Question from Marjorie
Hi Debra,
Have there been any safer dishwashers on the market? We’ve gone w/out one for over 2 years now, but really miss it.
Also, if the choice comes down to PVC (Part of interior not the whole thing) or the newer bitumen ones which is safer? Thanks.
Debra’s Answer
I haven’t researched dishwashers lately because I don’t use one. I wash all my dishes by hand.
So bitumen vs PVC…
Geez. It’s asphalt (used to surface roads and to seal flat roofs) vs carcinogenic plastic.
I read that many brands now use bitumen coating for insulation.The writer says this is basically Dynamat type asphalt matting and many brands give off a tar smell when hot. For the first 10 washes there has been a detectable tar smell, and I would add, toxic tar fumes.
We’ve discussed this before in Q&A: Chemical Smell in New Boesch Dishwasher. That smell appears to be bitumen.
Update: Read more about bitumen and finding a non-toxic dishwasher.
Has anyone bought a Bosch dishwasher very recently? I just talked to a lady and she said that there isn’t bitumen in the new ones. It’s a fiberglass insulation. She said she saw bitumen in the old models, but not the new ones. ??♀️?? I feel like I’d want to verify that with someone else before I bought one but maybe it’s a safe option now?
I spoke with Bosch in August, 2019, so 1 year ago. At that point all of their dishwashers had bitumen.
I just called Bosch, confirmed they still use Bitumen in all their dishwashers.
Judith asks, “I have a built in dishwasher- stainless steel inside. (home use)
What do you recommend for sanitizing inside of dishwasher?
There is a blanket of insulating bitumen on top for muffling sound. It does not come off. Is there something I can spray it with to sanitize it?”
If I understand your question correctly, you are looking for something that will keep the bitumen from off-gassing.
A reader in the post below is considering using a AFM Safecoat product to seal the bitumen. Please note, that this would not be sprayed inside but rather applied to the exterior of the insulation. You would need to talk to someone at AFM Safecoat about the specifics on how to apply it and which of their products to use.
Hi,
I am just looking for something I could spray on it to kill germs.
Thank you.
I don’t recommend any of the commercially available dishwasher cleaners. You can clean the inside of the dishwasher with warm soapy water. For further cleaning you can put a cup of distilled vinegar in the top rack and run a normal cycle. Vinegar is a mild disinfectant, however, it may not kill 99.9% of bacteria and virus. Some dishwashers have a sanitize setting that allows the water temperature to get to 150 degrees, which is the temperature needed to kill 99.9% of bacteria and virus.
If you truly want to sanitize the inside of the dishwasher you could clean it with a diluted bleach solution but I don’t recommend this. First, if you have a stainless steel interior, the bleach could damage the interior. Additionally, beach is harmful to people and to the environment.
Since this question was submitted during the coronavirus outbreak, I’m wondering if your question is based on concern about exposure to the virus. If you have a person at home that you suspect has the virus I would follow advice from the CDC, even if it means using products that have harmful chemicals.
I want to share a letter that I just sent to a dishwasher manufacturer, Zline Kitchens. I found them on the internet on the HomeDepot.com website where they answered a customer inquiry regarding bitumen: https://www.homedepot.com/p/questions/ZLINE-Kitchen-and-Bath-DW-304-24-24-in-Top-Control-Dishwasher-in-Stainless-Steel-with-Stainless-Steel-Tub-40-dBA/308580997/1
A Zline Customer Service Rep wrote ” ZLine Customer Service June 04, 2019 Hello, No, the dishwasher does not include bitumen materials. Please give our Customer Support team a call at (614) 777-5004 for further assistance with this. Thanks!”
I called the 614 phone number to confirm the above written comment and the person answering the phone could neither confirm nor deny the information. She said she would look into it but I haven’t heard back so submitted this inquiry via https://www.zlinekitchen.com/questions.
Dear Zline,
What materials do you use for soundproofing and insulation on your dishwashers?
My husband and I are currently in the market for a high quality dishwasher with a stainless steel tub. I discovered your Zline dishwashers on the internet.
