Glad she solved the issue. I leave mine just cracked -- in part so we know it isn't running and it's ok to load and so we don't accidentally start it (been done before). We have two and sometimes they both get run in the same day and sometimes it cn be a few days. Never had a mold issue, but dirty dishes closed up can get funky smelling.

Two other suggestions -- The DW does have a rinse only cycle and it might be worth using that sometimes. I'm also really liking Oxyclean DW detergent. Kinder than chlorine bleach and breaks food down better, so they are cleaner on a shorter run and there isn't a lot of residual scent. I don't need perfume on my plates. Or my coffee cup.

I guess based upon the feedback I've received, I'll try leaving the door open just a bit to see if that eliminates the problem. But like Carra's mother - I'm not happy about it :-)

Perhaps the reason I'm seeing mold for the first time is that the dishwasher was closed for the entirety of 4 days - not even receiving what little bit of air gets inside when being opened and closed a couple of times a day. But then again, we've been gone for over a week before and this didn't happen but it might be that the dishes were clean then. We do rinse our dishes thoroughly before loading since we do go several days before running it so I'm surprised there was anything on the bowls to grow mold - maybe because they were wet? There was also mold on the backs of both bowls so I guess it's a possibility.

Otherwise, I've been surprisingly happen with this dishwasher. I didn't expect to love it without the heated drying feature but I've been pleased with how dry my dishes are when I unload them. The only thing that always seems to be wet is the door. I LOVE the third rack and have no complaints with the other two.

But I totally agree with Kitykat - it's frustrating that something that's newer and supposedly nicer than previous versions has to be babied so much!

1. Run a flush-cycle with a small dose (1/8 cup) of chlorine bleach.

2. Do not run a Rinse/Hold cycle if dishes are to be left potentially for several days. If you think food residue on the dishware may develop an odor, consider what comes of DIRTY water left in the dishwasher's pump/sump. (The residual water normally left there is clean water from the final rinse.)

3. Add the hi-temp or sanitary rinse option to every 2nd or 3rd run for a higher water temp which may help deal with mold and odors.

4. Since the interior tends to stay damp due to the condensation drying method, leave the door ajar to promote drying & air circulation.

I scrape but do not rinse dishware and routinely leave a load to accumulate for 2 to 4 days. No odor or mold.

Gross - my Miele is run every few days (sometimes daily or more)
I don't rinse (by DH will if he is filling it)
I don't do rinse hold except for an occasional need - I wanted to hand wash some really grungy serving dishes - cole slaw, potato salad and couldn't bear touching them while all of the leftover slime - so rinsed them in the DW first.
I would think the seal would be similar to the Bosch - so far no mold and DW is about 4 years old.
My Miele does pop open at finish of cycle but then I close it the rest of the time
I do use the DW conditioner episodically. Appliance Doctor used to recommend Tang but I couldn't see that it did anything for the Miele.
Hope you solve the Bosch issues.

With my Bosch I can't tell by looking at it if it is ajar or not. The difference between closed tight and open slightly is so minor you can't see it, at least with mine.

Anyone having trouble with the condensation try using the sanitize option. I use it every time and it takes just minutes for the inside to be dry after a run.

We have had such trouble with mold in our Bosch dishwasher. We have tried everything. It is so bad now that even after thoroughly cleaning the dishwasher, it reeks after one cycle of dishes. Our dishes do not come our moldy, but the inside of the dishwasher, including the plastic silverware basket, and moldy. It's disgusting. We have six kids, we are using the dishwasher properly, and it STINKS. We will be getting a new one, and will never buy Bosch again.

I'm amazed that people "wipe" and "rinse" dishes...why have a dishwasher? I have never done that with any dishwasher I've owned, and dishes/pots/pans always come out clean!

