A Complete Guide on How to Remove Odor from Garbage Disposal 

Garbage disposals are one of the essential systems through which you can keep your kitchen clean. It helps to eliminate all the food waste in the kitchen. It allows the garbage to be collected in one place for recycling. As food waste decomposes very quickly, it can stink up your kitchen within a few hours. For this reason, it is better to keep your garbage disposal system clean.

Garbage disposals are environmentally friendly. As you dispose of waste through the system, there is less need to use a garbage truck to dispose of the waste. It reduces the emission of methane gas. It also saves time, reduces cost, and decreases the overall trash.

Despite the countless benefits of the system, a garbage disposal can also be a source of many problems. If garbage disposals are not taken care of properly or are overused, they can result in an odor. Sometimes the food waste can become stuck in the internal parts of the system. It can lead to the accumulation of food bacteria and mold, which then emit an odor from the garbage disposal system. This odor can be unpleasant, uncomfortable, embarrassing, and frustrating.

However, the great news is that the garbage disposal system is straightforward to clean. How to remove odor from Garbage Disposal? To remove these embarrassing smells, here are some simple ways to clean your garbage disposal.

Know when to clean your garbage disposal

Before knowing how to remove odor from the garbage disposal, you need to know when to clean your garbage disposal.

It would help if you kept in mind a few things as these can help you figure out whether or not your garbage disposal needs cleaning.

The first thing is to identify the smell. When you enter the kitchen, do you smell something awful? Can you decipher where the odor is coming from? If the answer to the first question is yes, and if the answer to the second question is no, then that means your garbage disposal needs cleaning.

The second thing to figure out if your garbage disposal needs cleaning is to check its cleaning efficiency. Is the system working as it used to previously? If the answer to that question is no, you need to know how to remove odor from the garbage disposal.

Remove clogged objects

One of the main reasons for the odor is the clogged drain. The food waste can get stuck in the system that decomposes and starts to smell. It also prevents food from draining, causing a more pungent odor.

If a large object is stuck in your drainage system, then you need to unclog the system before you start to remove the odor. However, before you start this cleaning process, make sure you close the garbage disposal system’s switch. It is a safety precaution, as this will ensure that the disposer does not start working when you are trying to unclog it.

You can find the switch of the disposal system on a nearby wall or under the cabinet. If you cannot find the button, you should turn off the main electric fuse.

The next step is to start cleaning. For you to clean the garbage disposal system, you will need two essential tools:

• A pair of tong or pliers— this will allow you to remove the clog without getting your hands dirty. It is also safer to use this tool than your own hands because the disposal system’s blades are quite sharp and can scrape your hand.
• A flashlight— the light will allow you to look down the garbage disposal system and identify the cause of the smell.

An important thing to keep in mind when cleaning the disposal system is not to damage the grinder. When you are taking out the clogged object, be wary of the amount of pressure you apply.

One of the primary reasons for the blockade in your garbage disposal is the lack of rinsing. Hence, make rinsing the food down the drain a habit.

Soak the disposal system

Flushing the system is an easy way to make sure your disposal system is clean. This method allows you to remove loose dirt and sludge. To clean the system in this manner, do the following.

• Start with putting a stopper on the food waste disposer. It will help you retain the water so that it can flush the system together.
• Add a small amount of dish soap.
• Turn on the hot water tap until the water reaches 2-4 inches in the sink.
• Remove the plug and switch on the garbage disposal system.

Make sure you use hot water and not cold water when flushing down the water. Hot water helps to liquefy the oil and grease in the drain. It makes it easier to flush down the garbage disposal system.

This cleaning method is a must when it comes to removing odor from the garbage disposal. This method ensures that there is no food stuck in the system. Furthermore, it is a more effective method than just running the tap as it washes the course thoroughly and prevents the build-up of debris.

Grab a brush

Another traditional way of cleaning the system is to use a scrubbing brush. Even though this method does not explain how to remove odor from the garbage disposal, this step is essential as only after removing the food waste will the smell go away.

For this method, grab a brush designed for this purpose or grab your toothbrush and start scrubbing. Just make sure you remove the screen to help you see the drain’s internal part and make cleaning easier.

Combine ice cubes and salt

Sometimes the sludge and debris are tougher to remove. The flushing method is not enough to remove the sludge and the smell. What do you do then? Well, here is an easy solution.

