How to Deal with a Stinky Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals are a wonderful modern luxury that allow you to immediately get rid of food scraps without having to scrape them out of the sink and into the garbage. But, because they deal with food waste, unpleasant smells can build up. Here are some simple, and natural ways, to deodorize your garbage disposal with things you most likely already have on hand.  

Baking soda and vinegar 

Is there anything this combination can’t do? From making homemade volcanoes to fighting odors, combining baking soda and vinegar can not only keep your drains unclogged, but also eliminate smells. Add a half a cup of baking soda to your disposal and let it sit for 20-30 minutes, allowing it to absorb odors. Then add a cup of plain white vinegar and let the mixture bubble up for 10 minutes. Turn on your disposal and run some water after the bubbles have done their work.  

Citrus peels 

Whenever you find yourself enjoying some fresh squeezed orange juice or a gin and tonic with lime, make sure you save the rinds of the citrus to run down the garbage disposal. The citrus oils have deodorizing effects and smell great. Dump up to a cup of citrus peels down the garbage disposal with some running water and run the disposal. Keep the water running and disposal going until you no longer hear the rinds being ground up by the blades.  

Ice and rock salt 

I realize this is starting to sound more like a margarita recipe than a tip to keep smells at bay, but salt and ice do wonders in terms of eliminating garbage disposal odours and debris. All you need is two cups of ice and a cup of salt down the garbage disposal drain. Run cold water and turn on the disposal until you no longer hear the crunching of the ice. Continue running cold water for another 10 seconds to ensure all the salt has been flushed.  

With one, or all three of these tips, you can ensure your disposal stays odour-free, without any harsh chemicals or really much expense.