My dishwasher has begun to smell horribly. It's installed correctly according to my plumber. I removed the drain filter and found a horrible black mess which looked like some sort of mold. I searched the web and found an interesting bit of info about copper. Copper is deadly to mold and kills viruses and bacteria. It's suggested that placing discs cut from a piece of copper plumbing pipe in the silverware tray and running a cycle with vinegar will eliminate mold and most likely the bad smell. I now have copper discs in my washer and I run vinegar twice a month and so far, I've seen no mold and my dishwasher finally has no odor. Using plumbing pipe instead of another type of copper assures that it's clean metal and contains no other potentially toxic metal alloy. Pennies won't work.

I can't believe that people leave their dishes in a dishwasher for 4 days and expect it not to stink. Would you put dishes in the sink and leave them for 4 days? At the very least, they would attract bugs.

The dishwasher is a sealed environment. That's why they are so efficient.

While there may be a blockage and you should check it out, the issue is probably operator error. Change the way you do business. Run a load every night before you go to bed when the utilities are cheaper. Empty it in the morning. Don't be cheap or lazy.

Note: I don't get it either. Why do people still insist on pre-rinsing their dishes. Read the instruction manual, it says not to pre-rinse.

Dear kitykat,
I don't think that any appliances are marketed as laborsaving anymore. Instead they are marketed for "efficiency". Unfortunately they are not talking about what is most efficient for the user, they are talking about what is most efficient, meaning uses less energy, so that the US government and your local utility company can demonstrate compliance with carbon efficiency goals/global warming emission reduction goals. So yes, we, the consumers, are being "educated" as to how to do the extra work required to properly maintain these energy efficient products, more labor is required.

Here's the real question with the moldy dish people. Does it produce clean dishes?

When we sold our last home 6 yrs ago our Bosch DW was 5 yrs old with no problems. Last I spoke to buyers all appliances were going strong. Our present Bosch DW is about 5 1/2 yrs and no problems. The only thing I notice is our old one, made in Germany, was silent. While this one is very quiet you don't have to put your ear to it know if it running. Never had any smells or mold issue. I scrape and though only two of us I run most days full or not because I put pans in every night.

We have a brand new Bosch dishwasher and the first time we ran it there was black gunk all over some of the dishes. the second time we ran it there were mold spots on the dishes like in one of the pictures above. The dishes were not very dirty, just sandwich plates and such, and some were just in there getting the construction dust washed off.
They were not sitting in there for days and the mold was not on them before I turned the dishwasher on. What the heck is going on?

What DW detergent were you using?

Check to see if the dw is draining properly. If you just had construction done there is a good change the contractor did not remove the disposer plug. See it happen way too many times.

This thread really disturbs me. People with real problems are getting blamed instead of helped by some posters. I never had this problem, no matter how long dishes were in the dishwasher. Of course it is an old (over 15 ears) Maytag and the door doesn't seal unless we press very hard. This is just a design problem, I believe, and the tips to overcome it seem reasonable, but I would hate to have to add copper or disinfect regularly. I would get another Maytag if Whirlpool hadn't started making junk.

I also have a new (2 years) Bosch dishwasher and find that a few days after I do dishes, some of the dishes in my cupboard have a fine dusting of mold on them. I have never had this happen with any other dishwasher. When I put the dishes away, they are clean and dry to all appearances but later when I take them out they have mold. Not all the dishes and not right away. It takes a few days to develop. I have had lots of problems with this dishwasher including the lack of draining but after waiting 3 months for parts and having it fixed and then it stopped again and I waited a further 2.5 months for parts and it is supposedly fixed. I will never buy another Bosch. I am moving in a week and will not take the dishwasher and so I am not going to do anything else. It has an extended warranty if the people think there is a problem. I have started to put ammonia in the bottom of the dishwasher and will see if that helps. I also am washing using the sanitary cycle but that seems to have no affect.

It's not the dishwasher.

