How To Deodorize Garbage Disposal

You have to agree that garbage disposal is one of the most useful things to have in your kitchen. It comes in handy when you need to get rid of the waste, and it's really practical to use. However, it's no fun when it gets clogged.

Food and grease residue, as well as large objects that get stuck inside the disposal, can cause a mess and bad smells that can spread across your kitchen and eventually whole home. Bad odors caused by the food mold inside the disposal can be difficult to eliminate.

How to deodorize garbage disposal

Even when you clean your disposal regularly, small particles that can stay between the blades are enough to provoke bad smell after some time.

There are plenty of options on the market when it comes to chemical solutions that are very efficient for unclogging and deodorizing garbage disposals, and you can find a lot of affordable ones as well.

While chemical products that you buy in stores are a great choice for unclogging and deodorizing when the problem becomes serious, natural products may be a better choice when it comes to maintaining it regularly since they are acid-free and not as aggressive as the chemical products.

Household products

As said, natural products that all of us have at home are the best option because they’re non-toxic, which means that they are safe for your family, and won’t damage the walls and blades of the garbage disposal, while chemical products may do that.

I wanted to explore different options and be able to determine those that work the best for me since I had some troubles with my drains in the past.

I was so surprised when I found out about the versatility of many products I always have at home, and that the maintenance of garbage disposal doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to be efficient.

Thanks to the following tricks, I manage to keep all the drains in my home deodorized without creating damage. I’ll share with you the most efficient ways to do it.

Use citrus

The easiest way to keep your garbage disposal without bad odors is to cut small pieces of citrus fruit (lemons, orange etc.) and put them in the garbage disposal while it's working. The citric acid will melt the grease and food residue that has built up previously, and the scent will neutralize and get rid of bad odors.

A lot of the chemical cleaning and deodorizing products contain citrus smell because it's known to be the best way of eliminating bad odors and leaving the disposal and other drains fresh and clean. Such a simple yet super-efficient trick that costs almost nothing!

Use baking soda

Another product that has a multi-functional purpose in every home, and it’s still very affordable, is baking soda. Baking soda will make sure that all of the particles that are stuck on the walls and blades of your garbage disposal loosen and go away.

If you combine the baking soda with vinegar, the results are even better. Put the baking soda inside the disposal and pour a bit of the vinegar inside. Let it sit, and the chemical reaction will do its magic. Rinse with hot water, and you'll have a clean and fresh garbage disposal.

Use mouthwash

Even though it’s not a natural product, a little bit of mouthwash can work wonders. It's not as aggressive as the products that are made for this purpose, but it works very well when you need something fast to refresh the drains.

You just need to apply a small amount of product inside the garbage disposal and wait for a few minutes for product to dissolve food and grease residue. After that, you can rinse with cold water, and the disposal will smell fresh again.

Use vinegar cubes

Similar to baking soda, vinegar can also be found in almost every household. It can be used for many things when it comes to cleaning, and it's a really affordable but efficient alternative when you don’t want to use chemical products.

Another great trick to try out with vinegar is to make some ice cubes with it. When you put the cubes in the disposal, turn it on while warm water is running. The cubes will scrub the dirt off the walls and blades, and the vinegar will help dissolve it. That's why this is great for getting rid of the smell also!

Use coffee

If you're a coffee lover, you should be aware of another great way to use it. The beverage helps you survive an exhausting day, but the coffee grounds can also neutralize bad smells in the drain and scrub the dirt off the disposal.

Put a few coffee grounds inside, and the smell of coffee will save the day once again!

However, make sure not to exaggerate since too much of coffee grounds can actually stick to the walls and blades of the disposal and clog it. And while we can’t get enough when drinking it, the less is more with coffee when it comes to the maintenance of your garbage disposal! 

Mixing

The most effective trick is most definitely using a combination of already mentioned household products. You can, for example, add citrus fruits into the vinegar and freeze it. It will add the fresh smell of lemon, orange or other fruits and give even better results.

I already mentioned a combination of vinegar and baking soda, because I prefer using this the most. A little “volcano” that gets created thanks to the chemical reaction will leave your garbage disposal perfectly clean and residue-free.

Prevention is always the best solution 

All of these tricks can be used to fix the existing problem, but they can also be used as prevention. It's always better and easier to maintain your garbage disposal regularly and make sure it's always free of grease and food residue since those are the main reasons for bad odors.

You should keep your garbage disposal clean and run warm soapy water at least once a week for better results. By doing this, you will reduce the number of those inconvenient situations when the disposal is clogged, and a bad smell starts spreading across your entire house.

All those small things you do to keep your garbage disposal in optimal condition on a daily basis will come in handy when you need to do a more detailed cleaning with chemical products. You’ll use fewer products and reduce the risk of damaging the pipes.

In conclusion: How to Deodorize Your Garbage Disposal

All of the pipes in your home need to be maintained regularly because only in this way the drains, both in your bathroom and kitchen, will work well, won’t get damaged and won’t get clogged often. It’s no different with your garbage disposal.

All of the mentioned tricks are great for that because they are affordable, quick and very efficient. It’s always better using natural alternatives, both for your health, safety and better condition of the pipes in your home.

Do you have other tricks for deodorizing your garbage disposal? What’s your go-to solution when you need to get rid of bad odors quickly? Share your experience and secrets with all of us!