Samsung's troubleshooting table gives three causes for a bad smell in the DW80B7070 and a Self Clean cycle to prevent it. Water left over from an incomplete cycle: run the Heavy cycle with the dishwasher empty and no detergent. An obstructed drain hose: have a qualified technician remove it. A dishwasher not used daily or soiled dishes left in too long: with the dishwasher empty and no detergent, put a glass with 8 ounces of vinegar upright in the lower rack and run a Heavy cycle. The Self Clean cycle, with its indicator blinking for 5 seconds every 20 to 22 cycles, cleans the tub.
Differential
Likely causes of “Samsung dishwasher smells bad or musty”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Water left over from an incomplete cycle
What separates it There is a stale smell with water in the tub because of water left over from an incomplete cycle
How to confirm Run the Heavy cycle with the dishwasher empty and no detergent
- 2
Soiled dishes left in the dishwasher or rare use
What separates it There is a sour smell after several days because soiled dishes were left in the dishwasher or it is rarely used
How to confirm Run Heavy empty with 8 ounces of vinegar in an upright glass in the lower rack
- 3
A blocked or folded drain hose
What separates it There is a persistent smell with slow draining because of a blocked or folded drain hose
How to confirm Have a qualified technician remove any obstruction from the drain hose
- 4
A dirty cutlery pad or filter
What separates it There are white spots and odors from the cutlery pad because of a dirty cutlery pad or filter
How to confirm Turn the pad over after each use and run Self Clean with vinegar
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- When the smell is strongest and whether water is left in the tub
- Whether the Self Clean indicator has blinked
Try in this order
0 of 5 completedRun Heavy empty
ReversibleWith the dishwasher empty and no detergent, run the Heavy cycle to clear leftover water and odor.
Use vinegar
ReversiblePlace a glass with 8 ounces of white vinegar upright in the lower rack and run a Heavy cycle with no detergent.
Run Self Clean
ReversibleThe Self Clean cycle cleans the tub; the indicator blinks for 5 seconds every 20 to 22 cycles. Run it empty; do not use it as a wash cycle.
Clean the cutlery pad and filter
ReversibleTurn the cutlery pad over after each use; to remove white spots and odors, run Self Clean empty until it flushes, stop and add an 8-ounce cup of white vinegar, then resume. Clean the filter every month.
Check the drain
ReversibleIf the smell persists, an obstructed drain hose may be the cause and needs a qualified technician.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Interior care from the manual
- Wipe inside the dishwasher and the door with a wet dishcloth, use a damp cloth to remove lime scale or grease deposits or run an empty cycle with detergent at the highest rinse temperature, and do not remove the front seal, the long rubber seal enclosing the opening, because it keeps the inner side of the dishwasher sealed.
- Sanitize option
- Choosing Sanitize raises the final rinse to 163 F (73 C) for high-temperature sanitization; the Sanitize lamp blinks once the water passes 155 F (68 C) and stays lit until the option ends, and turns off when you open the door or press POWER. Samsung says the Normal cycle with Sanitize is NSF certified. Hi-Temp or a similar option raises the main wash temperature to help with tough baked-on food.
- Parts for this problem on the DW80B7070 (RepairClinic, 2026-09-21)
- filter micro, part number DD63-00304A, at $103.62; drain hose, part number DD97-00403E, at $90.25; door vent fan gasket, part number DD63-00072A, at $10.70.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models DW80B6060, DW80R9950, DW80R7060, DW80M9550, DW80N3030, DW50T6060.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the smell persists after Self Clean and a vinegar cycle, contact Samsung service about the drain hose
- !If the smell is burning or electrical, stop the dishwasher and switch off the breaker
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Samsung's own support page listing this model's manuals.
Samsung's own short user manual for these dishwashers to confirm the control-panel and code names.
Parts and list prices as shown on RepairClinic's parts search for this model number on 2026-09-21.
Exact questions
Common questions
How do I remove odor?+
Run the Heavy cycle empty with no detergent, or add 8 oz of vinegar in an upright glass.
What does the Self Clean indicator mean?+
It blinks for 5 seconds every 20 to 22 cycles to say the tub needs cleaning.
Can I wash dishes in Self Clean?+
No. Run it with the dishwasher empty.
How do I clean the cutlery pad?+
Turn it over after each use and run Self Clean with vinegar to remove white spots and odors.
What if the hose is blocked?+
A qualified technician should remove the obstruction.
Does long-term storage matter?+
Drain completely, disconnect the hose, and shut off the water and breaker.