How to Get Rid Of Garbage Disposal Smell

While you may be a firm believer in keeping your kitchen absolutely spick and span, extend the same courtesy to your trash as well. If you’re here then you probably already know about the miracles that garbage disposals can work – essentially making your life simpler and your kitchen cleaner with no effort at all. 

But knowing how they work – they‘re also extremely prone to get smelly real quick. If you’ve been getting that rotting scent from somewhere in your kitchen, chances are that the unknown source is most likely your garbage disposal. If your garbage disposal smells really bad and you’re looking for ways to get rid of garbage disposal smell, this is the one guide you need. Further down, we discuss DIY ideas on how to make garbage disposal smell better.

Cleaning a smelly garbage disposal is as simple as using it, so you don’t need to make it a whole day’s work. First, let’s get into why your garbage disposal system is stinky. Once you understand what the potential underlying causes would be, thinking how to get rid of garbage disposal odor then becomes a piece of cake.

Why Could Your Garbage Disposer Be Stinking? 

The trick to knowing “why does my garbage disposal smell” lies in the working of the whole garbage disposal system. As you may probably already know, garbage disposals work not by cutting up your waste but instead grinding it in a chamber. That means that the blades of the garbage disposal use centrifugal force in order to collect all of the waste and then force it against the walls of the chamber where it is ground and mashed successfully. This process is a bit more efficient in case of garbage disposals with stainless steel blades as compared to the others.

However, this process also makes it extremely easy for you to have food or other waste stuck to the inside of the garbage disposal system. This, over time, can start to rot – which is what gives off the terrible smell that’s been bothering you in the kitchen. However, it’s easy to get rid of garbage disposal smell, so read on!

7 Effective Measures To Get Rid Of Garbage Disposal Smell

These methods are tried and tested by many and have worked on many garbage disposals that have rotting waste stuck inside them. Try out these simple techniques – if those don’t work, then you may have to get your garbage disposal system checked in order to figure out whether there’s a bigger problem. 

1. Try A Simple Hot Water Flush 

This technique is quite underrated, mainly owing to how simple it is. All you have to do to make this stinky garbage disposal remedy work is by flushing it with hot water. How you can do this is by filling up your sink halfway with hot water – and remember to put the stopper on the drain so that you can let the hot water collect in the sink. 

Add a few drops of detergent or vinegar to this hot water, and then take the stopper out of the drain in order to let the water flow through your garbage disposal system. Throughout this process, make sure you’re wearing rubber gloves so that you’re protected against the hot water, and also that your garbage disposal system is running so that the water doesn’t fill the system entirely at once. You can opt to repeat this process over and over till you’re sure – hopefully, by now the rotten waste might have been removed with the water. 

2. Use Ice And Salt 

This is also an excellent and extremely simple technique on how to make garbage disposal smell better. All you will need for this method is a large quantity of ice and some salt that has a rough texture by its composition. You can use either rock salt, kosher salt, or table salt – anything will do. Once you have all your materials in place, start putting your ice into the garbage disposal system. 

When this is done, you can proceed to do the same with the salt that you’ve set aside for this. Again, make sure that your garbage system is turned on during this procedure, otherwise, your ice will just be stuck at your disposal till it melts away. After you’re done pouring the salt, start to pour cold water down the chute as well. What’s happening in your garbage disposal system is that the ice is being crushed and thus cleaning any residual waste thoroughly, while the salt is forcing the smell out of the system at the same time. 

3. Deodorize With Baking Soda And Vinegar 

Baking soda and vinegar is definitely the best combination to clean almost anything – and the same applies to your garbage disposal odor as well. This combination is very reactive as well and is a strong cleaner – so it is best to use this method as sparingly as possible. If your garbage disposal smells bad, what you will need to do here is pour some amount of baking soda into your garbage disposal system, followed by some vinegar. 

Once both of them have reacted in order to produce the disinfecting substance, you’ll need to leave this mixture be for some time. After the passage of an hour, come and check on it and turn on the garbage disposal system in order to let the solution through. While you’re doing this, you also need to be running your system with cold water so as to naturally flush everything out. 

4. Lemons, Limes And Oranges Work Wonders 

What’s the one similarity between lemons, limes, and oranges? Well, they’re all delicious citrus fruits that you can enjoy eating and subsequently using to cleanse your garbage disposal system of odors. Not only does the citrusy nature of these fruits help you to remove smell from garbage disposal and kitchen, but it also has your entire kitchen smelling refreshing and fruity once again. 

All you have to do to use these citrus fruits as odor-repellants is peel them and then put that peel inside the garbage disposal system. You can also put in the pulp – but make sure that you’re separating any cores or seeds which can get stuck in the garbage disposal system. Keep your garbage disposal running and pour cold water once you’re done putting the peels down the chute – the roughness of the peels is an excellent texture for getting out rotten residue while the acidic component can disintegrate the waste successfully.

5. Try Cleaning The Outsides Of Your Garbage Disposal 

Not all methods to clean your garbage disposal system has to do with you flushing things down your garbage disposal chute. There are ways you can manually clean your system that do not involve seeking help from professionals who will deep-cleanse your garbage disposal. You can start to clean the visible outsides of the garbage disposal as well – since there are possible chances that food or other forms of waste may have gotten stuck there without you noticing.

To put this into practice, attempt to take a cleaning brush or a wand that can get all the surfaces to be clean and get into all the grooves of the system. A low profile garbage disposal is easier to clean from the outside as compared to the usual larger ones. You’ll also be ensuring to notice any potential cracks or leakages early on with this practice. This also involves you cleaning the rim of the system – since it’s the first barrier between the system and your waste, it may have caught some on it over time. You can also use an old toothbrush since the bristles are perfect for getting in crevices that are usually unreachable.

6. Brush Away The Gunk From The Underside Of The Splash Guard 

The splash guard of your garbage disposal is perhaps the most susceptible to the accumulation of waste. What it essentially does, as part of your garbage disposal, is ensure that none of the waste is splashed onto you accidentally. Hence, it is easy for waste to often get stuck here. Cleaning the splash guard is an excellent way to remove the smell from your garbage disposal – attempt to do this with some amount of dishwashing soap or a similar liquid cleaner and an old toothbrush. The bristles of the toothbrush can be extremely efficient as it can scrub every nook and cranny with ease. 

7. Prevention Is Always Better 

Prevention is always better than cure, and this is especially true in the case of garbage disposal systems, as having your system suffer from odors over and over may eventually hamper its efficiency. To prevent this, there are certain types of waste that you should definitely not be putting down your garbage disposal system. 

Egg whites, coffee grounds, or any form of grease should definitely not be in your garbage disposal system. Also, remember to not put fibrous fruits and vegetables in the system as well. While you make a mental note of substances that you should not be putting in your garbage disposal, make sure that you’re flushing it with cold water every time you dispose of waste. The cold water acts immediately and prevents any waste from sticking to the chamber and thus rotting.

Final Words 

Now, you finally have the cure to end the plague of the smell in your kitchen that’s been irritating your nose for a while now. You might have also noticed that it’s an incredibly simple process on how to remove odor from garbage disposal – but the best step that you can take is to not let your garbage disposal stink at all in the first place. Regular maintenance and ensuring that it’s working optimally are integral parts of owning this wonderful device. So take the help of all of these supplies mentioned above and get rid of that smell once and for all.