There is a growing number of us who are desperately trying to avoid bitumen for health reasons. Google results for dishwasher bitumen, include a multitude of health complaints from people who can’t tolerate bitumen, especially when it’s heated up. Complaints include sore throat, burning eyes, headaches, and nausea. Here’s a link to a website regarding some of those complaints: https://www.debralynndadd.com/q-a/bitumen-in-dishwasher/.
Many people who are sensitive to bitumen are also sensitive to the unhealthy chemicals in plastic tubs, thereby leaving us without any realistic dishwasher options. This is a market opportunity that many dishwasher manufacturers are missing.
Thank you for your attention and response to my question regarding soundproof and insulation materials on your dishwashers. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Ann
(I did include my last name, phone #, and city, state with the letter)
Feel free to use a copy/version of this letter to blitz manufacturers about our concern regarding bitumen and other unhealthy materials in household appliances. Of course, you will want to use your contact info in place of mine 🙂
Best, Ann
Thanks for the information! I am glad that you asked in your written inquiry what materials they use for soundproofing. When I called manufacturers I found that they often said they did not use bitumen but then when they investigated further what materials they used in its place, they discovered they did use bitumen. I am not saying that is the case with the brand you inquired about but it is good to ask.
Hi Ann, did you end up getting back from zline about the bitumen?
Like many of you, we too are looking for a bitumen-free dishwasher with a stainless steel tub. We are returning the Ikea Vaskad that was delivered last week because it has bitumen attached to the stainless tub. (I was thinking a Swedish company would be the best chance of producing a health friendly dishwasher. And Whirlpool, who makes the Ikeas, claims they don’t know whether or not they use bitumen.). I can smell bitumen even though the Vaskad is sitting in the middle of an air conditioned room waiting to be installed!
How to proceed? I talked to Jay Watts, a tech at AFMSafecoat.com (619-239-0321), to see if he has a product that could be used to seal over the bitumen so that it won’t out-gas into our home. We successfully used two of their products in the past, Polyureseal BP and Safeseal, to prevent formaldehyde out-gassing.
Jay claims the Safecoat Elastomeric Roofguard coating will seal the bitumen out-gassing. He claims it’s a low-VOC top coat for roofs that is HAP (Hazardous Air Pollution) free, and won’t be effected by the dishwashers heat since it’s designed to be on a roof that sits in the sun all day.
Yesterday I did some research at AFMsafecoat.com and proceeded to https://www.thegreendesigncenter.com/product/afm-2oz-samples and ordered samples of Safecoat Dynoseal for primer and Dynoflex Roofguard( not yet sure if this is the correct sample since they don’t list Safecoat Roofguard and nobody picked up the phone when I called.). The cost is $6 per sample and the shipping was free.
I have another call into Jay to clarify if I should be using both products or just one of them. He originally said Elastomeric Roofguard Coating. When I read the fine print on the website, it says to use the Dynoseal as a primer.
Is there a brave volunteer out there who has an out-gassing dishwasher and might want to try the Safecoat sealant on the bitumen? We’re returning the Vaskad dishwasher because it is not our first choice for a dishwasher, but we were willing to keep it if it arrived bitumen free. We have a 2008 Miele, G2470 SCVi and might purchase another Miele if the Safecoat sealant(s) seems viable. (Our Miele does not smell like asphalt when running, yet Miele claims they started using bitumen on their 2000 models. On the internet, some people claim they have a tar smell with their current Miele models.)
It’s extra maddening when many of the dishwasher manufacturers claim that nobody is complaining about bitumen. I tell them to logon and see what’s really being said!
Any and all input is appreciated!
Ann
Great idea, it didn’t occur to me to try a AFM Safecoat product. Keep us posted how it goes!
Here’s the email response from Jay Watts at AFM Safecoat regarding my question to seal in bitumen outgassing on a dishwasher. “I still like Roofguard….lower odor and bit better heat tolerance than DynoSeal. Dynoseal needs Roofguard to protect it when it will be exposed to direct sunlight for a prolonged period of time.”
I received a sample of Safecoat RoofGuard from https://www.thegreendesigncenter.com/product/afm-2oz-samples. 11-17-2019 I smeared a little RoofGuard into a clear plastic cup and on a foam brush and left both to dry while I wait for a small piece of FatMat to be delivered. From what I read, FatMat appears to be asphalt based sound proofing, but not necessarily identical to the soundproofing on a dishwasher.
