How to Eliminate Foul Odor Coming from a Garbage Disposal
The most often asked question concerning plumbing is “What can I do about a foul odor coming from the drain?” Depending on the type of drain and what is causing the odor, there are several different answers to this topic. Garbage disposals are often the source of odors in homes.
The smell in your garbage disposal might be coming from a buildup of food waste. You’ll need to clean and deodorize the appliance in order to remove this disagreeable smell.
Baking White Vinegar and Soda
Using white vinegar and baking soda is one of the simplest methods to clean and freshen the trash disposal.
- Pour one cup of white vinegar and roughly a quarter cup of baking soda down the disposal. The combination of these two solutions works to remove mineral deposits from the interior of the drain and eliminate bacteria and germs that cause odors.
- Give it a five to ten minute rest. Let the residual food waste be consumed by the baking soda and white vinegar.
- Wash again. Pour cold water down the garbage disposal’s drain.
Ice and Salt
The disposal’s blades are lubricated and any food residue is washed down the drain by running water through it. For a similar effect, you may clean and deodorize the disposal unit using salt and ice. The ice physically eliminates any filth that has become lodged, while the salt neutralizes any smells. The quantity of food waste that becomes lodged in the disposal can also be decreased by using the ice to sharpen the disposal’s blades.
- Incorporate ice and salt into the waste disposal. Add a handful of salt and a couple ice cubes to the disposal.
- Turn on the trash disposal. Turn on the garbage disposal to break up the ice cubes and spread the salt around the inside. Repeat as needed to eliminate the odors.
Ground Orange Peels
Throwing an entire orange peel down the garbage disposal is not a smart idea since the peel might clog the drain or restrict the blades. On the other hand, pulverizing citrus peels can be a very efficient method for deodorizing and cleaning the waste disposal.
- Select the fruit you want. Choose whichever fruit you happen to have on hand, or if you have a particular kind in mind, choose that one.
- Grind and peel the fruit. Peel the fruit carefully, then coarsely chop the citrus peel.
- Incorporate the ground peels. After turning on the garbage disposal, pour cold water down the drain. To the disposal, add the pulverized citrus peels. Citrus oils have the ability to eliminate germs and fungus that cause odors while also imparting a refreshing citrus smell.
Scouring Powder
Before buying a scouring powder to clean and deodorize the disposal, it’s crucial to do your homework and choose a scouring powder that is safe to use for this purpose. Not all scouring powder types are good for trash disposals.
- Toss in some scouring powder for disposal. Half a cup or more of scouring powder should be added to the waste disposal. Allow the powder to stay in the disposal for approximately fifteen minutes after adding a little amount of cold water to assist it cling.
- Wash again. Run the cold water and turn on the disposal. In addition to cleaning the blades and getting rid of the bad smell, this will also flush the scouring powder down the drain.
Brush bottle
Scrubbing the garbage disposal’s inside down is another way to get rid of offensive smells. A long bottle brush and some liquid dishwashing soap may be used to clean inside the disposal, even though you should never put your hands inside.
- Switch off the electricity. First, disconnect the garbage disposal’s power cable or turn off the breaker switch. By doing this, you can be sure the appliance won’t start up while you’re cleaning.
- Use dishwashing soap to scrub. Fill the bottle brush with liquid dish soap, then insert the bottle brush into the garbage disposal. To clean the disposal’s inside and get rid of any food waste that has been trapped, use the brush.
- Wash again. Rinse the drain with cold water after cleaning the disposal’s inside. After that, either turn on the unit’s breaker switch or plug in the disposal. The internal circuit breaker of the trash disposal may need to be reset before it can be used, depending on the model. To do this, push the reset button on the bottom of the disposal.
Mouthwash
Mouthwash is not simply for breath freshening and teeth cleaning. Furthermore, it may clean your waste disposal.
- Put some mouthwash on. Run the garbage disposal for a few minutes after pouring four to five ounces of mouthwash with a mint aroma down the drain to get rid of the stench.
- Repeat. Repeat with more mouthwash, rinse, then run the disposal once more if the odor persists.
Advice for Maintaining a Clean Garbage Disposal
- Eggshells, stringy veggies, oils, and fatty meals should not be added since they can quickly block the waste disposal.
- Give your garbage disposal at least thirty seconds to go through to ensure that all of the food has been disposed of.
- Use only cold water to run the disposal if you want food to stay solid. Some foods that are broken down by hot water may become stuck in the disposal.
If you need help, Lifetime Plumbing, your professional plumber from Chicago, can assist you with garbage disposal installation, repair or replacement services.
