Our garbage disposals work hard to keep food waste out of landfills and prevent your kitchen trash bin from smelling like rotting food. They’re a barrier against clogs, too. No matter how hard you try, food always seems to find its way into the kitchen sink and drain, doesn’t it?
A smelly garbage disposal isn’t much better than a smelly trash can, though, so it’s important to keep it clean. If your disposal has a foul odor and smells funky, here’s why, and how to fix it.
How Do Garbage Disposals Work?
Whenever you wash dishes, rinse veggies, or scrape leftover food particles off your plate into the drain opening, the food waste collects all food scraps in the grinding chamber. When you use your garbage disposal, a spinning disc with metal lugs forces food particles against the lower walls of the chamber, which is lined with a grind ring that pulverizes the scraps into pulp. The running water washes the liquified food down the drain.
Check out this video and discover how your garbage disposal works. This short video breaks down the secrets behind its efficient and innovative operation.
Why You Should Eliminate Garbage Disposal Odors
Even though the design of the garbage disposal pulverizes and removes kitchen waste, sometimes food particles can become trapped underneath the blades, on the sides of the machine, and in the drainpipe. This creates the perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow and produce stinky bad smell and unhealthy spores. As the bacteria and mold persist and grow, so does the stink.
Routine cleaning of your garbage disposal at least weekly with one of these techniques will help to keep it odor-free. Garbage disposals are appliances that do not respond well to abuse, so use caution when you toss items in them.
3 Natural Methods to Clean a Smelly Garbage Disposal
Learn how to clean your garbage disposal with cleaning products you already have on hand. Say goodbye to unwanted odors with these easy and natural cleaning techniques.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
You’re probably already familiar with the magical cleaning powers of vinegar and baking soda, which react together to form thousands of tiny, odor-fighting, scrubbing bubbles that’ll zap away the yucky muck inside your disposal.
- To get rid of garbage disposal smell, sprinkle a half cup of baking soda into your disposal, and let it sit for 30 minutes to absorb odors and loosen stuck-on debris.
- Add a cup of vinegar, and let the bubbles work for 10 minutes.
- Turn on the cold water, then turn on the disposal for about 10 seconds.
- Turn off the disposal, and let the water run for another 10 seconds.
Citrus
Obsessed with how good your lemon essential oil smells? If you’re looking for a kitchen cleaning solution that goes a step beyond merely deodorizing and makes your room fresh, citrus smell, we’ve got you covered:
- Clean your garbage disposal with 1 cup of lemon or other citrus peels and stuff it down the hole.
- Turn on the cold water, then turn on the disposal, and let it run until you no longer hear the grinding of citrus peel.
- Turn off the disposal, and let the water run for 10 more seconds.
Ice Cube & Salt
Have you seen the videos of how to clean a garbage disposal with ice? You might be wondering how this trick works. Gummy, sticky, or stuck-on food particles are no match for the power of ice cubes and salt (ideally rock salt), which work together as a powerful, odor-fighting scrub.
- Pour two cups of ice into the disposal.
- Add a cup of salt.
- Run cold water, then turn on the garbage disposal, and let it run until all of the ice is ground up.
- Turn off the disposal, and let the water run for 10 more seconds. Add a cup of citrus peel to the ice and salt, and you’ve got a rot-cleaning, mold-busting powerhouse of a scrubber with a fresh, crisp scent!
How to Clean the Splash Guard
The splash guard keeps food from spewing out of the drain hole while it’s being pulverized. Whatever would normally be jettisoned out of the hole and onto the ceiling, instead sticks to the underside of the guard. Naturally, you’ll need to clean it off, so put on some gloves.
- Grab the microfiber cloth you use for gross jobs, and soak it in warm water. Wring as much water out as you can.
- Gently lift or pull the flap guard, clean the rubber and go at the underside with the microfiber. Depending on your guard, you may need to reach a couple of inches down into the abyss to scrub from underneath to remove grime.
Other Ways to Clean A Smelly Garbage Disposal
Borax
This is a powerful mineral that cleans and destroys odor. Use a half cup of borax in your garbage disposal once a week to keep it smelling fresh.
Mouthwash
Many people do not know that the original mouthwash started as an antiseptic treatment to sterilize surgery tools. If mouthwash can kill germs that cause bad breath, it will work just as well in the garbage disposal. Just rinse your disposal with a cup of mouthwash whenever it needs to be refreshed.
FAQs
What Causes Odors in a Garbage Disposal?
It’s usually the result of decaying bits of food that have escaped the grinding process and gotten stuck in the appliance. Garbage disposals work by pulverizing food into tiny particles so they can be flushed down the drain. When chunks of food are left behind, they start to smell.
How to Prevent a Smelly Garbage Disposal
- Consumer Reports highlights items that should never be placed in your disposal, and these include: fats, oils, and grease, starchy foods, fibrous vegetables and peels, eggshells, shellfish, and coffee grounds as these substances decompose slowly and can accumulate in large quantities, leading to drain blockages.
- Always run cold water with your garbage disposal. Cold water keeps food and grease from sticking to the inside of the machine.
- Run the disposal for 30 seconds when sending food down the drain to ensure everything clears the system.
- Always check your manual to see what you can put down your garbage disposal!
What’s Safe to Put Down a Garbage Disposal?
It’s okay to toss these (and similar foods) into the garbage disposal: Fruit and vegetable scraps, plate scraps and un-eaten pet food, cooked meats, and the moldy chili in the back of the fridge.
For more cleaning tips and tricks from your favorite Boston cleaning services, check out our blog, and be sure to browse our selection of cleaning services from our team, too! We’re here to help you keep your home happy and healthy all year long.
The post How to Easily Clean a Smelly Garbage Disposal appeared first on Cleanzen.
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