The RoofGuard on the brush smells odd after 48 hours. But the RoofGuard that dried inside my plastic cup smells ok. I will keep you posted.
Ann
Thank you all for calling attention to this issue. I called KitchenAid to confirm whether the dishwasher I really wanted used Bitumen and, unfortunately, their representative said they all do now. She told me they did it to appease all of the people that want quiet dishwashers. I didn’t realize it was as big of an issue as it apparently is. People really care. I told her I’d rather they weren’t off-gassing potentially harmful chemicals, but oh well. On the positive side, they do not coat their stainless racks with vinyl, so that’s a plus. I’ve heard that can happen.
I think I’m going to end up with a Samsung. They have some well-loved dishwashers (not all), but use nylon racks and supposedly don’t use bitumen to insulate! I chatted with two representatives online that took their time to answer my questions and they said bitumen was not used. I hope it’s true. Let me know if you hear any different.
I just saw that Lowe’s has LG dishwashers that are stainless steel inside with nylon racks.
I posted here in Feb 2018 about the air quality problems and health issues we had with a Maytag, likely from the bitumen on the outside of it. We didn’t live at home for quite some time, had walls and carpets cleaned. I’m writing to share that we have a new dishwasher that does NOT have bitumen, confirmed by GE and 360 degree photos on Home Depot site, so we were hopeful. The downside is that this dishwasher has a plastic tub. All GE stainless and hybrid tub dishwashers have bitumen. It smells of new plastic so I’ve run it empty a number of times with open windows, but at least the smell doesn’t stay in the house (unlike the bitumen we experienced). No bitumen but plastic tub is a trade off; I still do a lot of dishes by hand. Model is GE GDF530PSMSS (last letters are for the stainless exterior model/color). Thanks to everyone for sharing your comments.
How did the GE model work out? We just bought a Bosch and it’s being returned due to the smell.
I’m feeling really frustrated. I called every manufacture I can think of and no one can give me a straight answer (re: bitumen or not, nylon or PVC on the tines). Mostly because they don’t know (or they know and won’t admit it). My husband absolutely wants a dishwasher. I’ve been looking at stainless steel tubs (I can’t imagine a plastic tub is safer) and nylon (not PVC) tines. Would it help to peel off the insulation on the outside before I install it?
Yes but it might be very noisy. This really is a problem.
Hi Everyone! Like you I have been tirelessly searching for a dishwasher without bitumen and pvc racks. I may have found a brand that doesn’t use bitumen. It’s fished &Paykel. Their dishwashers are polycarbonate and have nylon racks instead of pvc. I’m not 100% sure there isn’t pvc anywhere else but they assured me they don’t use bitumen. I will be purchasing their dishwasher. I feel more comfortable using polycarbonate instead of bitumen. I hope this helps some of you.
Victoria – can you say the model of this dishwasher? I am interested! I don’t like to use my dishwasher but I always eventually do – I am a full time working mom and I feel like there is no way I can do all my dishes by hand.
Hi Victoria,
Did you purchase a Fisher and Paykel? If so, have you noticed a chemical smell associated with it? Thanks!
Does anyone know of any dishwashers made without bitumen? We have had two Boesch in the past two weeks delivered and installed both with the toxic tar. We are desperate to find a replacement.
See comment below re Whirlpool. Would someone verify this please?
I had a silence plus Boesch dishwasher that I bought a few years ago in my other house. It did not have this odor problem. I liked it a lot so we just ought a new one for our new house and it has the burning tire odor. Is this a recent development?
Yes it’s recent. I’m living in a house right now with an old Boesch dishwasher and it has no odor at all.
we all should return and complain otherwise manufacturers will do not do anything about it
how dare they put this bitumen in our dishwashers!
I just bought a Samsung dishwasher. No interior smell but horrible bitumen smell from the exterior. This is extremely toxic to be breathing in! Who’s the genius who had that idea???
I actually peeled it off all 5 sides while it was running hot and it only took 20 minutes. Problem solved!
