How to Get Rid Of Smelly Garbage Disposal 

Kitchens are, perhaps, the essential parts of our homes. After all, that is where you cook and eat your food, right? Bearing in mind the critical role that kitchens play in our daily lives, nothing would be worse than a kitchen that continually smells like tuna fish, right?

When you speak of kitchens plagued by foul odors, the fact of the matter is that garbage disposals are the significant causes. If you remember to meet your garbage disposal cleaning needs regularly, there is a high probability of your kitchen smelling as fresh as spring. Here is how to get rid of smelly garbage disposal:

Take Care of the Clogs

If you are wondering how to get rid of smelly garbage disposal, the first thing that you can do is get rid of any clogs that might be present. As is often the case with garbage disposals, there is a clog somewhere that is the foul odor’s root cause. So, if you are to get rid of the foul odor, the only way you can go about it is to remove the clog altogether.

When it comes to removing clogs, the fact of the matter is that you should NEVER put your hand into the garbage disposal, even if the appliance is turned off. No clog is worth having your hand butchered off. Instead, it would help if you took the aid of pliers or long tweezers for the job.

But the fact remains that you will first need to locate the exact location of the clog. For this purpose, shine a flashlight into the garbage disposal, and you should be able to locate its exact location. It will make it incredibly more comfortable for you to remove the clog with your tool of choice.

Before you get to the task of removing the clog, you need to unplug your appliance, for the sake of your safety. Once the clog has been removed, plug your waste disposal back in, turn the water on, and keep the appliance running for a minute. Turn off the disposal afterward, followed by the water.

Soak In Soapy Water

Do you wish to know how to get rid of a smelly garbage disposal? If the answer is yes, then why don’t you make use of some old age wisdom? You must have heard how soaking something in soapy water is often enough to get rid of the stinky odor that might be plaguing it. Well, the fact of the matter is that this piece of old age wisdom is authentic.

However, the question arises: how are you supposed to soak your garbage disposal in soapy water? Think about it yourself: the garbage disposal is always running, so it is tough to give it proper cleaning and soaking. Soaking and cleaning are essential if you prevent food particles from getting trapped inside the garbage disposal. And if you are concerned about getting rid of smelly garbage disposal, you should know that these stuck particles will start to smell eventual.

To go about soaking your waste disposal in soapy water, you should, first of all, put a plug in the drain of your garbage disposal. Next, fill the sink with at least four inches of water and add two teaspoons full of liquid dish soap into it. Swish the water around, to form suds, and then unplug the drain. Turn the garbage disposal on simultaneously and allow it to process the soapy water. Once the water has drained out, turn the garbage disposal off.

When it comes to a guide on how to get rid of smelly garbage disposal, enough stress cannot be laid into regularly soaking your garbage disposal in soapy water. It will take care of a majority of your foul odor problems.

Scrub the Visible Parts

The next step that is of the utmost importance when it comes to getting rid of smelly garbage disposal is the scrubbing of visible parts. Why? Well, it is necessary to get rid of the loosened food particles that might still be plaguing your garbage disposal. Scrubbing the disposal will dislodge any crumbs that might still be present.

To go about doing this, take a scrub brush and rinse it with water. Pour an adequate quantity of liquid dish soap onto the damp brush and use it for scrubbing the external and accessible parts of your garbage disposal. From the rim of the sink basin to the inside of the drain, be sure to scrub all garbage disposal components that are visible and accessible.

When going about the cleaning job, you need to keep the order of things in mind. For instance, you should ensure that soak the garbage disposal in soapy water before going about scrubbing it. Why? Well, it is because soaking it in soapy water will loosen the hardened particles of food that might be plaguing it, making the scrubbing job significantly more straightforward. If you do not soak the garbage disposal in soapy water beforehand, it is a certainty that the scrubbing job will not be a tough predicament but ineffective as well. Remember: order is important when you speak of how to get rid of smelly garbage disposal.

Scrub the Insides

Once you have scrubbed your garbage disposal’s external components, the next step in getting rid of smelly garbage disposal is to scrub the insides. To go about it, put ten ice cubes, or more, into the basin where the garbage disposal is. Next, pour down half a cup of coarse salt to cover the ice cubes with it.

