Cooking is a great chance to spend time with loved ones and friends. There’s no question that cooking can become a messy project. Depending on what you’re cooking, you may be left with a large number of dishes to wash. As you wash dishes, you rinse them off and flush food bits down the garbage disposal. Over the course of a few weeks or months, though, a smell can develop. No one wants to smell a stinky drain. So, you might wonder why garbage disposals smell. Today, we’re going to talk about what causes those smells, how to deal with them, and how to prevent them in the future. It’s not as complicated as you might think. So, let’s jump right in.
Why Garbage Disposals Smell
Think about it. Every year, many pounds of food and gunk end up going down your garbage disposal. That’s a lot to process! So, it makes sense that smells can develop over time. You might wonder what causes the different smells that come from your disposal. When it comes to your disposal and how it smells, there are a number of things that can make it stink.
Over time, if food or oils are sitting in your disposal, they can develop bad smells. The food decomposes and releases gases from the disposal or the drain lines. The mold, bacteria, and decomposition create a trifecta of smells that no one wants in their kitchen. Worst case, it could be sewer gases wafting up. Your sink should have a trap that holds onto water that prevents gas from rising up, but sometimes, the vents can leak. That’s when you’d want to think about calling in a professional plumbing service.
How To Get Rid Of Garbage Disposal Smells
So, you know what’s causing your disposal to stink. Here are a few tips on how to get rid of that. First, you can pour straight vinegar down the drain and let it sit for at least an hour. After that, pour one cup of baking soda down the drain and run the hot water for at least two minutes. Vinegar is a natural bacteria killer and deodorizer, and baking soda leaves a fresh, clean scent. Also, baking soda has absorbent properties that make it wonderful for killing odors. If you’re still smelling something, another option is to get some sort of citrus fruit. After you’re done eating it, juicing it, etc., you can throw the rind into the disposal. Note: do not grind it up completely, so it doesn’t clog the drain. At first, just run the disposal for a few seconds. The natural germ and smell-killing properties of the d-limonene in citrus fruit oils will be sure to remove any odors you have.
How To Prevent Garbage Disposal Smells
So, now you know why garbage disposals smell and how to deal with them. When it comes to prevention, there are a few things you can do to prevent it from happening again. The first thing to think about is what you are putting down the drain. You want to avoid throwing animal byproducts down the sink drain. For example, meats, dairy, fats, oils, grease, and more should be avoided at all costs. If you stick to fruit and veggie waste, you’ll be sure to avoid these unpleasant smells. In general, you want to put as little waste down a garbage disposal as possible.