SMELLBOOK REFERENCE · SB-0190
Dishwasher Steam
Permanent ID: smellbook: · updated 2026-10-06, revision 3
Character EDITORIAL
Dishwasher steam smells warm, humid and clean, with a soapy, slightly sharp detergent note carried on a puff of hot air.
Words: warm, humid, clean, steam. Families: Temperature and texture, Fresh and clean.
Met in: Kitchen.
Evidence
Scientific evidence
- Volatiles stripped from water by a dishwasher (CLM-DISHWASHER-001). Cynthia Howard-Reed, Richard L. Corsi & Jacqueline Moya, Mass Transfer of Volatile Organic Compounds from Drinking Water to Indoor Air: The Role of Residential Dishwashers, Environmental Science & Technology, 1999.
Molecules named in these claims: acetone, ethylbenzene, toluene. A molecule listed here is named in a VERIFIED claim about this smell. It is not presented as the cause of the smell; each claim says what its source supports.
Cite
SmellBook. (2026). Dishwasher Steam (revision 3, 2026-10-06). SmellBook Public Atlas. smellbook:smell:dishwasher-steam. https://smellbook.com/smells/dishwasher-steam
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