Grab the ice cubes from your freezer and take out the salt from your kitchen cabinet. All you have to do is turn on the garbage disposal system and throw the ice in the system. Next, sprinkle the salt. Make sure you keep the water tap running as that will allow the ice to melt. After this, sit back and let the sharp blades to crush the ice and salt.

If you want to kill two birds with one stone, you can opt for a different method. Instead of using regular ice cubes, you can use white vinegar ice cubes. This method is more effective as it removes the odor, sharpens the blades, and removes the severe sludge and debris.

Make use of this magical solution—baking soda and vinegar.

Now that you know how to remove the odor, it is time to learn how to remove the garbage disposal system’s smell. The perfect solution for the stink in your kitchen is baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda is a cutting element and is known to fight off the stains and elements stuck in the drain.

To make your garbage disposal smell-free, start by pouring a cup of vinegar into the system. Then add the baking soda into the garbage disposal system. Leave the mixture for 15 minutes so that the vinegar and baking soda can mix well together.

The mixture works well to kill off bacteria like E.coli and salmonella. It will leave also leave your system clean and fresh.  While this mixture is the best to kill off odors, you must be cautious when using it. Because of the vinegar’s acidic nature, using the method too often will ruin the garbage disposal system’s rubber.

Make use of citrus fruits.

Citrus fruits are not just good for our bodies but also for cleaning the garbage disposal system. They are natural deodorizers for the course.

The best way to use the fruits is to use the peel. After you have the peel, please put it in the disposal system and allow the system to grind it. You can also throw in the entire fruit in the system. The citrus oils from the fruit clean the blades and the design, leaving it smelling fresh.

You can use any citrus fruit— grapefruit, lime, lemon, and orange.

Use a readymade solution.

Plink deodorizer is a great garbage disposal cleaner. You do not have to do anything at home for this method. You can easily buy this and use it. It is a cost-effective method of how to remove odor from the garbage disposal.

Plink is a garbage disposal cleaner made with natural chemicals to cut down any food particles caught in the drain. The use of natural substances prevents damage from the internal part of the system.

Plink comes in the shape of a small pill that consists of the chemicals. When it is combined with water, it deodorizes your garbage disposal system with a pleasant smell. It comes in different flavors—lemon, lime, and orange.

This deodorizer is very easy to use. Start by switching off the disposer. Then turn on the tap water. Make sure the water is hot. It will clean the excess food waste. Second, reduce the flow of water to a steady stream. Third, take out the pill, put it in the disposer, and keep it running for 15 seconds. Last, close the tap and the garbage disposal system. The blades will crush the pill and leave your kitchen smell-free.

Engage in preventative measures

Add biodegradable food

Even though knowing how to remove odor from the garbage disposal system is essential to keep your system in top condition, it is more important to understand how to prevent it from smelling in the first place.

It would help if you learned how to make sure the system does not get clogged in the first place. You can do this in some ways. Even though you think the garbage disposal is to dispose of all kinds of waste, you’re mistaken. The system is not your trashcan. You can only put in biodegradable food in the system.

Therefore, you should avoid the following food.

Fibrous materials. It includes onion skins, artichokes, celery stalks, and cornhusks. All these foods can be stuck in the motor. A better way to get rid of them would be to compost them.

Avoid putting in starchy materials, like potato peels, in the system. The starch from these foods can stick to the garbage disposal blades.

Restrain from putting in expandable food. Pasta and rice fall under this category. The water in the drain can inflate such fares, which then clogs the drain.

Wipe away the grease

Keep greasy foods and grease away. Oil, grease, and fat are all oily substances that can collect in the disposal system, slow downpipes, and cause the drain to clog. To avoid this disaster from happening, wipe off the kitchen utensils with a paper towel before you rinse them.

 Cut large food items.

Other preventative measures include cutting the food into smaller pieces. As one of the leading causes of a clogged drain is large objects, this method will ensure that your drain remains clog-free. Cut your food into one-inch cubes before you drain them.

Add small amounts of food.

Clogging also occurs because large amounts of food are stuffed down the drain at once. It is advisable to put in a small quantity of food every time. After the small amount has been flushed, add more food.

There are many ways through which you can ensure that your garbage disposal system remains clean and odor-free. All the methods mentioned above are practical and efficient. Choose the ones that suit you. But more importantly, engage in preventative measures. If you do so, then you will save yourself the trouble of having to Google “how to remove odor from the garbage disposal.” It is always good to nip the problem in the bud; otherwise, the situation can get out of hand.