Your garbage disposal helps you get rid of those scraps of leftover food that cling to your plates and serving dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. That same helpful garbage disposal can also be the source of some serious headaches and foul odors.
If you’re starting to notice bad garbage disposal smells, you’re not alone. It’s a common problem, but that doesn’t mean you want to live with it. Who would want a kitchen that always smells gross?
Use this guide to learn more about why your garbage disposal smells and how you can fix it.
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Gross Garbage Disposal Smells Caused By Food Scraps
Food particles getting stuck on the blades and side walls of your garbage disposal is the most common cause of a smelly disposal. While running water into the disposal might help you avoid food sticking in the future, there’s not a whole lot you can do about this problem. If you’re dealing with a disgusting garbage disposal smell, we recommend developing a cleaning routine to avoid this issue.
How to Eliminate Odors in the Garbage Disposal
Flush Hot or Boiling Water into the Garbage Disposal
If the garbage disposal stinks in your kitchen, we recommend using hot water to flush the garbage disposal. To do it, put a stopper in the sink and fill it with a few inches of hot water right from the tap. If you want to fix a garbage disposal that stinks, we recommend boiling water prior to flushing it down the drain.
From there, simply remove the stopper and turn the disposal on, keeping your hands far from the disposal. The suction of the water will help clear stuck on food particles.
This will help with a moderately gross disposal, but if you’re dealing with an especially bad one, you may need even more cleaning power.
Use Ice Cubes & Salt to Remove Food Scraps
Salt and ice are two things you probably have in your kitchen at any given moment. Remember that the next time your disposal is making the whole kitchen smell awful.
To use this remedy, all you need to do is put enough ice cubes in the garbage disposal to fill it to the top, then add a bit of kosher salt on top. Turn the water on at a slow drip and flick the disposal on. Let your disposal grind the ice cubes down to nothing, allowing the water to run for a few seconds after it has stopped.
The ice cubes and salt mixture will help eliminate any food scraps that are causing foul garbage disposal smells.
Grind Lemon Wedges
You may not always have them on hand, but if you do, lemons can work wonders when it comes to fixing a garbage disposal that stinks.
Simply cut a few small wedges and let the disposal do its thing while you slowly run water into the drain. From there, you can add a little fresh lemon juice – don’t turn the disposal on this time – and let the natural lemon do its work on any remaining odors.
Non-toxic and cost-effective, lemons are so much more than an iced tea essential!
Your garbage disposal can be a great help in the kitchen, but when food gets trapped, it can quickly begin to stink! Use these simple tips to eliminate nasty garbage disposal smells. If you just can’t get the smell to go away, you may have a larger problem, in which case you should contact the professionals at Fenwick Home Services ASAP. Give our team a call by phone at 904-217-5694 to receive assistance with a plumbing issue. From water heater repair, water line installation, to sump pump maintenance, our technicians have the knowledge and tools to resolve the issue in your home.