It's the dishwasher for the people saying it's not. We just moved to a house with a Bosch dishwasher and I just had the same thing happen to me. For the last 20 years I have loads thousands of loads into other dishwashers and left dirty dishes in the washer for more than a week at a time and have NEVER had mold grow on the dishes EVER!!!!! Now after only 5 days of dirty dishes in the dishwasher I open to load some more in and find mold on my bowls. Since I've been using the dishwasher I've noticed the unit never gets dry. I'm thinking it's what someone mentioned before that it's air tight when you close the door. I'm going to try not closing the door all of the way. Anyway I thought I'd chime in and defend the original poster that it's a washer issue. Like I said I left dirty dishes in other units many many times for days and days and never had a mold problem before.

I have the same dishwasher and was stunned to find black mold! I have many other brands of dishwashers through the years and NEVER had mold issues. At this point i have to bleach the dishwasher twice a week and clean all the parts. It's disgusting. I will be replacing it very soon.

Our botch dish washer is several years old. We have had nothing but problems with it.

There are times that it will run for hours without shutting off. We have to manually stop the cycle.

The biggest problem has been mold growth. Not on the dishes (they are never left is there long enough. We run it typically once a day. The mold growth is on all the plastic parts inside the dishwasher. It is everywhere. I have never seen anything like it. I literally have to take all the components apart every few months to clean them with a brush and the mold buildup is crazy. It is a couple hour job. Even on the rack you can start to see black spots forming. When I take the components apart it is disgusting. We have tried to run different cleaning products through it, have bought rinses and even tried running vinegar through it. Nothing seems to help. This certainly not our first dishwasher. Our prevoius one cost a fraction of the cost amd was still working fine after 15 years and 4 kids. We replaced just to upgrade as well as get a quieter model. The bosch is definitely quieter especially since my wofe does not want to use it at all. Not sure how to download pics on here otherwise I would. The pics would certainly make people think twice about buying a botch.

ddessari,

It sounds like your dishwasher has an installation issue. Based on your description I would guess that you have a drain blockage. (Your description is classic of a drain blockage )

This blockage could be at the connection to your house drain or could be a pinched or smashed drain hose.

You can pull the dishwasher out and check your self if you are handy. If not I would recommend having a service tech out right away.

I am 59 years old and have had some type of a dishwasher in my home my entire married life. I have had different brands of dishwashers, and have NEVER had the problem of mold that I have now. I have left the dishes in there for days before with the other brands, and have NEVER had mold or anything build up inside. I actually owned a Bosch before this one, and it didn't do that. But with this Bosch, the mold will build up in just hours and it also was not getting the dishes clean. The repair man came and said the manual says we are to clean out the filter at least once a month, and he cleaned it out for us. He said with all the new restrictions being applied to how the are to be manufactured, the company did that to make it as efficient as possible. I'm not falling for it. There is always water standing in a puddle below the filter area, so I think that might be the problem. I've never seen that in other dishwashers. I think I'm going to ask for a refund on the purchase because I hate having to make allowances for something that shouldn't be needed!!

Every dishwasher will have some amount of "standing water" after a cycle ends It's been that way for all the years I've done service and it's normal.

I have a Bosch in my own home and I recommend Bosch to my customers. I check my filters about every 3-4 months and clean them only if needed.

Reba, There is a lot of missing information in your post, What cycle are you using, what detergent, city water, well water, when is the last time you flushed your hot water heater (it should be at least yearly).

My recommendation would be to make sure you are using the Auto Cycle, and that you are using a quality detergent such as Quantum or Cascade Complete pods.

Detergents have changed many times and the detergent manufacturers are still changing their formulas. You may even want to call the 800 number on your box of detergent to talk to them.

I see way too often where people are quick to blame the machine without investigating other causes first. I had a customer yesterday mad at her DW regarding cleanability but insisted in only using the quick wash and a store brand detergent. The reason she bought a new DW was because the old one would not clean well. I'm pretty sure the old dishwasher was used in the same manner and this is why she is continuing to get poor results.

