Kitchen

[Bird mama]

Have you tried putting a couple of trays of ice cubes in the disposal? Sometime we add things that end up clinging and creating a funky smell and grinding up the ice cubes (don't run water) get's the crud out.

[Gogos]

I think what is wrong is your hoses for garbage disposal and/or dishwater need to be cleaned or replaced. I be there is lodged, decaying food in them.

[oceanbreezy]

Maintenance tips: Grind ice cubes to help scrub the grind chamber. Grind lemon or lime to help freshen your disposer. Once a week wash the removable black rubber sink flange in your dishwasher and scrub around the throat of the disposer.

[aubnwa01]

In my old sink, which was a double bowl, I found the other side was really stinky when I moved in. I scrubbed out the side with the disposal up under the gasket with dish soap & a brush & it helped, but the smell persisted on the other side & I could smell it anytime I was at the sink. Finally, I got in the habit of running the disposal with the hot water running & pouring Dawn dish soap into the disposal until the soap suds came up in the other side of the sink & then, I'd turn off the disposal & water & just walk away & leave it for the night. The Dawn seemed to cut the greasy gunk or crud that was in the other side of the drain & the stink went away. Once it was gone, I'd do the dish soap thing about once a month to ensure it didn't come back.

I now have a large single sink & new disposal (Insinkerator) & I discovered quite by accident that the disposal gasket comes totally out when I pull it up with a brush & can be cleaned separately & then, I can see down into the open disposal to scrub it out good with a brush, dish soap & hot water & I just replace the gasket into the drain & make sure it seats into the lip for it. If my previous disposal gaskets came out like this, I never discovered it!

[pommom]

On 7/3/2014 jlkz said: 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.

This sounds very much like the QVC garbage disposal cleaner & brush that I've referred to.

In the meantime, I looked into Bio Clean. Pricey, but according to the reviews, works every time.

[mima]

Yea, I put citrus rinds and ice down mine. It makes it fresh smelling. I agree with cleaning the underside of the rubber things. That gets gross!

Edit; I just read not to put rinds down the GD. I do it all the time and have never had a problem. I just put a cut up grapefruit rind down there this morning while running water.

[Love orchids]

I got a disposal brush from a mail order catalog - invaluable! It is not only underneath the rubber gasket that needs cleaned, but also the space between the gasket and the blades, as well as the blades. If you are only cleaning the underside of the gasket you are only taking care of half the problem.

[pommom]

The closest example of the cleaning kit I bought from the Q is item M113563. The brush is cylindrical with a "T" at the bottom for scraping up the gunk. Upon pulling it out, it cleans the underbelly of the gasket - plus, mine is removable and it gets a separate and thorough cleaning.

I think it may be my disposal, but will try ice cubes and ultimately the Bio Clean.

[Thumperluver]

With all due respect......Do NOT grind up lemon or orange peels in your disposal. Although this makes it smell better right away, you WILL have a different problem after you do this. When I did this, my disposal never quite ground it ALL up enough to be able to flush it away. Let me tell you ~ this was a disgusting chore having to dig out all the leftover peels that have been sitting in there, collecting bits of everything else you have sent down there.

[chickenbutt]

On 7/4/2014 pommom said:

The closest example of the cleaning kit I bought from the Q is item M113563. The brush is cylindrical with a "T" at the bottom for scraping up the gunk. Upon pulling it out, it cleans the underbelly of the gasket - plus, mine is removable and it gets a separate and thorough cleaning.

I think it may be my disposal, but will try ice cubes and ultimately the Bio Clean.

That white brush looks just like the one I got years ago in the kit from QVC, except that mine is yellow with a blue handle. It also came, IIRC, with some of those blue packets that you put down there and run to clean it (makes blue foam). I don't remember what else came in the kit, but I think I still have some of the stuff in the bag along with the brush and a large supply of the packets of cleaner.

After that I started buying the cleaner packets from Amazon, but still use the yellow brush. So awful because then you need to clean the brush and I'm not going to put it in the dishwasher with my dishes. hehe - so I just wash the brush by hand. It's effective, though. The bristles are very rigid and the round bottom part is perfect for under the rubber gasket.