Your home’s garbage disposal is an appliance you may have a love-hate relationship with. They’re wonderful for helping to reduce household waste, thus helping to keep our landfills less full. The garbage disposal can be a quick and easy way to clean up after enjoying a wonderful meal with family and friends. But if you notice your garbage disposal smelling funky, you might need to take action.
This helpful household appliance can also be a little on the finicky side. The garbage disposal isn’t a fan of stringy vegetables like celery. It doesn’t like to deal with grease or oils. It really doesn’t like to be overfull. And if it doesn’t have enough water, forget about it. It may shut down altogether.
Kitchen sink odors aren’t uncommon, but no one wants their home to smell foul. If you’ve noticed a stinky garbage disposal smell, there are several reasons for that. The most common are:
- Rotting or decomposing food and grease particles.
- Sink trap problems caused by a blockage in the drain vent, a leaky vent or even dry trap can allow sewer gas smells to come back into the house.
- Mold or mildew around the rubber flange or seal of the garbage disposal.
Make the Smell Go Away
There are steps you can take to keep your garbage disposal smelling clean and fresh:
- Be sure to always run cold water when grinding food waste in the disposal and allow the water to run for about 30 seconds after the unit is turned off.
- Grinding lemon slices and ice periodically will help to eliminate odors.
- Be careful with food waste that can wrap itself around the blades like egg shells, potato and carrot peels, and corn husks, for example. Food left behind will begin to rot.
Be sure to check out Home Depot’s DIY tips on how to fix your garbage disposal, as well. You might be able to fix it before Shadrach can get there!
Call Shadrach Plumbing & Cooling
If you follow these helpful hints, your garbage disposal smells will dissipate in no time. If your garbage disposal isn’t functioning properly or not all, call Shadrach Plumbing & Cooling today. One of our professionally trained plumbers will replace it quickly and efficiently.