I too am having problems with my Bosch 900 series I think is what it is. It has the silverware rack on top and the water softener salt that you add directly to the dishwasher. It is posing problems that no other dishwasher I've ever owned before has. First we did a complete kitchen Reno and had the hot water changed as well at that time. I run it about every two to three days. I do not pre-wash dishes to put them into the dishwasher. They are free of particles though or they are rinsed off. The dishes always have mold on them, after they have sat for a few days. And running the dishwasher does not remove the mold. Some say to leave the door open a crack but then that leaves the light on in the unit. The only way to turn the light off is to close the door tightly. I've used the finish all in one gel but the little glob of gel lies at the bottom of the door when I open it. The liquid inside the gel tab is dispensed and the dishes are clean but it hasn't moved far from the dropping spot. I tried the finish soap< the one that is red white and blue platinum maybe, but that took the pattern off my dishes. So went back to the gel. It gets so it's more hassle to run the dishwasher than to just hand wash the dishes. And then there is the time involved for the cycle. I use the heavy or the auto and the sanitize for cycles. And it takes 2 hours 30 minutes. Never used to hear of washing machines and dishwashers modding before. So what has changed? Any advise would be appreciated. I think I will call the hotline tomorrow. It must be a problem because there are a few that have the same issues. Beth

Betharena,

Can you find the model number for your Bosch Dishwashers (I am not aware that Bosch makes a 900 series? Something sounds really odd if the machine is developing mold. I have a Miele Dishwasher and i have left dishes in it for over a week and never had mold. The lights on my dishwasher goes off after about 10minutes. Does your Bosch tell you how long the light stays on? Also, most new dishwashers don't recommend the use of Gels. You may try a dishwasher powder like Finish or Cascade. You don't necessarily have to use the pods. I use Methods Smarty Tabs and really like it.

I wonder if you are blocking the door with dishes? Rinsing the dishes is not required and since most modern detergents use enzyme, they need a little bit of food to work properly. Since your dishes are not getting clean, I wonder if your machine is working properly? If you want some individual help, you can start a new thread and add pictures of your dishwasher installation. It would be helpful if you can have pictures of the mold and also post that.

Good luck!

Homepro1, I checked my model # it is shv9pt53uc/70 supersilence plus 39 dBA. Made in Germany. I've always used gel and in 30 years have never had a cloudy glass. Used the powder packs and it scratched my new glasses and took the pictures off my vintage glasses. I washed these in my dishwasher before with no issues. I will try the method brand that you mentioned but I can see if that powder/particles gets blasted at the glasses how they would get scratched and cloudy looking. There is a picture of the same mold as I have experienced on this thread. Also the light comes on when you open the door and if you leave it ajar even slightly it stays on. It can be set to not have a light at all but I like the light on when I'm emptying it, so I guess I'll have to leave it. I just do a lot more hand washing when there are just two of us and when I have company I use the washer.

Betharena,

Just saw the response. Do you have the water softener set up in this model? You have a Benchmark Bosch which is one of the newer models. Because of the softener, you have to be careful with how much detergent you use. Powder does not etch the glassware. It is already dissolved once it hits the hot water.

Tell me the setting you have for the water softener and if you are adding salt to the unit. You may want to consider a powdered detergent where you can dose yourself (Seventh Generation for example).

What setting are you using to wash the dishes? Express, Sanitize, etc?

I recently purchased a Bosch dishwasher. It has been nothing but a headache. The first one was bent on the back and leaked. I had it for 2 weeks. The replacement arrived yesterday and I open it and it smells moldy. There is black mold on the paperwork and inside and its gross. I called the store I purchased from, they say that happens with all Bosch dishwashers. Just run some vinegar thru and that will take care of the problem. I have not done this because I have to open it and finish installing it. I do not wish to stick my head in the open door to install the screws. It reeks! After reading on here, I am not sure I want a Bosch dishwasher at all. My last dishwasher never had mold. To be told this is normal is BS. The first dishwasher was not wet and moldy when i opened it. I am at a loss as to what to do. I talked to friends and none have had a problem like this with their new dishwashers. But also none have purchased the Bosch dishwasher! Any help would be great.

