Garbage Disposal Smells? 14 Tips to Remove the Garbage Disposal Odor

Basically, whatever model of the garbage disposal you have in your house, its maintenance is much the same. Every model has an upper hopper chamber for funneling the water from your dishwasher and food debris. Also, there is a lower hopper chamber for their collecting and pushing out into the drains.

Small impeller blades cut everything you put inside, but sometimes the process doesn’t go as you wish, and you can feel the bad odor of waste in your kitchen. Therefore, you may need to clean your garbage disposal occasionally and get rid of bad smell. I will list you some efficient methods to do that. Let’s see.

Best Methods to Get Rid of Bad Smells from Your Garbage Disposal

1. Manual removing larger debris

It is possible to face the problem with a large piece of debris stuck in your garbage disposal. Except for causing clogging, it can rot in the pipes or trap some other food waste, which can start smelling bad after a while.

If this object is your spoon or fork, you should remove it as soon as possible. Be careful to avoid hurting your hand with the sharp grinding blades or damaging the rubber of the drains.

Therefore, turn off the system to avoid the possibility of the machine from turning on while you try to reach down inside. Light the drain with a flashlight and try to remove the stuck object with the pliers. Rinse the garbage disposal and remove any debris that has accumulated over time.

2. Water


One of the best ways to prevent the occurrence of bad odor from the drains is to let the water run from the faucet after every using your garbage disposal. That way, you with get rid of all waste without much effort.

Even though you maintain your system regularly, it may happen to notice a bad smell from the inside. In such a case, you need to flush the drains with cold water or to add half a cup of vinegar or dish soap into it. After rinsing them with water, you will solve the problem quickly.

3. Deep cleaning

Inadequately rinsed food waste may harden onto the garbage disposal. In that case, you may need a deep cleaning with a rubber test cap. Start with running the hot water about a minute directly from the faucet.

Then remove the pipe connecting the device and sink with a wrench. Attach the rubber test cap to the underside of it to prevent water from going through the pipe while soaking it with a cleaner.

When the level of warm water reaches the top of the drain, you should add half a cup of bleach. Let it sit for about an hour, remove the rubber test cap, and let the content leaks into the bucket you placed underneath the pipe. In the end, reconnect the pipe and enjoy the odorless kitchen.

4. Water and soap

To prevent bad odor from your garbage disposal, you can also dissolve 1/8 of grease-cutting dish soap in water. Clean the system once a month. However, you can use this solution to remove trapped waste from the drains and horrible smells from the inside once they appear.

If needed, you can dip the scrub brush into dishwashing soap and wash the visible part of the system, as well. Take care to clean the joint between the sink basin and disposal rim since it is the place where tiny particles usually get trapped and cause the growth of mold.

5. Ice


After turning on the garbage disposal, you should run cold water. Then, drop two to three packages of ice cubes into your sink as quickly as you can. After a few minutes, ice will freeze the stuck debris and help it remove from the impeller blades.

Turn on the faucet and let the water run until it breaks up the last ice cube, plus at least one additional minute after that. Keep in mind that ice cubes can’t solve severe problems with your system. If you notice a long-lasting odor and decreased efficiency of your garbage disposal, you should ask for professional help.

6. Ice and salt

Mix three to four packages of ice and rock salt, and throw them into your garbage disposal. Switch it on to grind the ice. Then run cold water through the system.

7. Ice and white vinegar

Mix the same amount of white vinegar and water and fill an ice tray with the mixture. If your drain is particularly stinking, you should use a bit more vinegar.

As soon as the cubes freeze, you should throw them into the garbage disposal. Then, run cold water into the sink to run the cubes through the system.

You will have the double benefit of applying these ingredients. The ice will sharpen the blades, and the white vinegar will eliminate bad odor.

If you repeat the process two to three times a month, you will probably solve the problem with a bad smell in your kitchen.

8. Citrus peels

Citrus peels

You can double the benefits of citrus fruits, especially lemon, when it comes to cleaning your drains. They will keep your pipes stay clean and improve the smell coming from the inside.

Grind lemon, grapefruit, orange, or lime peels and drop them into your garbage disposal. The rough peels will clean the wall and blades of the drains, and the citrus oils will fulfill your kitchen with a fresh fragrance of citrus.

Citrus juice or cut fruit will have the same effect, as well. Take care to use small pieces to avoid damaging the impeller blades.

9. Citrus and white vinegar

White vinegar is well-known as a powerful and efficient cleaning agent. You can use it because of its antibacterial properties and as a deodorizer. Mixed with citrus juice, it will clean your drains and leave your kitchen fragrant.

10. White vinegar and baking soda

White vinegar and baking soda

You will need half of a cup of vinegar and the same amount of baking soda, depending on the size of the system you have in your house. Fill the garbage disposal drain to the top with baking soda and then pour vinegar down into the drain.

After approximately one hour, turn on the system and let cold water run for about a minute. As soon as the vinegar smell evaporates, the bad odor will disappear, as well.

Even though it is an excellent method to clean your drains, avoid using it too often. Acid from the vinegar will damage the rubber parts of the disposal if used regularly.

11. Bleach

Even though bleach is highly efficient in deodorizing the garbage disposal from almost every leftover waste, you should use it very carefully. In fact, it may cause a lot of damage.

Depending on the waste, bleach can make sludge and grease harder and kill beneficial bacteria in the septic tank. That way, you will get stuck with unbroken food waste, causing clogging of drains and the occurrence of unpleasant odor.

Anyway, if you decide to use bleach, you can pour a mix of this cleaner and water down the disposal. After approximately 30 minutes, rinse the system with cold water. One thing is sure; your garbage disposal won’t smell bad after this procedure.

12. Cleaning pods

As always, the best way to keep your disposal clean and odorless is regular maintenance. You can surely find garbage disposal cleaning pods in your local store, which can help you prevent or get rid of the unpleasant odor once it occurs.

It is enough to drop this useful and cheap product into your drain, turn on the water, and wait a few minutes to clean a disposal system.

13. Bio-Clean

As a biodegradable drain cleaner, Bio-Clean is an excellent product you can use to get rid of bad smell from your garbage disposal.

14. Disposal deodorizer

It is not too hard to find adequate garbage disposal deodorizer in your local store. There are a lot of brands on the market, and you can pick out the best one depending on your needs.

In most cases, people choose a liquid product, but there are also chemicals in gel and dissolvable tablet forms. They are highly efficient, but also expensive and eco-unfriendly.

Prevent Bad Odor in Your Kitchen

You can prevent clogging your garbage disposal and the occurrence of bad odor in a few practical ways.

Avoid throwing fibrous items such as celery and banana peels, as well as eggshells through the garbage disposal.

Also, you should never pour grease and drop a more significant amount of coffee grounds, rice, pasta, and potato peels down the disposal. They will harden over time and stick to the walls of your drains.

Take care not to grind anything except food waste, and avoid dropping cigarette buts, pieces of glass, metal, sponges, or wood onto the disposal.

Every excessive accumulation of that kind of debris may lead to the appearance of unpleasant smells in your kitchen, which you won’t like. Once you feel it, use one of the listed methods to solve the problem. Only in this way, you will be able to enjoy a clean and fragrant kitchen.

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