I have not noticed a huge increase in the level of noise. I also have not installed the insulation blanket because of the fire retarders it has been treated with.
Is it possible to peel it off? I thought they are painted.
Please let me know how to peel it off in a specific way.
I’m also in pain with my smelling dishwasher.
How do you peel off the toxic material. Reply to Nick/October 2017.
I just returned a new Bosch dishwasher. Horrible tar smell that made my dishes and glasses smell. I talked to a Bosch rep and was told to run it with white vinegar on top rack on highest setting. This accomplished nothing. She also said I would be hard pressed to find a dishwasher without the bitumin, especially if it had a stainless steel interior. I am willing to not have a stainless steel interior if it has no bitumin.
I am now considering a reconditioned dishwasher with a stainless steel tub one, but am not sure if the bitumen smell ever goes away. Does anyone know? There is also the possibility of a reconditioned 15 year old plastic model (the grand total of features is: “On” and “Off”) It is too old to be on the internet, so I don’t know if it has bitumen. The lengths we will go…….
I think a 15-year-old dishwater will not have bitumen. I only began hearing about problems with this in the last few years.
Is it possible to place a special order that does not have bitumen?
I just called GE and they confirmed that all the dishwashers, both Stainless Steel and plastic, have mastic bitumen.
Miele dishwashers (we just bought a Lumen) also contain bitumen coating in the blanket insulation wrapped around the outside.
I don’t want to hand wash my dishes. Could someone contact a sound engineer to recommend a non toxic sound padding we could wrap around the dish washer in lieu of bitumen blankets?
Found this:
Are there alternatives to bitumen?
Because of the growing concern over the effect of greenhouse gases, bitumen alternatives have been introduced. These alternatives are basically non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Nowadays, you can make bitumen from non-petroleum based resources which are renewable like molasses, rice, sugar and corn starch. You can also make this substance from waste material; this is achieved through fractional distillation of used motor oil. (Please, no.)
I also discovered an Australian company has manufactured bitumen using molasses with no VOC’s for printing purposes. Would love to see sustainable bitumen replace the petroleum based bitumen in dishwashers.
Are you saying that the Miele does not have it baked on like other companies?
Just had a new Bosch dishwasher installed (model SHP65TL5UC). Had no idea about this bitumen and the toxic off-gassing. I ran the machine for the first time and it emitted a horrible chemical smell – yes, very tar like. I have run it 5 times since and still same strong toxic smell. I contacted Bosch and they said “this is the first they have ever received such a complaint”. REALLY? I told them about all the comments online and they dismissed it. They also said it was “safe”. Well that’s what they told the people in Flint about their water…
We simply can’t use this Bosch machine. It smells toxic and even leaves a toxic odor on glass. Bosch’s solution was to send a tech person out to “check out the smell” but after reading so many complaints about the Bosch machine we are getting rid of it. NEVER going to buy this brand ever again!
Buyers beware – there’s tar in your dishwasher and it will off-gas every time you use it.
Please all let’s complain to these manufacturers. We want our health back!
I’ve spent hours trying to find a dishwasher without bitumen but now ALL units with stainless steel interiors contains that chemical. I found one GE unit that is a “hybrid” – plastic tub with stainless on the interior of the door and I believe that unit might not have any bitumen in it. I contacted GE to confirm and after the second day of waiting they are still looking into it. How can a company not know what’s in their machine? They said only the engineers know and it is hard to get that answer so still waiting to hear back. Unfortunately that machine does not have the greatest performance review but I’ll take louder and less toxic any day over quiet and toxic.
Consumers, please demand protection from the appliance industry! We are all being duped. Just like back in the day when manufacturers claimed glues in carpet were safe. Everyone demand action!
If anyone knows of a good model dishwasher that does not have bitumen, please share. Someone mentioned Whirlpool Gold on another website had no biteman, but it indeed DOES have bitumen.
Let the buyers beware! Steer clear of all units that contain bitumen – the insulating material to sell us quieter machines. Engineers, go back to the drawing board. We don’t want a stinky toxic machine.
This is why I wash my dishes by hand.
I also wash my dishes by hand. I have an area plumbed and wired for a dishwasher, but I had the builders put a stack of drawers in where the dishwasher would be. This was done to give future owners a choice.
