9 SIMPLE WAYS TO CLEAN YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL

Garbage disposal saves us from a lot of stress during kitchen cleanups. For example, it serves as an escape route for the disposal of water and food slumps into the trap.

However, the kitchen disposal tends to give off a smelly odor if it is left uncleaned over a long time. 

Maybe your garbage disposal already smells awful. We have good news for you- the unpleasant smell is not permanent. Best guess, it was caused by the accumulation of gunk along the drain of the disposal.

 Isn’t it pleasing to know that you can quickly get rid of the smelly odor in no time?  No, you don’t need a plumber for that.

We say this because this piece contains 9 simple and proven ways on how to clean your garbage disposal off that stinking odor using everyday household items. Okay, let’s get at it now.

1. Clean the visible portion around the Garbage Disposal

Getting rid of stinking odor in kitchen disposal is usually by a trial and error method. The gunk giving off the smell might be hidden anywhere for all we care. 

So, it is advisable to clean the visible portion of the disposal first. You will need a deodorant dishwashing soap, water, and scrub brush for this purpose.

Add 2-3 squirts of the soap to a considerable volume of warm water and pour it down the drain. Scrub the portion around the garbage disposal with the brush as you pour the mild soap solution down the drain.

The brush helps to remove any food particles adhering to the surface of the disposal, and the hot soap solution kills off the germs. You should pay more attention to the region where the disposal rim adjoins the sink basin while doing this.

2. Soak the Housing.

There is a high tendency that some food particles are hidden inside the housing. So, the next time your garbage disposal smells bad, you may want to consider washing the kitchen housing thoroughly. 

Soaking the kitchen housing is straight forward. All you need for this purpose is a bowl of water and dishwashing soap or vinegar.

To infuse the housing, first off, stop the drain and flush the basin using soapy water for about 2minutes. After that, turn on the garbage disposal by unplugging the drain.

The foam from the soapy water propels it, thus allows the passage of water into the housing.

Allow this to continue for 10-15 minutes to ensure proper rinsing of every corner in the housing.  

While a hot water-soap mixture kills off the bacteria in the drain, leaving a sweet smell, care should be taken when using vinegar cause of its corrosive tendencies.

3. Dislodge Slimy Residue using ice cubes and kosher salt.

This may not be necessary as the soap-water mixture usually works well. However, If the bad odor lingers on, then it may be the right time to go all out. 

To dislodge the garbage disposal, you will need enough quantity of ice cubes and a handful of kosher salt. You can quickly obtain them from your freezer and kitchen cabinet, respectively.

Next, throw the mixture down the garbage disposal. You should put the garbage disposal on while at this.

The combination never works better. The rotary motion of garbage disposal grinds the ice. The grounded ice throws itself at food pieces and gunk along with the garbage disposal in an attempt to peel them off.

The salt finishes off the job, and the nasty smells are gone before you know it 

4. Citrus fruit / Lemon peel

Here the abrasion and sweet fragrance of the citrus peels are put to work.  You can either grind the citrus peel or rely on the blades of the garbage disposal to do the trick.

Place the lemon peel along the drain. Then, put on the garbage disposal while water from the tap runs down at half-power.

The citrus peel wears off the tiny pieces of food sticking to the drain and leaves your kitchen with a refreshing smell altogether. 

You may also make use of the citrus itself, wholly or halved, depending on the strength of the blade of your garbage disposal

5. Routine Flushing

This is much of a preventive measure, but it works well. You don’t need to wait until your kitchen reeks of lousy smell before you start maintaining good kitchen upkeep habits.

Turn on the disposal and run a thick stream of water from a tap down the machine. The tap should be at full-power while doing this, and you should allow this to continue for some time.

The force of running water pushes off any remains of food down the pipe in the process. It is an effective way to get rid of foul odor in the Garbage disposal, and you should do it more often

6. Deodorizing cleaning

This is one tough cleaning solution use in removing smelling odor from the garbage disposal. 

This method makes use of dry baking soda and vinegar solution. Those are quite easy to obtain. 

First off, lift the drain stopper from the garbage disposal and then fill the drain with baking soda. This is followed by adding a half-cup of vinegar solution to the pipe. Next, put on the garbage disposal and add warm water for 1minute.’

Some bacteria may already be growing off the food leftovers. This process eliminates any germ that might be present in the drain during this process.

7. Deep Cleaning 

Improperly rinsed food sludge, which hardens onto the drain of the garbage disposal or pipe, may also be the cause of the smelly odor.  Hardened food sludge is difficult to remove. As such, the odor may persist.

But you don’t need to panic. At this point, it may become essential to deep clean the garbage disposal using a rubber test cap with a steel clamp.

Deep cleaning involves placing a bucket under the pipe leading to the down the drain until the water level reaches the top. 

Add a half-cup of powdered oxygen bleach to the disposal drain for 1hr, so that the bleach soaks in the water. At this point, you should disengage the pipe from the rubber test cap and allow the solution to drain into the bucket.

Do not forget to reconnect the pipe to your garbage disposal

8. Remove Large materials manually

A clog by a spoon, fork, or any other kitchen utensils for that matter might block the free passage of food pieces to the housing. In this case, you have to remove such material manually

To do this, you should first disconnect any electrical fuse that supplies power to the machine to avoid accidents due to electrical shock. Next, illuminate the area around the garbage disposal before removing the material using a thong or plier. 

Finally, run some water down the drain of the machine to check if you have successfully solved the problem. Avoid cuts from the machine blade while doing so.

9. Prevention works wonders

You should avoid running fibrous vegetables, spongy items, and starchy food like plantain chips down the garbage disposal at all costs.

Allow the machine to run for a longer time than necessary to displace stubborn particles with the housing.

These are just some tips to keep in mind. Remember that preventing a lousy odor is better than eliminating it all the same.

Why should you Eliminate Garbage Disposal odors?

Elimination of garbage disposal is necessary because it is one of the worst things that can happen in one’s kitchen.

Routine cleaning of your garbage disposal via any of the simple tips mentioned above can help you to achieve that.

Don’t wait for the outbreak of smelly odor around your kitchen before you act.