White Vinegar & Garbage Disposals

Odor

• If bits of food build up inside your garbage disposal, they can attract bacteria. The combination of old food and bacteria creates a foul odor that can waft out of your sink, making your kitchen a less pleasant place to be.

Remove

• You can remove the odor from your garbage disposal using white vinegar. Pour a half cup of white vinegar into an ice cube tray, then add water to fill up all the slots. Freeze the mixture, then place two or three vinegar ice cubes into the garbage disposal and run it. The ice will remove built up food and the vinegar will clear away the bacteria and the odor it causes.

Considerations

• If your garbage disposal is old or if it is a lighter-weight model, it might not handle chopping up ice cubes well. In that case, pour undiluted white vinegar down the drain while the disposal is running. This will help clear out the smell without damaging the disposal.