Thanks Victoria

I am amazed in reading this!! I bought my Bosch dishwasher at the same time as buying new dishes. I was blaming the dishes but now think it is also my dishwasher!! I always use the high temp and sanitizer cycle yet it always seems "wet" inside. It takes a few days for my "clean" dishes to develop the light film of black mold on them. I realized when I pulled a dish for a samdwich and although not visible initially, tasted it and thought it was the bread I just purchased and then realized the smell from the dish! I was about to return all of these dishes and raise hell until I read this! My dishes are always rinsed with no food partials and run every 2-3 days. NEVER a problem until now. I will be contacting Bosch in the morning!!

I'm surprised to hear people say mold is growing on plastic parts. I didn't think mold could grow on plastic. I like some of the features of the Bosch, and have been thinking of buying one, but all of these posts are scaring me away from it!

I have a 2 yr old Bosch SilencePlus 44dBA dishwasher and just recently this "mold" issue has started. I noticed after I washed dishes this black spotted gunk on my plates. I have never heard of this, and after reading all these comments I am pissed! I'm going to call Bosch and get some answers. This is ridiculous. I run mine about every other day, and use cascade platinum pacs. This is so gross!!

Hmmm... A Dishwasher, fills with water, sprays the water, heats the water while spraying, and drains the water. in a Wash, Rinse, Final Rinse, cycles.

A detergent is supposed to dissolve and remove soils,

Before calling Bosch check to see if your dishwasher is doing the things mechanically that a dishwasher is supposed to do.

If the dishwasher is working correctly you should be calling the detergent manufacturer not th appliance manufacturer.

Homepro01, sorry just reading this now. Yes. I do have the softener on my model. I use the cascade gel packs for soap. The cascade platinum was the one that took the pattern off my dishes and did swiries on my glasses, I think. It's the tori-color one. You asked about the softener salt. I did the test and set my machine as it instructed (can't remember what that was but our water is fairly hard) and use the softener it says to use. I set my machine to "auto" and "sanitize". I still get mold on my dishes and I wash about every second day. I think it's to airtight. It remains too wet in the sealed unit. Thanks Beth

Betharena,

Would you consider changing detergents to test the mold development issue? I am not sure the gel packs are recommended for these machines. I know Miele did not recommend the use of gel packs in their machines. Do you use a rinse aid? There should be very little water left in the machine and it would be below the filter. Are you able to see water in the machine after you run it? Also, can you leave the machine slightly ajar when you are not using? Just to the point of not closing fully / clicking in place.

Homepro01, I use the rinse agent recommended which is Finish and it recommends Finish detergent. I really don't like the granules or puck type detergent. And yes the washer never really dries out inside. I guess I could leave it open a crack. I am going to try a few more detergents. But I figured Finish gel packs would be the closest to why they recommend. I have used other detergents with no change in the mold situation. There is no water left in the bottom but the machine interior remains wet. Thanks for you help. Beth

Betharena,

I don't think the manufacturers recommend gel detergents. I can't remember the reason but I think the gel detergents are not as stable at extremely high temperatures (over 150F). Trying leaving the machine cracked slightly and see if this improves the situation. You may also try a one time cleaning of the machine and then going to powdered detergent for a week to see if it makes things better for you.

It's weird that your Bosch remains wet inside. I have a Bosch and the drying cycle takes care of any wetness that might exist (I use the Normal cycle). If I open the machine right away after washing dishes and try to pick up a plate, it will burn my hand (that's how hot it gets). The interior is always quite dry. The only water in there is in the sump. Does the machine feel hot inside after you have run a cycle?

