The Unsavory Aroma Lurking in Your Kitchen!
We’ve all experienced that dreadful moment when an unpleasant odor permeates the kitchen, leaving us scrunching our noses in discomfort. Often, the culprit behind these unwanted smells is none other than our trusty kitchen companion – the garbage disposal. While this indispensable appliance efficiently chews up food scraps and waste, it’s not uncommon for it to develop a foul smell over time. But don’t worry, as we’re here to shed light on the mysteries of the bad smell coming from garbage disposal and provide you with effective solutions to banish those odors for good.
In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at what a smelly garbage disposal means and understand the reasons behind its malodor. From rotting food particles to bacterial growth, we’ll explore the various factors contributing to the unwelcome garbage disposal smell.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom! We’ll also equip you with a handy arsenal of tips and tricks to get rid of that nasty smell and prevent it from returning. From simple DIY methods to professional-grade garbage disposal cleaning techniques, you’ll discover how to keep your garbage disposal fresh, clean, and smelling delightful.
So, if you’re tired of wrinkling your nose every time you step into the kitchen and are eager to reclaim the fresh air in your culinary space, join us on this odor-fighting journey. Let’s dive into the world of smelly garbage disposals and learn how to get rid of smell in garbage disposal!
What Smelly Garbage Disposal Means?
A smelly garbage disposal refers to a kitchen appliance used to dispose of food scraps and other waste. When the garbage disposal emits unpleasant odors, it indicates that there are food particles or debris trapped in the disposal unit, causing bacterial growth and decay. The smell can be quite offensive and may spread throughout the kitchen, making it undesirable for any household.
Why Does The Garbage Disposal Stink?
Garbage disposal is a great thing to have in your home.
It saves you from having to throw away food waste, and it helps keep your kitchen clean. However, many people find that their garbage disposals start to smell after a while.
So, if you’ve ever noticed a strange smell coming from your garbage disposal, you’re not alone. Here are 15 common reasons why garbage disposals stink:
Food Residue
The most common cause of why does the garbage disposal stink is food residue. Dumping too much food down your disposal can clog up the blades and create an unpleasant odor that lingers for hours on end.
Lack of Water Flow
When water flows through your pipes, it helps remove any buildup that may be causing an odor problem in your home’s plumbing system. If there is no water flowing through these pipes, then it might be time for an inspection by a professional garbage disposal plumber who can identify why there is no water flow and fix it for you so that this doesn’t happen again!
Accumulated Grease and Fats
A garbage disposal is designed for grinding up small bits of food waste. However, it can only process so much before it clogs up and smells bad. If you have been throwing large amounts of grease or fat down your garbage disposal, you likely have accumulated a lot of residue in there. This can cause the garbage disposal to get clogged up with some pretty foul-smelling stuff!
Foul-Smelling Foods
Another reason for smelly garbage disposal is because of the kinds of foods you’re putting down there. Some foods contain more bacteria than others, which means that they will produce more foul odors when your garbage disposal’s blades crush them. Foods like fish and other seafood tend to smell especially bad when processed through garbage disposal!
Old or Rotting Food
Food is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to bad smells in general, especially when it comes to garbage disposal. If you’ve been putting food down the sink and not cleaning it out properly, it could rot in there, causing an unpleasant odor for anyone using the sink.
Lack of Cleaning
When you don’t clean the garbage disposal regularly, it will start to smell pretty bad. Not only does this make for an unpleasant experience for yourself, but also for other people who use your kitchen!
Hard-to-Reach Areas
A garbage disposal is a great tool for getting rid of all your food scraps, but it can be tough to clean. That’s because it’s usually tucked away in an area that’s hard to reach, and you don’t want to risk breaking it while you’re trying to get in there with a scrub brush or toothbrush.
Clogs
Another common cause of smelly garbage disposals is clogs caused by stringy foods such as celery or pasta noodles getting stuck in the drain or disposal blades themselves. It can block the flow of water and cause odors as well as damage to your disposal system.
