How to Clean a Dishwasher Drain Filter and Spray Arms

A dishwasher that smells like fish or rotten eggs usually has one cause: leftover food particles trapped in the filter or the crevices of the machine. Over time, those trapped particles begin to smell, and without regular maintenance the odor persists. The fix is a short cleaning routine built around two parts, the drain filter and the spray arms, with two supporting steps that take the smell out of the whole machine.

Summary

First, clean the drain filter, because it is often the most common culprit of a foul-smelling machine. Remove the filter from the dishwasher and wash it in the kitchen sink with hot, soapy water and a sponge or scrub brush. Before you put it back, check that the dishwasher drain is free of debris and remove any particles you find.

Second, clean the spray arms. A dirty or clogged spray arm can also be the source of a smell, and a clogged arm greatly diminishes the cleaning power of the dishwasher. Remove the arms, check each hole for clogs, and remove any particles with a cotton swab or toothpick. Soak the arms in the sink with equal parts water and vinegar, rinse them thoroughly, and return them to the dishwasher.

Third, finish the job with the door gasket and a vinegar rinse. Scrub the rubber seal around the door with warm, soapy water and a toothbrush, then wipe it clean with a cloth. Pour one cup of white vinegar into the bottom of the empty dishwasher, select a deep cleaning cycle, and run it at the hottest temperature available. Do the whole routine a few times a year, and clean the drain filter every few months, to keep food particles from building up.

The Four Cleaning Steps at a Glance

Step	What to clean	How	How often
1	Drain filter	Hot, soapy water, sponge or brush	Every few months
2	Spray arms	Clear holes, soak in equal parts water and vinegar	A few times a year
3	Door gasket	Warm, soapy water and a toothbrush	A few times a year
4	Machine rinse	1 cup white vinegar, deep cycle, hottest setting	A few times a year

The table follows GE's own order: filter first, then spray arms, then gasket, then the vinegar rinse. The sections below walk through each step with the details GE gives for it.

Clean the drain filter first

The drain filter stops food particles from clogging the drain, so it collects exactly the debris that starts to smell. Remove the filter from the dishwasher and wash it in the kitchen sink with hot, soapy water and a sponge or scrub brush. Work the brush into the mesh so trapped particles come out instead of staying lodged in the filter.

Before reinserting the filter, look into the dishwasher drain and check that it is free of debris. Remove any particles you find there, because a clean filter seated over a clogged drain still leaves food to rot. GE's maintenance guide gives the same procedure and adds the interval: clean the drain filter every few months, not only when a smell appears.

Best for: dishwashers that smell after unloading, or that have never had the filter removed since installation.

Clear and soak the spray arms

A dirty spray arm does two kinds of damage at once. It can smell, and it can greatly diminish the cleaning power of the dishwasher, because water cannot reach the dishes through blocked holes. Remove the spray arms from the dishwasher and check each hole for clogs. Remove any particles you find with a cotton swab or toothpick; GE's maintenance guide also allows a paper clip for the same job.

Then soak the spray arms in the sink with equal parts water and vinegar. The soak loosens what the swab cannot reach. Rinse the arms thoroughly to remove any remaining debris and return them to the dishwasher. Spin each arm by hand before closing the door to confirm it turns freely and nothing blocks its path.

Best for: dishes that come out with food still stuck on them, or a dishwasher that has lost cleaning power without any error message.

Scrub the door gasket

The door gasket is the rubber seal that lines the inside perimeter of the dishwasher door and keeps water from leaking out during a cycle. Food particles can stick to it, and it can develop mold and mildew. Use warm, soapy water and a toothbrush to scrub away any residue, working along the folds of the seal where particles hide. Wipe the gasket clean with a cloth when you finish.

This step matters because a smell can survive a clean filter if the gasket still holds residue. It takes a minute, needs no special product, and belongs in the same session as the filter and spray arms rather than in a separate chore.

Best for: dishwashers where the smell lingers near the door, or where the seal shows dark spots along its folds.

Rinse the machine with vinegar

The last step neutralizes odors and washes away grease and grime from the tub itself, with no scrubbing required. Pour one cup of white vinegar into the bottom of the empty dishwasher, select a deep cleaning cycle, and run the dishwasher at the hottest temperature available. The hot cycle carries the vinegar through the same paths the wash water takes, so it reaches the surfaces a sponge cannot.

Run this rinse on an empty machine. Dishes inside would block the cycle and waste the rinse on a load that still needs washing afterward.

Best for: a dishwasher that still smells after the filter, spray arms, and gasket are clean.

Keep the smell from coming back

Regular maintenance is what stops the smell from returning. Performing the steps above a few times a year keeps food particles from building up and keeps the dishwasher running smoothly. The other half of prevention happens at the sink: scrape large pieces of food off your dishes and rinse them before putting them in the dishwasher, so less debris reaches the filter in the first place.

If the dishwasher still smells after a thorough cleaning, or a larger problem appears, GE points to its factory service for diagnosis. A persistent smell after all four steps is a sign that something beyond the filter and spray arms needs attention.

Best for: households that want a fixed routine instead of cleaning only when the smell returns.

How we chose

This guide follows GE Appliances' own order for a smelly dishwasher: drain filter, spray arms, door gasket, then the vinegar rinse. Every step, tool, and interval in the draft comes from GE's smell FAQ, with the filter interval of every few months confirmed by GE's dishwasher maintenance FAQ as the second source. The maintenance FAQ was re-read on November 6, 2026: the claim that the vinegar rinse is a monthly step was removed because the guide lists the rinse as a step to repeat every few months or as needed, and the Factory Service row was added from the same page. No step, frequency, or tool in this guide comes from a source other than GE. No sponsored placements appear in this guide.

Choosing order

Remove and wash the drain filter with hot, soapy water, and check the drain is free of debris before reinserting it.
Remove the spray arms, clear each hole with a cotton swab or toothpick, soak them in equal parts water and vinegar, rinse, and return them.
Scrub the door gasket and run the vinegar rinse in the empty machine, then repeat the routine a few times a year.

Before you finish

Confirm the drain filter is fully seated after cleaning, with the drain beneath it free of debris.
Confirm every spray arm hole is clear and each arm spins freely by hand.
Confirm the door gasket is wiped clean, with no residue left in its folds.
Confirm the vinegar rinse ran in an empty dishwasher on a deep cycle at the hottest setting.
Confirm your next cleaning date on a calendar, a few months from today for the filter.
Confirm your own dishwasher manual takes priority if its filter removal differs from the steps here.