[header] How to clean a smelly dishwasher [title] Clean the drain filter. [step] No part of your dishwasher is more likely to responsible for strange odors than the drain filter. Food particles can collect here, and over time in a warm, moist environment they can become disgusting. 
[substeps] There will probably be a cylindrical, detachable filter through which all of the water drains. In order to access the filter, remove the bottom rack, then twist out the filter.