What Can I Use to Make My Garbage Disposal Smell Better?

Odors

• If your garbage disposal is giving off a foul odor, the cause is undoubtedly that food left inside it has attracted bacteria and begun to spoil. This happens when you put food down the drain but do not run the disposal. It can also occur if food particles are thrown up onto the splash guard inside the drain. The particles stick out of reach of water and over time start to spoil. The odor drifts up out of the drain and can make your kitchen an unpleasant place to work.

Natural Cleaners

• To make your garbage disposal smell better, cut up a whole lemon or two and add them to a handful of ice, then put them all down the disposal. Let them sit for about 30 minutes, then run the garbage disposal until the unit is clear. The ice will scour away any remaining food particles, while the lemon will remove foul odors. Freeze white vinegar in an ice cube tray and, every month or so, put a few through the garbage disposal. The vinegar cubes remove food and deodorize your drain.

Prevention

• To avoid bad smells in you garbage disposal in the first place, always run a strong stream of water when the unit is in use. After the disposal has cleared out all the food, continue to run the water for another 20 seconds. This ensures that all the food is washed down the drain. Avoid putting grease down the drain. It can stick to the disposal blades and linger in the drainpipe itself. Over time, the grease will go rancid and emit a foul smell.

Considerations

• If you use ice and lemon or vinegar cubes and your garbage disposal still smells, the problem is probably food caught on your splash guard. Remove the splash guard; usually you can pull it out of your sink, but your owner's manual for the disposal can tell you for certain. Once it is out, wash off any stuck-on food and rinse the whole thing with vinegar before putting it back into place.