Turn on a slow stream of water while simultaneously turning on the waste disposal as well. Push the ice cubes and salts towards the drain and keep the garbage disposal running until the salt and ice cubes are no longer there.

A question arises: why is such a shenanigan essential in a guide? How get rid of a smelly garbage disposal? The fact of the matter is that both the salt and ice cubes will do wonders for getting rid of the odor. The ice cubes will dislodge any food particles that might still be stuck, whereas the salt will remove all the potential sources of foul odor by thoroughly scrubbing the impeller blades.

Flush Down Some Cold Water

After the insides of your garbage disposal have been cleaned up, there is a high probability of it being free of all kinds of clogs and food particles. Bearing this in mind, if you are still concerned about getting rid of smelly garbage disposal, you should know that there is only one thing left to do: flushing the garbage disposal with cold water.

Why is this important? Well, it is because flushing cold water down the garbage disposal will flush out any leftover remnants and debris, making your appliance truly clean. To go about doing this, turn the cold water on full blast and direct the water stream into the waste disposal drain. Allow the water to run for two minutes for maximum results.

A pro tip to bear in mind regarding this is that you should always turn the water on before running the garbage disposal. On the other hand, when it comes to turning the water off, you are only supposed to do that after shutting down the garbage disposal.

When you speak of a guide on how to get rid of smelly garbage disposal, these steps constitute a significant chunk of all that needs to be done. However, for people who are still concerned about getting rid of smelly garbage disposal, the fact remains that several things can still be done to make your lives easier.

Use Citrus

When it comes to a guide on how to get rid of smelly garbage disposal, the fact of the matter is that it should not only include tips. What you are supposed to do with garbage disposal is giving off a foul odor; instead, it is also supposed to advise on preventing that from happening in the first place. Bearing it in mind, you need to know that citrus is of the utmost importance when keeping your garbage disposal clean and fresh.

From lemon to lime to orange to grapefruit—it does not matter which citrus fruit you are speaking of, considering how all of them are nothing short of blessings for your waste disposal. From these fruits to their peels, you can throw anything into the garbage disposal and allow it to process it. It will not only help in getting the blades all cleaned up but leave your kitchen with a breathtaking citrus scent as well.

It means that the peels of the fruit will clean your blades and garbage disposals while your kitchen will smell as fresh as a dandelion. What more could you possibly wish for if you are concerned about getting rid of a smelly garbage disposal? Regular usage of citrus fruits and oils, in this regard, will ensure that there is no need for you to employ strict and complex procedures for getting rid of foul smells.

The Magical Concoction

If you take care of all the clogs and food particles inside your garbage disposal and remember to use citrus regularly, the chances are that you will not have to worry much about how to get rid of smelly garbage disposal. However, if you still have to deal with such a problem, you will need to use the magical concoction.

What is the magical concoction, you ask? It comprises vinegar and baking soda and is bound to take care of the foul odor from your garbage disposal. First of all, you will need to lift the rubber flaps and pour one-half cup of baking soda into your garbage disposal drain. The entire drain is to be filled up, so you will need to keep on pouring baking soda down the drain until you can fill it no more.

Once the drain is full of baking soda, take a half-cup full of vinegar and pour it down the drain. For those who do not already know, vinegar has a reputation for being a natural deodorizer and killer of bacteria. Allow the concoction to sit in the drain of your garbage disposal for one hour so that it can work its magic.

After the necessary interval of time has elapsed, turn the garbage disposal on and run cold water for one minute. This method is effective, no doubt, but that does not mean that it should be used frequently. Why? It is so because vinegar is acidic and can damage the rubber elements inside your garbage disposal.

Bearing this in mind, if you are concerned about getting rid of smelly garbage disposal, it is recommended for you to take care of your needs using citrus methods rather than vinegar. Suppose you frequently expose your garbage disposal to the power of citrus. In that case, the chances are that you will not need to be worried about getting rid of the smelly garbage disposal and using vinegar to get out of your predicament.

When you take it all into perspective, you have to comment that you only need to be worried about how to get rid of smelly garbage disposal if you defer the cleaning needs of your garbage disposal for a bit too long. If you remember to conduct simple cleaning jobs on your waste disposal unit regularly, you will be able to avoid foul odors with minimal fuss!