Worn-out Seal
Your garbage disposal might be emitting an odor because its seal is worn out. This could happen if you’ve been using the disposal frequently or if it’s an old model. A worn-out seal will allow food particles to enter the motor and cause an unpleasant odor to emanate from your sink drain.
Faulty Discharge Pipes
If you notice that there is a foul smell coming from your sink drain, one of the most likely causes is a problem with the discharge pipes. The pipes may have become clogged with grease and other debris, causing them to emit an unpleasant odor when water flows through them.
Mineral Deposits
If you live in an area with hard water, mineral deposits can build up in your garbage disposal over time. This is not only an unpleasant smell but can also cause clogs and damage to your garbage disposal’s motor.
Inadequate Grinder Maintenance
When you do not run enough water through your garbage disposal grinder, food particles can get stuck inside the blades and start to rot over time—yuck!
Inadequate Ventilation
Garbage disposals are designed to keep food scraps from decomposing in the septic system. But when they’re not properly vented, they can release unpleasant and embarrassing odors.
Infrequent Use
The more often you use your garbage disposal, the less likely it will develop an unpleasant odor. So if you’re one of those people who only use their sink once a week or less, you might want to consider adding another chore to your daily routine—like cleaning out your sink every day!
Lingering Soap or Cleaning Agents
Improperly rinsed cleaning agents or soap can leave behind foul-smelling residues.
List Of Tools & Materials You’ll Need For How To Make Garbage Disposal Smell Better Tutorial
As you probably know, garbage disposal isn’t just an appliance that gets rid of food scraps and other organic matter. It’s also a source of bad smells and odors in your kitchen. If you want to know how to get rid of garbage disposal smell, you’ll need a few tools and materials:
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Lemon or citrus peels
- Ice cubes
- Salt
- Dish soap
- Old toothbrush
- Rubber gloves
- Pliers
- Allen wrench
- Clean cloth or sponge
- Rubber stopper or plug
- Mild abrasive cleaner
- Safety goggles (optional)
- Garbage disposal cleaning brush (optional)
How to get rid of smelly garbage disposal?
Wondering, “How to make a garbage disposal smell better?”
If you have a smelly garbage disposal, don’t worry. You can get rid of the smell and keep your garbage disposal clean for as long as possible. Here are several ways how to clean smelly garbage disposal that will make sure that your kitchen smells great and doesn’t have an odor coming from your sink.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is an excellent choice for how to get rid of a smelly garbage disposal technique, and it also helps reduce odors in your garbage disposal. Just add two tablespoons of baking soda to the bottom of your garbage disposal and turn on the cold water for about 30 seconds. This will help loosen up any gunk that has built up inside the unit and prevent it from sticking to the sides of the disposal chamber.
Try Ice Cubes and Salt
This method is great because it’s cheap, easy, and can be done while you’re cooking dinner or watching TV! Just fill the disposal with ice cubes, then add some salt and turn on the disposal for about 30 seconds. Then turn off the water valve under your sink and let everything sit for 15 minutes or so before turning it back on.
Cleaning with Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the most effective natural garbage disposal cleaners out there, so it’s no surprise that it works wonders on garbage disposals. All you have to do is pour some vinegar down the drain and let it sit for about 15 minutes before running the disposal again. This will kill any lingering bacteria in the drain trap, preventing smells from returning later down the road.
Lemon or Citrus Peels
Another way you should try when cleaning your garbage disposal is to squeeze some lemon juice into it. Lemon juice has antibacterial properties and will kill off bacteria that may be causing the odor in your garbage disposal. You can also rub lemon or lime peel over the sides of your sink to remove any gunk buildup on them, which will keep them from smelling as well!
Baking Soda and Dish Soap
Pour some baking soda down your garbage disposal, then add some dish soap and turn it on for a few seconds before turning it off again. The baking soda will help clean out all the gunk in your pipes, while the dish soap will loosen it up so it can drain away more easily. This is also a great way to clean out any grease build-up that’s been clogging up your sink!
