It is true that garbage disposal has to be related with garbage, but not in a way that causes disturbing bad smells. What is causing your garbage disposal smells really 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 easier with garbage disposal. With this appliance, you don’t have to scrape the remnants of your food before washing the dishes. With its magic, all your remnants 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 often problems is garbage disposal smells really bad.

So, what may cause garbage disposal smells like sewage—to describe it more dramatically? Chances are some decaying food remnants are lying around the blades of your garbage disposal or on the drainpipes which are connected to it. These remnants produce gas, coming up and coming out from your drain hole.
For the time being, you better go with the basics: scraping your remnant food onto the garbage. Plus, consider learning what you can do 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 to your garbage disposal, and then pour 1 cup of white vinegar. Let it bubble for some minutes and rinse by running some water.
- You can as well use mouthwash. Just purchase another bottle of your favorite brand, and then pour it onto your garbage disposal. Let it sit for a while. Then rinse, just like you usually do.
- Borax too will help to reduce the odor. Simply pour ½ cup of this ingredient once in a week, let it sit for one hour or two, and rinse it.
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 works wonder. Remember not to combine it with other garbage when ‘cleansing’.
3. Use scouring powder
Alternatively, you can also use some 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, add a bit of 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.
That sums up the details of what causes garbage disposal smells really bad and how to tackle it. I hope the methods above work for you.