Plumbing Tips

Garbage Disposal Smelling Funky? Release the Odor with These Five Tips!

Do you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen sink? Are you noticing a smell that you just can’t get rid of? Is that odor growing to the point that you don’t like to be in your kitchen and your family members are beginning to complain? Are you wondering if your kitchen will ever return to normal? If you’ll be able to walk in without holding your nose?

If you are having garbage disposal odor issues, you certainly are not alone. Garbage disposal odor is a common problem for many homeowners across the country – and it has to do with the natural collection of different foods and materials in your garbage disposal.

The good news is that every garbage disposal can get that fresh smell once again with a few simple, inexpensive tricks. Best of all, the odors often can be addressed with natural home remedies. Continue reading our quick guide of the top five tips for getting rid of odor in your garbage disposal, and begin smelling freshness once again!

Tip #1: Release Odors with H20

Before you run out to the store to spend money you could save on a garbage disposal cleaner, try a few natural remedies that just might do the trick.

Sometimes food particles are caught in the disposal, and they just need a little loosening. To do this, run hot water down your drain for a few minutes while the disposal is on. Leave the kitchen for about 15 minutes and return to test the air with your nose.

Tip #2: Throw in a Few Cubes

Fill your disposal with ice cubes. Turn on the cool water and then the disposal. The crushing of the ice in the disposal acts with an abrasive force and helps to freeze food particles that are lingering in the disposal.

Continue this process for a few cycles. Leave the kitchen for about 15 minutes, and then return to take a whiff. If needed, you can repeat this process again.

Tip #3: Whip up a Kitchen Concoction

You also can try the home remedy of using baking soda and vinegar in your disposal. Measure about a half cup of baking soda, and dump it into your disposal. Follow with about a half cup of vinegar. Let your concoction sit in your garbage disposal for a few minutes, and then turn on the hot water to flush it away.

With these three natural home remedies for combating odor in your garbage disposal, you’re also naturally cleaning your disposal and protecting it from any corrosive commercial cleaners that may damage your disposal over time.

Tip #4: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Citrus

If water and ice aren’t doing the trick, you can deploy the power of citrus in your drain. Chop up a lemon or an orange into small chunks. It is Okay to leave the peel on these fruits, but the key is to chop the fruit into small chunks so your disposal does not get overwhelmed.

Turn on the water once again, as you never want to run your garbage disposal without the water running, and then drop the fruit chunks into the disposal, one piece a time until all of the pieces have been ground. If after you’ve tried these tips, you still have a smell lingering in your disposable, then you may want to consider a biodegradable disposal cleaner that is made for garbage disposals.

Never use drain cleaning products such as Drano in your garbage disposal. These products are made for drains, and the chemicals used in them may quickly corrode the garbage disposal’s parts.

Tip #5: Avoid Putting These Objects in Your Disposal

Sometimes education about your garbage disposal is everything. Some people don’t know that certain foods have a way of naturally clogging your garbage disposal and getting stuck. When enough of those food particles get caught in your disposal not only do you have a clogged disposal and likely clogged pipes connected to the disposal – but you all have trapped food particles that begin to rot and to smell.

Before you flush something down your disposal, think twice. Avoid foods such as potatoes, bananas, rice, pasta and beans. These foods have the tendency to expand when grounded up in a disposal, creating a clog that is difficult to overcome. Also, avoid stuffing into your disposal any kinds of fibrous foods – such as onion skins, celery, asparagus, corn husks, artichokes, lettuce, and carrots. These foods have a tendency to get wrapped around the blades of your disposal.

You also should avoid pouring grease, oils and fats into your disposal, as these liquids solidify and not only start to smell but will begin clogging your drains. Finally, egg shells and any non-food items are an absolute no-no. A garbage disposal is a powerful appliance –- but it’s not a landfill for your kitchen. Use wisdom and know what you can and cannot put down your disposal to avoid a clog and a resulting odor that fills your beautiful kitchen and makes it an unpleasant place to be.

Ready to take on those pesky odors in your kitchen? Remember these five top tips as you are working in your kitchen and trying to understand how your garbage disposal works and should be maintained over time.

With a little know-how and a few simple tricks, you’ll be able to keep your garbage disposal in working order and you’ll be able to keep your kitchen smelling fresh for weeks to come. The power is in your hands – literally – and you’ll feel great knowing you fixed the problem at hand. For the tougher plumbing issues, call in the experts to help you solve your garbage disposal problems.

Learn more about how the experts at Peterson Plumbing in Grand Junction, Colorado can help you with your plumbing issues by calling (970)-255-8430.