When it comes to kitchen appliances that just make life a little bit easier, one appliance that always comes to mind is the garbage disposal. A garbage disposal is a handy machine that literally does the dirty work for you.
However, sometimes this dirty work can leave behind a trail of clogged up residue and an unwanted odor. The truth is, your garbage disposal is bound to have somewhat of an odor, but it’s the odors that are overwhelming that raise some concern.
The good new is that it’s very easy to remove the foul odors coming from your disposal unit, and there are several effective ways to do so.
Many homeowners choose to clean the garbage disposal with chemicals, but there are several natural remedies that are just as effective, if not better. Not only are these natural cleaning solutions just as effective but they save you money as well. Below will we cover five natural ways to get rid of that dreadful stench for good.
The Power of Citrus Fruits
The little orange, yellow and green fruits inside of your refrigerator are good for more than just eating. For decades, people have used citrus fruits to clean and deodorize household surfaces.
By much surprise, the fruits that you have in your refrigerator happen to have a lot more to offer than just eating purposes. For decades, people have used citrus fruits to clean and deodorize household surfaces.
Oranges, limes, and lemons can be very effective when it comes to removing odors from a garbage disposal. Some people prefer to use nothing more than the peels, however, you have the option of using whole fruits.
If the fruits are already beginning to spoil, then it makes sense to put them to good use. The acid from inside of the fruit will deodorize any harmful smell while also disinfecting the unit’s walls and blades.
Salt And Ice
The same ingredients that you might use to make a martini can be used to deodorize your garbage disposal. If you want to try this cleaning method, grab some rock salt and ice.
The same ingredients that you might use to make a martini with can be used to deodorize your garbage disposal as well. To try this method of cleaning, you just simply need some rock salt and ice. Don’t worry if you don’t any rock salt on hand, table salt will work just fine.
Most homeowners do not know that ice can be used to sharpen the blades of their disposal. The salt is effective at disinfecting all the different components within the disposal unit. Combining the two ingredients together, while running hot water will not only loosen up any residue or fatty build-ups but will also disinfect the inside of the disposal as it is being flushed out.
Vinegar and Ice
The combination of salt and ice works very well for deodorization, but you can also use a mixture of vinegar and ice. The reason why vinegar is such a great cleaning agent because it is high in acidity, so it will kill germs, bacteria, and mold just as well as any cleaning product you can find in stores.
To get the most out of this idea, you can create some vinegar ice cubes and toss those into the garbage disposal. The vinegar cubes will sharpen the blades while deodorizing everything that they come into contact with.
Baking Soda
Another powerful deodorizing agent is baking soda, and it can be used to make almost anything smell better. Baking soda is frequently used to remove odors from underarms, pets, carpets and most commonly, refrigerators.
To deodorize your garbage disposal using baking soda, you can pour some down the drain and flush it with some warm water. Since it’s a natural deodorizer, the baking soda will eliminate odors on contact. If there are pungent smells coming from your garbage disposal still, then it is time to pull out the heavy artillery. For maximum deodorizing power, consider using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Pour the mixture down the drain, and it will get rid of the worst odors on contact.
However, its best to let the mixture sit for up to 15 minutes, to really give the deodorizing agents time to work. Since the compounds react with each other, it’s best to toss some baking soda into the drain before adding the vinegar. If you decide to mix the ingredient beforehand, make sure that you use very small amounts.
Hire a Professional Plumber
If your garbage disposal has a distinct smell, and you want to do something about it, one of the best ways to handle the problem is with help from a professional plumber. Since we’re plumbers, we encounter this problem time and again, and we can recommend the best way to remove the foul odor and prevent it from coming back again.
We have commercial cleaning agents and can use them to give your garbage disposal a thorough cleaning. Yes, Natural remedies can be very effective, but sometimes problems lie further into the disposal unit and drains, which requires the help of a professional plumber.
Preventing Foul Odors from Developing
It’s best to prevent foul odors from developing in the first place. In theory, garbage disposals should be able to self-clean, and as long as they’re used correctly, they should have no problem staying clean. For starters, you should make sure that you’re always running your disposal for the correct amount of time.
A common mistake that almost everyone makes is not running the unit long enough. If you turn the unit off immediately after the grinding has stopped, then you’re not running it long enough. When food particles are allowed to sit in the disposal, they’ll begin to rot and produce strong odors. For the best results, you should run the garbage disposal for five seconds after it has finished grinding up the food.
It’s also important to run cold water while using the garbage disposal because the water helps to lubricate the parts and wash food particles into the drain. You should avoid running hot water for long periods of time because it can liquefy grease and cause a clog to form. It is also important to realize that the garbage disposal is not a trash can, so there are many items that shouldn’t be placed inside of it.
For example, you should never run cigarette butts, metal, plastic, paper or glass down the drain. Grease and fat are also bad for the disposal. Some other items that shouldn’t be run through the disposal are asparagus, artichokes, onion skins, celery stalks and corn husks.
Coffee grinds and egg shells are also items that should be thrown in the trash can and not the garbage disposal. As long as you treat your disposal with great care, it shouldn’t burden you with foul odors.
However, if it’s already producing odors, you can use these natural remedies to correct the issue, or you can call us, and we can use our professional expertise to deodorize your garbage disposal and make sure it smells fantastic.
For garbage disposal deodorization in your Louisville Kentucky home, call Tom Drexler Plumbing at (502) 456-5982.
