) Do lemon peels fix a garburator smell? They help the smell; the residue stays

The BLITZ fix: one BLITZ Disposal Cleaner tablet twice a month foams through the grinding chamber: $24.95 for 24, about $1.04 a clean.

Ice maker smells and bad-tasting ice

Taste the water first: if a chilled glass of it tastes off too, it's the water. If not, it's old water or buildup in the machine.

Ice tastes musty or stale Old reservoir water, or slimy buildup Ice tastes like chlorine The tap water itself: filter it or let it stand Ice smells like rotten eggs Sulphur, often from a well: test the water White flakes in ice Scale on the prongs: time for a full clean Ice tastes like vinegar after cleaning Not rinsed enough: two more fresh-water cycles Fridge ice tastes bad Old ice, food odours or the water filter

The BLITZ fix (standalone ice machines, not fridge ice makers): one BLITZ Ice Machine Cleaner tablet in the reservoir, two Clean cycles, a rinse, every 1 to 2 months: $24.95 for 24, about $1.04 a clean.

Coffee maker smells and off tastes

Name the taste first: sour after a clean is acid left in the lines, stale is coffee oil, a slow brew is scale.

Coffee tastes like vinegar after cleaning Descaler or vinegar left in the lines: rinse more White flakes in the first cups Loosened scale, not the cleaner Coffee suddenly tastes bitter Usually the grind, the dose or the beans Stale or rancid coffee taste Coffee oils inside the machine: clean it Slow brew or half cups Scale in the heater and lines

The BLITZ fix: one BLITZ Coffee Maker Cleaner tablet in the reservoir water breaks down coffee oils and scale in the same cycle: $24.95 for 24, about $1.04 a clean.

Toilet ring colours

Rub the ring with the brush: hard and rough is a mineral, soft or slimy is something growing.

White, grey or yellow toilet ring Limescale and urine scale Orange or brown ring in the toilet Iron, most common with well water Black ring in the toilet Hard: manganese. Soft: mould Pink ring in the toilet Serratia, a bacterial film where water stands

The BLITZ fix: scrub a heavy ring once, then one BLITZ toilet tablet in the tank helps keep a new ring from forming: $25.95 for 12, about $2.16 a tablet, replace it when the blue fades.

Which BLITZ product fixes which smell

Every BLITZ product is septic-safe. Prices on October 24, 2026.

The smell or sign	Cost per clean	Buy
Washer and dishwasher: the Essentials Kit	$43.95 / 48 = about 92 cents, $4.95 less than both	Get both, $43.95
Musty or sour washer, black flakes	$24.95 / 24 = about $1.04	Washer, $24.95
Sour, musty or wet-dog dishwasher	$23.95 / 24 = about $1.00	Dishwasher, $23.95
Smelly garburator	$24.95 / 24 = about $1.04	Garburator, $24.95
Stale ice, white flakes	$24.95 / 24 = about $1.04	Ice machine, $24.95
Stale coffee taste, slow brew	$24.95 / 24 = about $1.04	Coffee maker, $24.95
A toilet ring that returns (tablet in the tank)	$25.95 / 12 = about $2.16 a tablet	Toilet, $25.95
Black spots on a door seal (Mold Stain Remover gel)	$24.95 for 236 mL	Gel, $24.95

Frequently asked questions

Why does my washing machine smell like rotten eggs?

Usually sewer gas: a dry floor-drain trap, or a drain hose pushed too deep that siphons dirty water back. Refill the trap with water and reset the hose. Every tap smells? It's the water (Health Canada). More: washing machine smells like sewage.

Why does my dishwasher smell like wet dog?

Dirty water and food sitting in the bottom between loads, from a clogged filter or a drain problem (Maytag, KitchenAid). Clean the filter, check the hose loop, then one BLITZ tablet in the empty dishwasher. More: dishwasher smells like wet dog.

Is a burning smell from the dishwasher dangerous?

Stop the cycle. Plastic on the heating element: let it cool 30 minutes, then scrape it off with a wooden spoon (Whirlpool). Nothing melted, or an electrical smell? Don't use it until a technician checks it. More: dishwasher burning smell.

Why does my garburator smell?

Food under the splash guard and grease in the grinding chamber, often with too little water: run cold water 15 seconds after grinding (KitchenAid). One BLITZ tablet twice a month foams through the chamber. More: why your garburator still smells.

Why does my ice taste musty?

Old reservoir water, or buildup in the basket and lines. Change the water daily, then one BLITZ tablet, two Clean cycles and a rinse (standalone ice machines). More: why ice tastes bad.

A YEAR OF CLEANS FOR BOTH

BLITZ Essentials Kit: washer + dishwasher

24 washer + 24 dishwasher tablets for $43.95, $4.95 less than both: about 92 cents a clean, a year for each machine. Septic-safe. Rated 4.9 out of 5 (washer, 14 reviews) and 5.0 out of 5 (dishwasher, 15 reviews).

BLITZ Essentials Kit: Washing Machine Cleaner and Dishwasher Cleaner, 24 tablets each

Get the washer and dishwasher kit, $43.95

Ships free (over $40), most orders in 2 to 3 business days, 10% back in store credit, 30-day money-back guarantee (refund policy). A Québec company in Laval, with service in French and English. Also on Amazon.ca.

Sources: the makers, Health Canada and the City of Toronto, as cited in the linked guides; prices on goblitzclean.com, October 24, 2026.

LG, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag and InSinkErator are trademarks of their owners. BLITZ is not affiliated with them.