There is a weird odor coming from the space around my 18" Fridigaire dishwasher. It was installed a little over a year ago when we remodeled the kitchen. The smell is hard to describe, but is like stale pipe tobacco, very strong and drifts through the house. It started about two weeks ago. It does not come from inside the dishwasher, although I did take apart the drain and filter just to be sure. Clean as a whistle.

We pulled it out and there are no leaks or mold, no sign of critters, other than a few dust bunnies ;-) I scrubbed the area with a vinegar and baking soda solution, then a germicidal cleaner and then borax and water. It was better but is coming back again just as strong. The smell migrates to the cabinet under the sink, which I have also thoroughly cleaned out. There are no leaks evident in the flooring underneath the area in the basement.

I am at my wits end. Has anyone run into something like this? Could it be the cabinet material surrounding it, which is laminated particle board?

One thing you might need to inspect as it can bring that same smell into an area is the electrical. If it is heating up the insulation can stink. Since you mention remodeling then I would also look there just for that reason. Connections sometimes go bad after a short while because they weren't correct in the first place.

It sounds serious because, as cdad said, it could be a loose connection which can cause arching and a fire. I have had this happen where I once lived and it came very close to causing a fire. Turn off the breaker to it and pull it out and then check all connections until you find the problem.