I have a Maytag MDB5600 Quiet Series 100 built in dishwasher. It was purchased a little over a year ago. I have found mice inside the dishwasher on numerous occasions. They chew through the plastic grate that is on the hole in the bottom left hand corner of the interior. I have already replaced the grate twice and they keep chewing through it. How can Maytag sell a dishwasher that mice can get into so easily? Has anyone else encountered this problem? I am very concerned about the health-issue aspect of this.
I have an MDBH945AWW.
I FIXED IT! They are getting in thru the water inlet/vent in the lower bottom left of the dishwasher. Here's how we fixed it:
1. Turn off water to machine if possible. Open the door, remove screws on side and top that hold dishwasher in place. Pull the dishwasher out from under the counter. Remove racks from inside.
2. Remove the sound insulation blanket. Mine was a mouse nest so I threw the thing out. Not going to replace it as the noise increase is minimal.
3. On the left side of the tub outside there is a tube that comes from under and is hooked to a small plastic box with an open top. THIS is the point of entry!
4. Poke a long screwdriver or something down into the box and pop the plastic tension prongs free. Reach into the dishwasher and remove the circular plastic grill.
5. Twist the plastic box to the right or left until the tabs line up and it will pop out of the side of the tub. Remove the tube from the box. The box should now be free.
6. Cut a square of 1/4 hardware mesh cloth (flexible metal grid) and cut a hole to fit over the nipple for the tube. Put mesh over the top of the box, secure in place with really heavy duty tape. Something strong like Gorilla Tape or even metal tape for ducts.... conventional duct tape will not hold after a year or so. I taped all around the edges and sealed it down only leaving the top with the mesh exposed.
7. Put the tube back on and then reinstall the box and then the grill.
8. Take this time to SUPER CLEAN the area under and around the dishwasher. Even the outside of the washer. Mice return to the smell of their poop.
9. Put the washer back in and don't forget the screws as well as turning the water back on.
$5 fix or a $500 new machine... you choose!
Oh yeah, and I'm a girl too...
:D
Tracy
I'll be darned, I've got a Maytag Quiet 300 -- and mice. We have been putting poison in the dishwasher for a few days...I just pulled the thing out to find out where the damage was and noticed that little left access port and fortunately no serious damage to the Maytag. Dang...what to do what to do.....they're living somewhere in the walls......
I have put steel mesh over the plastic mesh which I got at the hardware srore, and it fixed the problem. the mice are getting in through an exterior hole in your house. Use coarse steel wool to plug any holes or cracks larger than 3/8 of an inch around your house. How much did you pay for your dishwasher unit?
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have exactly the same problem, with a Maytag less than a year old, but I do not see that there is chewing taking place in the grating--I will keep investigating as described and hopefully put screening as suggested,---but this is crazy---this was not a cheap unit.
The bottom of the door seems as though it is totally open as well, is this normal? I can feel the insulation if I reach my hand up into it.
We have exactly the same problem...! When I went to add dirty dishes yesterday morning, I noticed a lot of little 'black things' all over the bottom of the dishwasher - mice droppings! And then saw plastic shavings from where they had gnawed through the exact same vent you described - and the cutlery basket that sits right in front of it. I am so disgusted! We're running bleach through the dishwasher as I type and my husband purchased a few mouse traps to see if we can catch the little vermin! We had no idea we had mice in the house until the dishwasher incident... No sign of them elsewhere, and we have no idea where they are getting in. But they are. We left cheese on the kitchen floor last night and the cheese was gone in the morning. Tonight there will be traps along with the cheese! I'm freaking out, as we just brought homw our newborn baby and mice are disease-ridden and destructive. Blech!!! I'm also afraid to use the dishwasher - if they got in once, they can keep getting in.