I have the area that is plumbed and wired too from a previous owner. I use the space for my kitchen garbage bag.
Wish I would have thought of the garbage can placement there! Good idea.
KDTE104ESS kitchenAid same thing wrapped in bitumen , haven’t used it yet. This was the second to replace Bosch that smells inside but kitchenAid so far is worse outside.
what brand did you end up going with?
Asko $1100 but same thing ( bitumen ) on the outside no smell inside . I even let it air out for three days outside before I used it . As it heats up it begins to smell That’s when the windows open up . If one is bought in the summer months I would suggest leave outside in the hot sun for a few days eventually it will dry up the bitumen .
I checked with Whirlpool recently and they did verify for me that they do not make any bitumen-free dishwashers, regardless of whether it is stainless steel or plastic tub. Did you ever find out the answer from GE?
Hi Ceecee-
Did GE ever tell you about the hybrid having bitumen? If it does not, can you please give the model number so we can try to track that model down? Thank you!
Hi Ceecee, I had a terrible experience with a new Whirlpool dishwasher last year. I have had dishwashers with stainless steel tubs in the past, so I thought nothing of it when I ordered my new dishwasher with a stainless tub. Immediately after the install, I became very ill. I have class 1 latex allergy and also react to products that contain rubber. After much researching, I finally realized that I was having a reaction to the bitumen insulation on the outside of the dishwasher. It actually had a burning tire smell whether it was in use or not.
Fortunately for me, the appliance store I purchased my dishwasher from replaced the unit with another unit with a plastic tub. Once the bitumen was out of the house, I began to feel better and have had no trouble with the new dishwasher. I have Whirlpool WDT720PADH.
Vicki are you saying that the appliance store gave you a different dishwasher with NO BITUMEN?
Yes. The appliance store replaced my dishwasher with a model that has a plastic tub. I was told it contains no bitumen.
Thanks so much for the information.
I just spoke to a Whirlpool Representative & they said they don’t have a dishwasher whether it is stainless steel or plastic tub that is bitumen free. I’m searching for one myself. Any suggestions?
I think they are all with bitumen now. But thank you for doing the research. Please post here if you find one.
I just called Whrlpool and they told me they do not use bitumen. But then the rep had to look it up because he did not know what it was. He came back saying it is coal tar and they do not use it in their machines.
Could someone else call Whirlpool and confirm this?
I got a new Maytag today (they also make Whirlpool). At first it seemed fine, and everyone at the store and when I called Maytag said not to worry, they’d never had complaints, but I told the sales person what I’d seen online about bitumen. I ran the new Maytag and 8 hours later the entire house still smells after being aired out that long. Burning throat, we are coughing, I can even taste it. I contacted Maytag, xferred to Whirlpool, after research a resolution specialist confirmed every model they make (Kitchen Aid too) contains some bitumen. I called the store to have the dishwasher removed asap tomorrow, we can’t stay in the house like this. Wish me luck getting it removed! I’ll look at some of the options mentioned as having no problems, above, or just wait.
I called
Fisher Paykel
& the drawer dishwashers do not contain bitumen
I currently have a KitchenAid dishwasher & Im having it removed next week. I contacted GE through phone & email & was told to go with a plastic tub. They assured me the two that I chose have no bitumen.
I had my dishwasher removed & replaced with a GE dishwasher , plastic tub & nylon racks. Absolutely no bitumen. No problems & no odor.
The new dishwasher isn’t as quiet as my KitchenAid dishwasher was but I would rather have a little noise then be exposed to a toxin. Also when the plumber removed the dishwasher there was packing, (foam & Plastic) behind the dishwasher on the floor which he said could have been heating up & causing chemicals to be released as well as the bitumen. The packing was used for noise reduction as well
Karen, can you give us the model number of the dishwasher you like (GE)
Thanks so much
hi Debra,
I wish I knew of a safe dishwasher – but I can affirm that my brand new Bosch dishwasher reeked of asphalt every time it was used. it was brand-new and I had to quit using it. had to open up all the doors and windows when it was used. The fumes did not seem to get better with time. it is a bosch silence plus. thanks for bringing this issue up.