Garbage Disposal Smells Really Bad, What to Do?

Garbage disposal indeed has to be related to garbage, but not in a way that causes disturbing bad smells. What is causing your garbage disposal to smell bad? If you wonder about this, you are not alone. It can be fixed with some easy tricks, though. Check out below to learn what you can do to tackle that.

Garbage Disposal Smells Really Bad

Life has never been so easy with garbage disposal. With this appliance, you don’t have to scrape the remnants of your food waste before washing the dishes. With its magic, all your remnants were gone like a lie within seconds! Who doesn’t want that to happen?

However, as you got so used to this appliance, you cannot deny that your garbage disposal may cause some problems. One of the very common problems is garbage disposal, which smells bad.

garbage disposal smells really bad

So, what may cause garbage disposal to smell like sewage—to describe it more dramatically? Chances are some decaying food scraps are lying around the disposal blades or on the connected drainpipes. These remnants produce gas coming up and out from your drain hole.

Read also: How to Fix Garbage Disposal Hums

You better go with the basics for now: scraping your remnant food particles into the garbage. Plus, consider learning how to fix this smelly garbage disposal. Here is how.

1. Get some natural remedies to tackle the smell

There are several possible options that you can do to handle garbage disposal smells when the dishwasher runs.

  • Combine baking soda and white vinegar. Pour ¼ cup of baking soda into your garbage disposal, then pour 1 cup of white vinegar. Let it bubble for a few minutes, and rinse it by running some water on it.
  • You can also use mouthwash. Just purchase another bottle of your favorite brand and pour it onto your garbage disposal. Let it sit for a while. Then rinse, just like you usually do.
  • Salt and ice are another excellent combination for cleaning your garbage disposal. The salt is a scrub to remove build-up, while the ice sharpens the blades. Pour half a cup of salt and two cups of ice into the disposal. Run the disposal to make quick work of any residue.

2. Use acids from citrus fruits

To do this, you need to prepare the rinds of citrus fruits. To mention some, you can have oranges, grapefruit, limes, or lemons. However, don’t just have it one or two. Prepare a handful of any of these peelings onto your garbage disposal. Then, grind.

Some people want it to be combined with the fruits as well. This is good, too. So, connect the ground peelings with the fruits and put them onto your garbage disposal. Let this mix work wonders. Remember not to combine it with other garbage when ‘cleansing’.

3. Use scouring powder

Alternatively, you can use scouring powder to handle the sewage smell your garbage disposal produces. It is so simple to do the cleaning: sprinkle a half cup of your favorite scouring powder down the disposal. Then, run cold water.

Following that, you need to set it for about 15 minutes before cleaning it off with cold water. You can use this if you don’t have baking soda. But if you have both, they do the same thing.

Additionally, to completely eliminate garbage disposal odors, it’s vital to perform routine maintenance. This includes regularly running cold water through the disposal after each use to flush away any lingering debris.

That sums up what causes garbage disposal smells bad and how to tackle it. I hope the methods above work for you.

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John Burns is an experienced author and expert home improvement advice. With years of practical experience in the field authored several informative articles on various aspects related to home improvement, including installation, maintenance, and repair.