Ditto! I can't believe this. Quiet Series 300 built-in, bought in May 2007. While suggestions are good and temporarily I'm going to try stainless steel screening over the exterior opening, spreading black pepper and setting mouse traps, I think that Maytag should be informed and be doing something about this. I'm contacting them and I'll post anything they say on this web site. This defininetly is a manufacturing flaw!
Ontario Canada
I have the same problem. A mouse died inside and I can't get it to work right since. Part seems to have melted that connects to the back hole.
We have an Amana ADB1500AWZ model, made by Maytag purchased in June 2006. The vent cover?? came off at the back left hand corner and now all of a sudden we have mice droppings in our dishwasher. What I am really trying to figure out, is where does this go? Is it just a heat vent, or intake hose?? Have no idea how the mouse got in as we re-did our entire kitchen when we replaced the dishwasher, right down to the stud walls. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Wow, the internet sure is great for searching for odd problems like this. I too have a Maytag dishwasher and was wondering how in the world a mouse was getting into a locked dishwasher. I found droppings in the dishwasher. I looked inside on the lower left wall and sure enough, the plastic mesh was chewed through. I cut some spare wire mesh to fit and put that in the hole, then what's left of the plastic over that. Then, after cleaning up under the sink cabinet, lots of traps and poison blocks. We have had off-and-on mouse trouble for years, since we live in a wooded area, but the dishwasher was a new twist for me. Thanks.
We have the same problem but a Maytag quiet series 300. We could not figure out how the mice are getting into the dishwasher. We do not see them unless they get caught in there. We will try the mesh and trap. Thanks. Any other solutions would be appreciated.
Wow.... the internet is amazing...once again. I had no idea that so many people were having the same problem. I also have a Maytag 200 Quiet Series dishwasher... and could not understand how the mice were getting into the dishwasher. It has been very disturbing and frustrating.. will definitely try the wire mesh cover -I looked at the vent hole and sure enough the plastic was chewed away. Maytag will definitely want to re-design this. Now to find out how to keep mice out of everything else.... sigh.
We found mice droppings on the floor of out dishwasher. Â Also on some silverware. Â I cleaned the bottom and rewashed the load. Â We placed mice traps in the dishwasher and caught a mouse. Â How are they getting in? Â How to stop them?
same deal my wife is demanding a new dishwasher with out the dryer vent or whatever it is on the lower lefthand back wall. I will not buy a Maytag quiet 200 or any maytag again. obviously have to get rid of mice problem as well
how do you remove the vent cover to place the metal mesh? Does it just snap out of the opening?
I also have a Maytag Quiet Series 300 and we found mouse droppings inside the dishwasher this morning. I am amazed at how many people had the same issue. I sent an email to Maytag to let them know.
I have the same problem. My wife was freaking out when she saw the mouse droppings in our Maytag dishwasher. Ran the thing day and night for a couple of nights and thought all was fine. Then after a couple days it was back again! My wife thought they were living in the dishwasher and we could not figure out how they got in there. Then I decided to check the internet and sure enough, I found out that it is very common in Maytag. There is a flaw that allows the mice to get into the dishwasher. The company should be held accountable as these models are not cheap models and it is unbelievable that this is so common and I have not heard about it in the news! Well, maybe its about time we did hear about it in the news. I will call Maytag as soon as this weekend is over and I hope they do not give me a hard time about replacing the unit. If they do, Why don't we all get together and give them some good advertizing that they will never forget!
Lawrence in Ajax, ON, Canada
We have the same problem that has been listed in all these other postings. We have have the quiet series 300 and started finding droppings in the bottom. Not sure why. Cleaned the washer and BOOM more droppings. Finally my husband decided to look online and here we found similiar issues posted and ended up finding that they are coming in through the bottom left wall. They have eaten their way in. We have never seen them in there, but I did find one in the sink the other day and finally got him. Apparently he is not the only one (which I was pretty sure was the case anyway) because there are more droppings inside. Now its time for a new washer, but hopefully I can catch the rest before they claim another washer. After hearing these comments I won't buy a Maytag.
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