My Chemical-Free House

A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home

New Dishwasher Smell: How The Chemically Sensitive Get Rid Of It

Published: June 16, 2024 |

The new dishwasher smell comes primarily from two components: the bitumen insulation on the exterior used in many brands and/or the plastic interior parts used in some brands.

There are also electrical and motor parts that have some off-gassing when new.

I would highly recommend getting a dishwasher without bitumen if you are sensitive to VOC (volatile organic compound) odors.

The bitumen smells quite strong and takes a while to fully dissipate.

I would also recommend getting wire racks coated in polyester rather than PCV (polyvinyl chloride also just called vinyl), as PVC tends to have more of an odor (and also contains plasticizers).

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So, what to do if you already have a dishwasher that is creating a strong smell?

First, be aware that once you have used the dishwasher it cannot be returned so if you already can tell it smells strong without using it, check if it has bitumen and PVC and consider returning it for one that doesn’t.

However, I’m assuming you got to this article because you ran your new dishwasher and found it has a strong odor….

Off-gassing the Bitumen Odor

The bitumen odor may only be noticeable when the dishwasher is running.

And we do need the heat of running the dishwasher to off-gas this component.

The best way to go about this is to run the dishwasher with lots of ventilation.

If you are super sensitive to this then it’s best to be out of the room while someone else does this.

The most cautious approach for those who are very sensitive to chemicals would be to install a plastic remediation door to block off the kitchen area from the rest of the house (if possible).

Then use your kitchen stove exhaust fan to move indoor air out while also opening a window (or door) in the kitchen to move fresh air in.

If you don’t have an exhaust fan in your kitchen, you could use a fan going out of one of your kitchen windows or doors.

Just keep in mind where the air is moving to and coming in from, as you don’t want to move the air into the rest of the house but rather keep it moving out of the kitchen.

The first few days will be the worst but it can take months to go down to an acceptable level (depending on how sensitive you are).

view of the inside of the dishwasher with empty nets for kitchen utensils, against the background of a dark kitchen

Sealing the Bitumen

I would recommend off-gassing the bitumen first as much as you can before sealing.

But if you need to seal it in and you can asses the bitumen layer directly, sealing it with AFM Roofguard will help to contain some of the off-gassing.

Off-gassing the Internal Plastic Parts

There are various plastic components on the inside.

Some dishwashers have a full plastic interior (those that are not stainless steel inside).

There are also smaller plastic components that might have more off-gassing on the inside and then there are the nylon or PVC-coated racks.

For the racks you can remove them and set them outside in the sun to off-gas, same with any smaller parts that can be removed.

If you do well with essential oils you can also wash these parts with either citrus oils or peppermint oils (mixed into dish soap). This helps dissipate and break down chemicals.

(Also, if you have a used dishwasher that smells like synthetic fragrances, citrus oils are very helpful to break those synthetic fragrances down).

If the interior is all plastic then you can also add citrus or peppermint oils to a liquid dishwasher soap and run that through the dishwasher.

Run it on the highest heat setting.

This will volatilize the oils so be sure that you do well with these kinds of natural aromas.

If you can’t use essential oils, just run it with dishwasher soap.

If you can leave the door to the dishwasher open, this will help it to off-gas as well.

But if it’s bothering you too much to leave open, strategically use the methods in the article just when you are running it.

Off-gassing Internal Stainless Steel Parts

If the interior of the dishwasher is stainless steel than it likely has bitumen insulation on the outside which is going to be the main cause of the odors coming off of the unit.

If the interior has any chemical odors they will likely be removed by just running it with dishwasher soap.

Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.

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  1. Diana

    I had an expensive dishwasher that I had to have removed after the first time I used it. It was either a Miele or Bosch and the odor was horrific that’s when I found out from the salesman that it was bitumen. One comment on Reddit was from a man who was a chemist and said that kind of material has no place inside a house and I would totally agree with him it is toxic even the odor is toxic I seem I found out online. There is no reason to use asphalt or bitumen for anything in a house they are both materials that are suited only for exterior kinds of applications such as highways. And of all places to put it in a dishwasher makes no sense other than if it’s a cost cutting measure and this is cheap I don’t know how much cost but the dishwasher I had was very expensive dishwasher and so certainly it could have contained a non-toxic material it seems to me. All of the research I did online about bitumen was very clearly indicating that this was a toxic material. The first time I used the dishwasher the odor was so horrific it smelled as if I was in a car repair shop or somewhere out on a highway that was being paved. I had to open the windows the smell got into my cupboards I would not use it again it’s not worth it to risk one’s health and I do not have a personal list of chemical sensitivities I’m just kind of a normal person. So I’m looking for a dishwasher that doesn’t have Bitumen in it but I have not had time to do the research so I appreciate articles that give direction for finding a nontoxic dishwasher. And I’m very interested to know though I suppose it would take more research to find out why on earth a company with such a good reputation would use toxic materials in a high-end dishwasher it makes absolutely no sense to me. IMO all my comments and posts online are solely my own personal opinions and experiences.

    Reply

    • Anne Sulz

      Thank you for the information you posted. I purchased a dishwasher with a stainless steel interior thinking it would be better than one with a plastic interior. I found the smell of the bitumen horrific the first time I opened the door, so did not use it. Instead, we are hand-washing the dishes. This is currently my husband’s job. When he got sick and I was hand-washing the dishes, I realized what a huge job it is, so I was hoping to out gas the bitumen, which is why I came to this website. Your information about what the chemist said about bitumen being extremely toxic is making me feel we shouldn’t use it at all. I have chemical sensitivities so I am also concerned about out gassing from other components in the dishwasher. I wonder, if a person purchased a dishwasher second-hand, would it be out gassed?

      Reply

      • Corinne Segura, Building Biologist

        yes a second hand one would be outgassed after some use. but it will have fragrance residue which is why most chemically sensitive people would not look for a used dishwasher.

        Reply

  2. Guest

    “I would highly recommend getting a dishwasher without bitumen if you are sensitive to VOC (volatile organic compound) odors. ”

    The issue is that, in 2026, there are NO dishwashers that do NOT contain bitumen. Even the plastic-tub models do now.

    Reply

  3. Janey

    Hello, should I be concerned about harmful residues on the dishes that are going through in these first few cycles? I’ve been hesitant to put them away. I picked one up out of the upper tray this morning, and although the chemical smell is definitely diminishing, I thought I could smell it on the ceramic bowl.

    Reply

  4. Marjolein Eweg

    Came across a video that shows how to replace dishwasher insulation. Made me wonder if I could have the bitumen insulation in our dishwasher replaced with a different type of insulation. Not sure if the bitumen is an insulated layer or sprayed / baked on. If it’s a layer that can be removed, I’d prefer to put rockwool insulation in place of the bitumen. I’d be curious to hear your point of view on this.

    Reply

    • Corinne Segura, Building Biologist

      yes there are some brands recommendations in the article on non toxic appliances. however wifi is not a consideration for me, just the toxicity of materials.

      Reply

  6. Sarah

    Any recommendations for a good dishwasher detergent/soap? I’ve tried so many different kinds over the years and they were bad for a host of reasons (7th Gen left a white film all over the stainless steel that’s almost impossible to remove, others don’t seem to actually clean, etc).

    (PS Still off gassing the Bosch I bought a couple of months ago. sigh. Nice to see you made a new blog on the topic of off gassing dishwashers! I discovered there were several smaller moving parts that stunk really badly and a few could be removed to wash or otherwise off-gas independently including the utensil rack, the sprayer arms, and a couple of parts realted to the drain. fyi)

    Reply