My previous Bosch seem to work a little differently - I remember that the Snapware was always a little wet. If my memory serves, the service person said that the dishwasher worked by air drying not by heat drying (like for example a KA). The dishes were never as hot as in my current dishwasher.

We have a Bosch which is, after the wash cycle leaving a black residue on the dishes. I don't know if it is mold or what it is, but I will have it checked.

My sister got a new Bosch 3-4 years ago. From the start it was smelling no matter what she did. Talked to a tech and he said stop using the pod/ pac detergents because it was too much detergent compared to the amount of water Bosch uses per fill. He said use only Cascade powder and fill the dispenser only half full. Also said to always use the Auto ( sensor) Cycle and keep rinse aid filled. She switched to powder Cascade and no problems since.

I too got a new Bosch about two years ago and occasionally have had the black spots issue (which I hadn't attributed to mold until now) and just last night went to run the dishwasher and opened it to find white fuzzy mold on the silverware and the stink was unbelievable. I have been using Grab Green pods but noticed recently that they weren't doing a good job so I started shoving two in the dispenser which has helped to get things clean but this new mold issue is disturbing. I live in the hot and humid South and while I'm not wholly shocked about the mold due to the humidity, I too have never in my life experienced a moldy dishwasher despite leaving dirty dishes in for a week before running (usually more like 3 days). For as much as Bosch appliances cost, I would never recommend them to anyone based on this experience.

i wish i had read this forum before i purchased my Bosch. first cycle everything got moldy in less than two days. got rid of a 18 yr old dw that always dried my dishes, nothing ever dries even on the drying cycle in this one. i am hoping i can still return it.

The answers are in this string.

-Check your drain line to make sure you have the required High Loop

-The so called "Green" detergents are crap for the most part.

-Detergents work differently in different water conditions, Call the detergent manufacturer, explain your issue, to see what they recommend for your area.

-Don't use QuickWash and expect it to work as well as the Auto Wash or heavy cycles

-If you leave dirty dishes on a counter or in a sink for a couple days they will get moldy why would anybody think they wouldn't do the same sitting in a dishwasher for the same time before starting it?

Make sure the install is correct, Use a good detergent, use your auto wash or heavy cycle and your problems will go away.

Mine is about 5 years old and never drains properly. It stinks and has mold on the interior. It does not dry the dishes and takes forever to wash. I advise shopping around.

Yes, yes and yes! We had the exact same problem. Horrible! Just horrible!!!! Paid cash and had no recourse. Warranty was not honored. Service people would come out and say that the dishwasher works fine and I would say ... well sure it runs but it doesn't WORK! I was told by one service person that I had to run my the dishwasher every night instead of every two or three days if I didn't want mold issues and I said, "That's ridiculous! I've had several dishwashers in several homes over the years and never had this issue!!!" Ended up hand washing my dishes for a few years until I finally gave in and bought a Whirlpool which has worked fine. No mold problems.

And yes, I tried running bleach through it, etc. Nothing worked. It was a LEMON.

I am leaving the door to my Bosch open with a rolled dish towel propping it. I was keeping a box of baking soda in there, and my husband forgot and turned it on. Oh my gosh, all the dishes now are cloudy and can't get it off even with hand washing. Took care of the smell, though!

My Bosch DW is about 7 yrs old. Never had any problems with mold until couple months ago. My garbage disposal was not working. However I could still run the DW. Always clean no mold. I bought new garbage disposal and still no mold. One day I ran washer and when I opened the door there was mold everywhere.

Long process to sanitize the dishes and washer. After cleaning thoroughly it ran fine with no mold until last night. I may have not left the door slightly open???? Vey big problem. Health reasons to clean thoroughly again and physically a problem for lots of work.

Ive been scrapping and rinsing. Guess you need to almost pre wash before putting dish into DW. Big Headache !!!!!!!!

When they changed your disposer did they knock the d/w port plug out? unfortunately it is very common for installers to forget this important step. They other thing to check is do you still have the drain line High Looped. Again the installer may not have redone this..