The smell of a garbage disposal can be bad, but it’s worse when the odor leaks out into the kitchen and settles into stagnant air. Getting rid of that bad smell filling your kitchen couldn’t be easier! Several substances, such as grease, debris, and fibrous vegetables, can contribute to the smell of your garbage disposal, including fruit and food particles. The powerful magnet at the bottom of your disposal can also pull these particles into its grinding chamber, causing a bad smell. Here are 13 helpful strategies to prevent your garbage disposal from smelling.
The Ice Method
This method is pretty simple and effective. It involves crushing ice cubes in your garbage disposal to see if the odor goes away. If it doesn’t, it’s time to clean the garbage disposal, and there are a few things you can do so that the odor doesn’t happen again. Consider plugging your garbage disposal from the wall, placing ice cubes at the bottom of the disposal until they start to melt, and holding the drain plug with a pair of pliers at an angle. If there is no odor or a very mild one, this method should work fine for you.
Kosher Salt
Kosher salt is an inexpensive yet effective way to fight bad smells in your garbage disposal. Just sprinkle a generous amount of salt into the drain, let it sit for a few minutes, add some ice cubes on top, and allow cold water to run down the garbage disposal for about 10 seconds as the ice is crushed. The effect of this is that the blades will be cleaned of any residue by the crushed ice, and the salt helps eliminate the foul smell.
The Power of Citrus
Orange, lemon, and lime rinds in the garbage disposal will cause bad smells. If you don’t want to use ice cubes or salt, you can also use citrus peels. Put the fruit in the drain, and add salt afterward. After a few minutes, turn on your garbage disposal, and check to see if there is a smell coming out or not. If so, add some ice cubes and salt again to ensure the odor is eliminated.
The Simplest Solution
Running hot water through the garbage disposal is one of the easiest and simplest ways to keep it from smelling. Hot water will also maintain the good bacteria in your disposal while fighting against bad smells. Before turning on your garbage disposal, just run the hot water to flush out any leftover food particles or lingering odors.
Bleach Method
Bleaching is an effective way to get rid of bad smells in your garbage disposal. Just add 1/4-cup of bleach, run the hot water, add a good amount of ice cubes, and then turn on your garbage disposal. Rinse out all the bleach, and you will be finished with your cleaning job.
Baking Soda Method
Baking soda is an inexpensive and highly effective way to remove bad smells from your garbage disposal. Just add a cup of baking soda to the drain, fill the sink with hot water, turn on your garbage disposal, and be observant of any bad smells.
The Grinder Method
This method is only for those disposals with slide-on grinder screens. If you have a screen, use half a lemon or orange in the drain with some salt or ice cubes on top, and then run hot water through the system before turning it on. This method works well if you have the right disposal type, but you should probably not try doing this if you don’t know how to use your disposal screen first.
Avoid Grease and Oils
Grease and oils from your food can easily clog the drain and cause a bad smell. To avoid this, make sure that you put these types of food in a container that goes straight into the trash can. If you don’t have the option of sending your food waste directly to a trash can, dispose of it in your garbage disposal with some baking soda or vinegar. You should also avoid putting small bones or large pits in your garbage disposal since they may get stuck there and cause blockage later.
Use Scouring Powder
Scouring powder comes in several brands and qualities that offer a safe way to clean the garbage disposal. To eliminate the bad smell from the garbage disposal, sprinkle one-half cup of scouring powder down the disposal, add some cold water, and let it sit for around 15 minutes. Once the time lapses, run more cold water, and let the scouring powder clean the blades while its contents eliminate the foul smell.
Practice Preventive Care
Items such as rice and pasta tend to get stuck in garbage disposals and may cause bad smells. They also don’t grind down very well, so they may be problematic to eliminate. You should avoid putting these two items in the garbage disposal, along with coffee grounds, fruit pits, egg white and shells, celery, and fibrous vegetables.
Cleaning Solutions
Good cleaning solutions such as Citra-Solv will help if the problem is more serious than usual. First, you need to clean the garbage disposal. Turn on your faucet, and run cold water through the drain for about 30 seconds to clean it. Next, pour in a Citra-Solv cleaner, and let it sit for two minutes. After that, flush the drain with hot water again. Run some ice cubes through the drain after the hot water, turn disposal on again to flush out any leftovers, and then rinse it with cold water.
Dump Method
This method involves emptying the entire drain by manually removing the grinding plate and debris within the disposal. You should also make sure that your disposal is thoroughly dry before starting this process, just in case it gets jammed and causes issues.
Invest in a Good Cleaner
There are various cleaners on the market that you can use to avoid any bad smells in your garbage disposal, such as a sink and drain cleaner. You should make sure that whatever you use is eco-friendly since some chemicals can harm your disposal over time. Opt for one that can handle bacteria, mold, and mildew in your drain and that is non-toxic.
The above are some helpful methods that you can use to keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh and clean. Applying these methods will eliminate some odors inside your kitchen. You may sometimes be forced to use a combination of these methods if the problem is persistent. If none of these methods works for you, you may want to contact a plumbing company.
Let the Professionals Help
Here at AZ Water, Drain & Sewer, we have more than 25 years of experience and specialize in professional drain cleaning, water heaters, tankless water heaters, and pipe repair services. Our technicians possess the necessary skills and competence to offer customized solutions to your problem. We proudly serve all of Gilbert, AZ, as well as surrounding areas, and we will be glad to offer our professional help. Contact us for an appointment with us today!
