topic Re: Garbage Disposal Odor in Kitchen

Garbage Disposal Odor

pommom — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:15:51 GMT

I use a garbage disposal foam cleaner & brush weekly, but every time I'm at the sink, I a sour smell still emits from it.

I've sprinkled baking soda in it a few times a day and yet that hasn't helped.

I used vinegar once. It kept the odor at bay for about 1/2 day.

Running out of ideas. Can someone give me a solution?

BTW - I flip on the switch every time I empty food/drink into it.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

OCGurl — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:22:22 GMT

I use Lysol All purpose in the pour container (not the spray bottle) a couple times a wk to keep it fresh. It sounds however like their might be something stuck if it keeps smelling. It might just need to air out. If it never let up I would probably replace it. Also grind up lemons in there. I've read Kosher salt & ice will scour the inside as well.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

Caffeina — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:22:42 GMT

Try cleaning the underside of the rubber at the opening. It can get stinky muck there.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

pommom — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:23:52 GMT

Wow! I forgot about the lemons! Yes, and orange peels are great, too. Gotta stock up then. Thanks for the (reminder) tips.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

pommom — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:24:32 GMT

On 7/3/2014 Caffeina said:
Try cleaning the underside of the rubber at the opening. It can get stinky muck there.

Caffeina, I do yank it out (yuk) and clean it as part of the process.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

Classique — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:27:00 GMT

You can use any citrus fruit.....limes and grapefruit, oranges and lemons!

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

gazelle77 — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:27:27 GMT

Yes- I use those packets and they work for a while. What I have found helpful is NOT to dispose of "stinky" things... onions, radishes, broccoli etc. I just throw them in either the compost container or garbage.

When I have lemon rinds... I microwave them about 2 minutes to soften them and then dispose of them in the disposer. Microwaving the rinds allows the grinder to do a better job.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

pommom — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:33:46 GMT

gazelle - another wonderful idea. Thanks.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

Nightowlz — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:33:57 GMT

On 7/3/2014 pommom said:
Wow! I forgot about the lemons! Yes, and orange peels are great, too. Gotta stock up then. Thanks for the (reminder) tips.

We did that & DH had to remove part of the plumbing to clean out the lemon peels so I would not use those even though it does smell good. While he was at it he cleaned out all the build up he could get to.

You might try Lemi-Shine garbage disposal cleaner. If cleaning does not work you may need a digestive enzyme drain cleaner like Bio Clean to eat the gunk build up in the plumbing. It will stink when you first put it in the drain but the smell will go away the next day. Eventually after you get the build up in the plumbing clean it should not smell. We put Bio Clean in our shower drains once per week & have no problem with clogs.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

chickenbutt — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:36:28 GMT

Thanks for the advice about microwaving the lemons first. I never would have thought of that. Whenever I have zested/juiced some lemons I always toss one of the lemon halves into the garbage disposal.

I use the blue packets from time to time.

I also like to pour a bunch of baking soda down all my drains, including the garbage disposal, and then chase it with some distilled white vinegar. It foams up and cleans to some degree.

The black rubber thing on mine doesn't come off. It was never a thought of mine that the underside of it would be - ugh, I don't want to think about it - until one time I dropped something in there and had to reach in and get it. My hand came up with this black stuff on it (that I also don't even like to think about).

Silly me, I thought the cleaning lady was keeping all that clean. Guess not. One time, years ago, QVC had this kit of stuff for cleaning the garbage disposal. It included this brush thing that is wider at the bottom and you push it down in, then raise it to the degree that the wide part is against the underside of the rubber ring. Then you can rotate it to clean it.

Anyway, since I learned about what happens on the underside of that I really make sure it's kept clean. Between that brush, the packets, and the baking soda/white vinegar, it seems to be kept pretty clean. I also told the cleaning lady about the rubber thing. She said that, on most peoples' garbage disposal, it comes out. Um, ok - even if it doesn't come out methinks it needs to be cleaned underneath.

I've never had persistent (or any) odors, though. If it is being kept properly clean, I can only imagine that something is stuck somewhere causing the problem.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

oceanbreezy — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:40:27 GMT

On 7/3/2014 Classique said:
You can use any citrus fruit.....limes and grapefruit, oranges and lemons!

Agreed! You smell the fresh fruity aroma bursting out. Love it.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

stilltamn8r — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 18:01:14 GMT

Just saw this on tv.. As gross as it seems, there is gunk inthe pipe send on the rubber and you have to scrub it off with a stiff brush...they used a toothbrush...

