Garbage disposals have become a standard fixture in American kitchens, and everyone is accustomed to rinsing their dishes, and allowing most any food product to go into the kitchen sink drain. It should come as no surprise that when you put a lot of random food down the drain, some of that food gets trapped and begins to smell as it spoils and ferments. The smell of rotting food in your garbage disposal can permeate your entire house, and can be nauseating.
The good news is there are a few simple methods of removing the smell from just about any garbage disposal unit. Here are a few of our favorites:
Baking soda and vinegar
Baking soda and vinegar (yes, the same combination from your elementary school science experiments) can be a powerful cleaning agent. To use baking soda and vinegar to clean your garbage disposal, start by putting up to ¼ cup of baking soda directly into your disposal.
Next, pour up to 2 cups of white vinegar on top of the baking soda and wait 5-10 minutes as the chemical reaction runs it course. The acid created during the chemical reaction is great at breaking apart stubborn food bits and grease.
After a period of time, thoroughly flush the disposal with warm water. Repeat if necessary.
Use the citrus power of lemon
The fresh scent of citrus is an iconic “clean” smell, but its not just the smell that makes lemon a great ingredient for cleaning garbage disposals, the citric acid in the fruit is a powerful cleaning agent. Cut a fresh lemon into 6-8 pieces, then drop 2-3 of the pieces into your disposal and turn it on (while also running cold water into the disposal).
As the disposal breaks apart the lemon, it should also start to break apart whatever is causing the smell. Repeat these steps with the remainder of your lemon if the smell remains.
Boiling water
Boiling water can be a powerful component to get rid of yucky smells in your garbage disposal. If greasy buildup are part of the problem, then boiling water can help melt away the sludge.
Have a particularly smelly job? Try all three! If you used any of these methods to try to cure your smelly disposal, let us know how it worked!
About R.J. Tilley
Since 1976, R.J. Tilley has been providing expert plumbing services to the Richmond, VA area. Whether you need a simple repair like a leaking faucet, or a major plumbing repair work like a water main or sewer line replaced, R.J. Tilley can meet your needs.
Hundreds of area homeowners have also trusted R.J. Tilley for complete, high-quality kitchen remodeling. If your kitchen is due for a do-over, give us a call today!
