It is ok to admit that sometimes your kitchen has a certain smell to it; it happens to us all. Once you narrowed down that it isn’t a dirty rag, and nothing has spoiled; you might find out that your garbage disposal is the culprit. Before you start throwing soap down there in hopes of a cleaner smell, there are a few simple ways to keep your kitchen stink-free.
First, and most importantly, disconnect your garbage disposal from the power source and if necessary, flip the circuit breaker and triple-check that the disposal isn’t on by flipping the power switch on and off.
Use either a long scrub brush or an old toothbrush to clean inside the disposal with dish soap and hot water and avoid putting your hand inside the disposal. Then reconnect the power and pour two cups of ice and one cup of kosher or rock salt into the disposal. Turn on the cold water tap and run the garbage disposal until the salt and ice cubes are ground up.
Once you’ve flushed the ice cubes and salt through the sink, add a half cup of baking soda into the opening of the disposal and pour in a cup of white vinegar. Let it sit in there for at least 10 minutes, then run hot water through the disposal and turn it on. You can also add a lemon, lime or orange rind to the disposal to keep it smelling fresh throughout the week.
To keep your garbage disposal running smoothly, clean it about once every month and throw away large pieces of food in the trash not down the sink. Following these tips can help your disposal last a long time.
Written by: Jessica Cobb
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