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

Moonlady — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 18:49:32 GMT

We don't have a disposal, but I use Lemi-Shine occasionally to keep the drain smelling good.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

depglass — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 19:02:42 GMT

I dump baking soda in my drains, then pour in vinegar and let it foam.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

pommom — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 22:21:50 GMT

One time, years ago, QVC had this kit of stuff for cleaning the garbage disposal. It included this brush thing that is wider at the bottom and you push it down in, then raise it to the degree that the wide part is against the underside of the rubber ring. Then you can rotate it to clean it.

Chickenbutt: this is the stuff I use weekly.

I appreciate the comments on getting lemon rind clogged in the disposer and will look into other measures.

Once again, thanks for your help everyone.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

Deadeye Daisy — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 22:28:37 GMT

Avoid using harsh chemicals in your disposer. These can cause issues with pipes and the rubber parts.

Check out your local supermarket. Purchase a cheap 'toilet bowl' brush. You want the kind that looks like an oversized 'bottle' brush with stiff bristles and either an 'under rim' section or a brush with a curve at the end. (The curved part is supposed to be used under the rim of your commode). You can actually buy a 'disposer' brush that looks the same, but the bowl brush is far cheaper and easier to find locally. You need a brush that will be able to go completely down to the botton of the disposer. (Just an FYI - you would NEVER use these types of brushes in any commode. Ever. They WILL scratch the porcelain)..

Use this in your disposal. The 'rim' section or curved part will clean out under the rim and the underside of the rubber. You will be REALLY surprised at all of the black gunk that comes out of there. You may have to repeat several times to get completely clean.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

VaBelle35 — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 22:36:42 GMT

I was reading in something like Martha Stewart Living that you have to clean the underside of the rubber of your garbage disposal with a scrub brush, too.

And don't underestimate that your water may be the smelly culprit. I went through this a couple of weeks ago trying to figure out where the smell was coming from until a neighbor mentioned it. They were flushing the system.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

Classique — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 22:50:46 GMT

On 7/3/2014 pommom said:
One time, years ago, QVC had this kit of stuff for cleaning the garbage disposal. It included this brush thing that is wider at the bottom and you push it down in, then raise it to the degree that the wide part is against the underside of the rubber ring. Then you can rotate it to clean it.

Chickenbutt: this is the stuff I use weekly.

I appreciate the comments on getting lemon rind clogged in the disposer and will look into other measures.

Once again, thanks for your help everyone.

Wow! This is good to know about the rinds clogging. I have a new heavy duty disposal that is supposed to be able to grind bones but I can't imagine ever risking doing that. I've used tangerine rinds and lemon rinds with no problem so far but won't chance it after reading your post. What I will do to get the scent will be to squeeze some of the juice and just pour that in for a quick couple of seconds with the water running and see what happens.

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

OCGurl — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 23:13:27 GMT

On 7/3/2014 Classique said:
On 7/3/2014 pommom said: <p style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; word-wrap: break-word; outline: none; color: #434343; font-family: Arial, helvetica, sans-serif; padding: 0px; zoom: 1; font-size: 14px;"> <em>One time, years ago, QVC had this kit of stuff for cleaning the garbage disposal. It included this brush thing that is wider at the bottom and you push it down in, then raise it to the degree that the wide part is against the underside of the rubber ring. Then you can rotate it to clean it.</em>

Chickenbutt: this is the stuff I use weekly.

I appreciate the comments on getting lemon rind clogged in the disposer and will look into other measures.

Once again, thanks for your help everyone.

Wow! This is good to know about the rinds clogging. I have a new heavy duty disposal that is supposed to be able to grind bones but I can't imagine ever risking doing that. I've used tangerine rinds and lemon rinds with no problem so far but won't chance it after reading your post. What I will do to get the scent will be to squeeze some of the juice and just pour that in for a quick couple of seconds with the water running and see what happens.

My husband is always reminding me it's a disposal not a wood chipper!

Re: Garbage Disposal Odor

jlkz — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 23:38:09 GMT

Fuller brush has a kit that let's you spray a foam down the disposal; let it sit for 3 - 5 minutes and it will form a cloud and come up through the black rubber area. Then use the brush and it'll dislodge the gunk from under the rubber. Takes a few minutes and you're left with a clean- smelling sink and disposal. There' s also a long thin brush to use on your powder room sinks!!! H T H.