I have to ask, do you have the (not-so) delightful pregnancy side effect of extraordinary sense of smell? Can anyone else smell it?

Have you run it empty without detergent to see if it smells, just to confirm it's the dishwasher?

I would not be surprised if all DWs are going to smell the same when they're new and warmed up and nobody else realizes it because they aren't pregnant. :)

Have you tried using lemishine in a load? It had a nice lemony odor and helped get rid of soap scum too. Or you could add a couple tablespoons of chlorine bleach during a load. Eventually, the plastic/rubber scents either just wear out or I got used to them.

My sense of smell so definitely better but my husband Can totally smell it too, he just doesn't care as much as me. I used Affresh Lemon (two tabs) and still smelled! It smells like it's cooking a plastic wrap inside and my dishes reek! I looked around and couldn't find any leftover packaging stuck inside. Do all new dishwashers have this smell for a while? I'm going to go back to Pacific Sales today to get a different one but was wondering if the same smell is going to be in every new dishwasher ?:(

We bought a Miele dw in March and didn't notice any odd smell when we got it. My dh is super sensitive to smells and never mentioned anything.

I wouldn't worry about it. You are surrounded by all kinds of plastics, dust, and chemicals in your daily life. It doesn't make a lot of sense to single one out unless you know for a fact that its particularly harmful.

If it's the pregnancy causing super smell sensitivity (this is a real thing, guys!), it will, of course, pass eventually. But it's likely to show up on another DW. But if your husband is smelling it too than it's not (just) that.

If it smells like you're burning plastic, that's not normal! Have it serviced or replaced.

Persistent plasticky smell, eh? Can we assume that your DW is not one of the Bosch Ascenta models -- the ones with the nylon/plastic floor pan instead of stainless steel ones on the 300-500-800-Benchmark series Bosch models? If you do not have an Ascenta model, the problem is probably not outgassing.

So, when you got your new dishwasher, you followed the instructions and filled the liquid rinse aid dispenser, right? And then you used the sample all-in-one detergent tabs -- the kind with the built-in rinse aid? I ask because when I bought a new Bosch DW a month ago, the liquid rinse-aid dispenser was set to max. I'm wondering if your DW may be overdosing on the rinse-aid?

Before looking for a replacement kind of DW, I would try to rule out water chemistry reactions and/or overdoses of rinse aid. I would dial back the rinse aid dispenser to minimum setting and then run a couple of cycles on empty with only a tablespoon of plain powdered citric acid in the detergent dispenser. Yeah, I know that citric acid is the main active ingredient in Affresh but Affresh also has odorant compounds to make it smell nice and those could be reacting with your water or detergent, too. Using plain citric acid powder eliminates the possibility that something in your water is reacting with the odorants in the Affresh and/or your dw detergent.

Additional questions: do you know if there is a high-loop in the drain line for your DW and do you have an air gap in the drain line?

Thanks for your Reply. I got this dishwasher: http://www.bosch-home.com/us/products/dishwashers/built-in-dishwashers/all-dishwashers/SHPM65W55N.html

The smell was first noticeable even when the Tech was opening the door after he did a test rinse. Just opening the door! With every cycle, the smell jist seeps into the dishes. I don't think it's the water because the kitchen aide I just got rid of never had a plastic smell.....

so its not normal for that smell to be there, right??

Can't say what's normal nowadays, haven't bought a dishwasher in 13 years. But I can say even back in the late 70s / early 80s when I worked at an appliance dealer, new dishwashers had an odor ... rack coatings, plastic tubs, door seals, etc. Don't recall any complaints about it.

No, the odor is not normal.

We can be pretty sure that the odor is not "outgassing" because you have a 500 series Bosch model rather than one of the Bosch Ascentas with the plastic bottom tub.

But the only way the odor can seep into the dishes is by being something that gets in the wash water. That your old kitchenaid did not have that odor does not tell us much, yet.

Let's try narrowing this down a bit.

Were you using the same detergent with the old Kitchenaid? That is, the wash cycles aren't being run with new detergent tabs that came with your new Bosch, or are they?

If your old Kitchenaid had a rinse aid dispenser, did you use it?

If it was dispensing rinse aid (Jet Dry is famiiar brand) do you know how much it was dispensing?

Have you checked the rinse aid setting for your new Bosch? (On my new 300 series, the rinse aid settings are buried in a menu. Access is explained in a somewhat cryptic-looking passage in the user's guide.)

Have you checked the filter? (If there is waxy crud building up on it, that can be a pretty good sign of a mismatch between your particular brand of detergent and your house's water supply, and could cause some odors.)

While you have the fliter out, use a small measuring cup to scoop a little water out of the drain sump. Smell it. Does it have the plastic odor?

Does your home have a water softener?

Sometimes odor problems are caused by problems with the drain line. That is why I asked about the tech installing the dw with having a high loop and an air gap device. Do you know if those things were done?

Do you have a waste disposal on your sink and does your DW drain connect to a fitting on the side of the disposal?

Okay update. I returned the Bosch and the sales person said the smell was due to the nylon racks inside the dishwasher. I returned it and got a kitchen aide one that was more expensive ( gets like 4.5 stars online) but still has nylon racks which apparently most dishwashers have nowadays. So just got the new dishwasher and it also has a strong plastic odor!! I am running a load with just vinegar but as it's running, I can smell the plastic smell at the top of the machine! Omg. So frustrating. Thoughts?? Is that normal? Are there any dishwashers that don't have this?? Feeling hopeless...

Your sense of smell will become normal soon. Be strong. Make DH do dishes until it passes. :)

If its from the nylon it will dissipate eventually. It cant offgas forever.

Is it normal for it to smell? Is it dangerous?

Did you ever find a dishwasher that doesn’t off gas? I just bought a plastic GE dishwasher and the smell is horrible and fills the kitchen. I’ve run it a dozen times and it’s not getting better. I’ve tried vinegar, and strong smelling detergents, and it still smells of plastic. It’s the same smell that memory foam mattresses emit when they’re new. I don’t think the smell is from the nylon racks, it seems to be the plastic lining inside the door that smells so bad. I’m not very happy about it! I am washing dishes by hand for now, because it doesn’t seem safe to eat off of anything that’s been in this thing. I’m not pregnant btw, and my husband and kids smell it too.

Hi! Yes! I got a Miele and it was great! I can’t remeber if I got a floor model

at all but yes Miele was a winner! No plastic smell at all! The other ones were awful! :)

Awesome, thank you!! Do you know which Miele it was? I’m looking at the least expensive one right now, for $999. The next one is $1299.

No prob! Yes they are expensive but worth it. I don’t know the model but I remember it was the least expensive one too since I didnt have that much to spend . Feel free to email me directly at lauramshapiro@yahoo.com as I can send you a picture of ours :)

Thanks so much!!

I got a top of the line dishwasher which had something added to reduce noise. This thing outgassed horribly, and I removed it immediately. Old dishwashers did not have that problem. There is no reason you should have to expose yourself to that. I am now handwashing dishes; it's a pain, but once you get used to it you can enjoy looking out the window at birds and know you are not putting you health at risk because the companies decided that a soundless dishwasher was the way to go. Protect your precious lungs.

My new KitchenAid (Model KDPM604KPS) does not off-gas.