Rubber Stopper or Plug
Use a rubber stopper or plug to prevent any garbage from entering the drain as you clean out your garbage disposal with boiling water. This will also make it easier for you to remove the rubber plug once everything has cooled down so that you can clean out any leftover debris from inside the sink before replacing the plug.
Boiling Water
To clean your garbage disposal, heat a pot of water on the stove and pour it into the bottom of your garbage disposal. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, then run cold water down the sink until the hot water is gone. This will loosen up any stuck-on bits of food that might be causing the odor, and it also helps break down grease and other fatty substances that can build up in your pipes and cause odors.
Use a Garbage Disposal Cleaning Brush
These brushes are specially designed to fit down into your sink’s drain and clear out any debris that might be causing odor problems. They’re also great for getting rid of any leftover food particles that might be stuck in your drain, which can cause an unpleasant smell if they start to rot.
Pliers and Allen Wrench
If the problem isn’t something like food getting stuck in your drain, it may be just a matter of cleaning out some gunk that’s built up inside your sink or on the sides of your garbage disposal unit itself. In this case, you can use pliers and an Allen wrench to clean out any gunk that has accumulated around where water flows through the unit (such as when you dump things down there). This will help prevent future odors from building up inside your garbage disposal unit!
Regular Cleaning Schedule
Regularly cleaning your garbage disposal is one of the best ways to keep it from smelling bad over time because it will help prevent food particles from getting stuck inside, where they can rot away slowly over time. If you don’t already have a regular cleaning schedule set up for yourself, then now is as good a time as any! Just make sure you do it every week or so (depending on how much food gets thrown away in your house).
Things You Should Never Put Down in a Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals are convenient, but they can also be tricky. They’re not designed to handle certain things—and when you put those things down the drain, it can cause all kinds of problems with your plumbing.
You can’t just put anything down the garbage disposal.
In fact, there are quite a few things you should never put down on your garbage disposal.
If you’re not sure what not to put in your garbage disposal, then garbage disposal experts in Metro Detroit will tell you everything you need to know about the things you should never put down there!
- Grease, fats, or oils
- Large or hard bones
- Coffee grounds
- Eggshells
- Fruit pits or seeds
- Pasta or rice
- Fibrous vegetables (e.g., celery, artichokes)
- Potato peels
- Non-food items (e.g., glass, plastic, metal)
- Expanding foods (e.g., rice, pasta)
- Chemicals or cleaning agents
- Seafood shells (e.g., shrimp, crab)
- Fruit stickers or labels
- Paper or plastic wrappers
- Stringy or fibrous materials (e.g., corn husks, onion skins)
From Installation to Fresh Scents, Trust Motor City Plumbing for Flawless Garbage Disposal Care!
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve got garbage disposal that’s been giving you some trouble. Maybe it smells bad, or it gets clogged easily. Maybe it just seems like it’s not working as well as it used to.
Garbage disposals are a hassle, but thankfully there’s Motor City Plumbing and Drain! We’ve been serving Metro Detroit for many years now, and we’re experts in all things plumbing: installation, maintenance, and repair.
Our technicians are licensed, bonded, and insured, so you don’t have to worry about anything when you hire us—just sit back and relax while we take care of everything. Our comprehensive range of services includes:
– Garbage disposal installation
– Garbage disposal replacement
– Garbage disposal repair
– Garbage disposal cleaning
– Garbage disposal maintenance
– And many more…
Our friendly technicians will arrive on time and ready to work. They’ll identify any problems at your disposal and make sure it’s running smoothly again.
If you need help installing or repairing a new garbage disposal, we can handle that too! Our expert staff will walk you through every step of the process so that your new appliance is installed correctly and ready for use as soon as possible.
We also offer free estimates, so there is no way that you will pay more than necessary for our services!
To learn more about our services on Garbage Disposal Installation and Maintenance in Metro Detroit, call us at (586) 585-1862!