Asko Dishwasher: Odor or Mold
A dishwasher that smells is holding food residue somewhere that never dries — most often the filter and the sump, but also the spray arms, the door seal channel and the drain hose. It is a maintenance problem rather than a fault, and it responds to a filter clean and a hot maintenance cycle rather than to any part. Asko is a Scandinavian premium brand: heavier build, stainless interiors, machines designed for long life and quiet running. All of this is owner work. If the smell survives a proper filter clean and a hot maintenance cycle, the drain arrangement is the next suspect.
What the owner actually observes
- A stale or sour smell when the door is opened between cycles.
- A drain-like smell that is worst when the machine has stood unused.
- A greasy film on the tub walls and the underside of the door.
- Debris visible in the filter or in the sump around it.
- The smell transfers to dishes that have been left in the machine.
- Not this fault: If water is standing in the sump between cycles, fix the drainage first because it is feeding the smell. That is a different fault — see Asko Dishwasher: Will Not Drain (asko-dishwasher-drainage-failure).
- Not this fault: If dishes are also coming out gritty, the same silted filter is causing both. That is a different fault — see Asko Dishwasher: Does Not Clean or Dry (asko-dishwasher-cleaning-performance).
Ranked for an Asko dishwasher
- Deferred maintenance and water quality — scale, residue and clogged screens — Rank: first — Why ranked here: it ranks where it does because a machine built to last outlives its consumables by a wide margin, so on any Asko with years of service the accumulated residue is a more likely cause than the components themselves
- Food residue in the filter and the sump — Rank: second — Why ranked here: it ranks where it does because the filter catches everything that comes off the dishes and holds it in a warm wet chamber between cycles, and because it is designed for owner cleaning but is very rarely cleaned until something goes wrong
- Grease and residue on the tub, the door seal channel and the door edge — Rank: third — Why ranked here: the strip of tub above the water line and the channel the seal sits in never get washed by the spray, so grease accumulates there and is the source of the smell that is strongest at the door
- Short, cool cycles and lightly loaded running — Rank: fourth — Why ranked here: eco and quick cycles never reach a temperature that clears grease, so a machine used only on short programmes accumulates residue that hotter cycles would have removed
- Blocked spray arm jets holding debris — Rank: fifth — Why ranked here: the arms are hollow and hold water and debris inside them between cycles, which makes them a reservoir as well as a delivery system
- The door kept closed between cycles — Rank: sixth — Why ranked here: a sealed tub cannot dry, so a machine shut immediately after unloading keeps every surface damp until the next cycle
- Note: Because these machines are built heavier and quieter than average, the order below puts consumables, water quality and maintenance first, and structural or mechanical failure last: on a machine built this way, the odds move away from the metal and toward what passes through it.
Check in this order
- The filter assembly and the sump beneath it, unscrewed and lifted out — Order: first — Because: it is free, it is the largest single reservoir, and it explains a smell and poor washing together
- The door edge, the seal channel and the tub above the water line with a cloth — Order: second — Because: it is free, it takes minutes, and it is the area the machine cannot clean itself
Owner-safe checks
- Look at what the machine has been consuming rather than what it is made of. Check filters, seals and screens for the residue of hard water and detergent, and check that the maintenance the machine expects has actually been done — on a heavily built machine, that is where the fault usually is. — Step: first — Tools: a torch and a phone camera — Time estimate: a few minutes
- Unscrew and lift out the filter assembly, rinse every part under a tap with a brush until the mesh is clear, and clean the sump beneath it, wearing gloves because of glass. — Step: second — Tools: a brush, gloves, warm water — Time estimate: under a quarter of an hour
- Wipe the door edge, the seal channel and the strip of tub above the water line with a cloth and a little detergent. That area is never reached by the spray and it holds the grease that produces the smell at the door. — Step: third — Tools: a cloth, detergent — Time estimate: under a quarter of an hour
- Remove the spray arms, rinse them through and clear any blocked jets, then refit them and check they turn freely. — Step: fourth — Tools: a cocktail stick or fine wire — Time estimate: under a quarter of an hour
- Run the hottest cycle the machine offers, empty, with a dishwasher cleaner, then leave the door slightly ajar between cycles from now on so the tub dries. — Step: fifth — Tools: a dishwasher cleaner — Time estimate: one long cycle
- Clear every filter and screen the machine has, and check whether the water it runs in is hard: scale and detergent residue collect on the surfaces that matter most and produce symptoms that mimic component failure. Then run one cycle and reassess before opening anything. — Step: sixth — Tools: a soft brush, white vinegar or a descaler, a torch — Time estimate: under a quarter of an hour, plus a cycle
- Stop condition: Stop before removing the sump housing or the drain hose; those need the machine pulled out from under the worktop.
Safety
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Dishwasher filters and sumps routinely contain broken glass, and cleaning products must never be mixed inside the tub. Wear gloves when clearing the filter and the sump, since fragments of glass collect there. Never mix bleach with any acidic descaler or cleaner inside the machine, and run a rinse between different products. Wear gloves when clearing the filter and the sump, since fragments of glass collect there. Never mix bleach with any acidic descaler or cleaner inside the machine, and run a rinse between different products. unplug-before-service
When to call a technician
The line is when the accessible surfaces are clean and the smell persists. Call if the smell returns quickly after a thorough filter clean and a hot maintenance cycle. Call if water stands in the sump between cycles, since a drainage fault is feeding the smell. Call if the smell is of drains rather than of food, which can indicate the waste arrangement rather than the machine. Call if there is standing water beneath the machine as well as a smell.
Nearest pages of the same kind
What this page does not cover
This page is generalized across every family and model sold under the Asko badge. It does not carry model-specific error-code tables, family-specific service procedures, sealed-system work or parts numbers, and no model-specific page exists beneath it yet — the data plate on your unit is the authority, not this page. For the other faults on this appliance, start from Common Asko Dishwasher Problems (asko-dishwasher-problems) and pick the symptom that matches.
Links: - [Common Asko Dishwasher Problems](/blog/asko-dishwasher-problems) - [Asko Dishwasher: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/asko-dishwasher-abnormal-noise) - [Asko Dishwasher: Does Not Clean or Dry](/blog/asko-dishwasher-cleaning-performance) - [Asko Dishwasher: Controls, Display or Error Code](/blog/asko-dishwasher-control-fault) - [Asko Dishwasher: Cycle Will Not Run or Complete](/blog/asko-dishwasher-cycle-fault)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
