Cleaning a smelly garbage disposal with natural cleaners

Ever open your kitchen sink cabinet and catch a whiff of something less than pleasant? A stinky garbage disposal can really cramp your kitchen’s style. The upside? You don’t need harsh chemicals to fix it. Simple stuff like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon can naturally freshen up and clean your garbage disposal. Let me show you how to use these natural cleaners to keep things smelling great.

Important: Just so you know, the advice here might not fit your exact appliance model. While we aim to give helpful tips for all sorts of DIY appliance fixes, different models can have their own little quirks—like unique troubleshooting steps or error codes. For the best info, it’s a good idea to check your appliance’s manual or reach out to us if you’ve got questions.

Method 1: Baking soda and vinegar

Time to put baking soda and vinegar to work—they’re a dynamic duo when it comes to deep-cleaning and deodorizing your garbage disposal.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Dump about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of baking soda into the garbage disposal.
2. Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes so it can soak up odors and loosen up any gunk.
3. Pour 1 cup of white vinegar down the disposal.
4. Let the fizzy magic happen for 5 to 10 minutes. This reaction helps break down buildup.
5. Turn on the cold water and run the disposal until everything’s washed away.

When baking soda and vinegar mix, they create a fizzy reaction that cleans up the blades and pipes, leaving your disposal fresh and free of bad smells.

Method 2: Lemon and citrus peels

Got some lemon or orange peels? Not only do they smell amazing, but they’re also naturally antibacterial—perfect for deodorizing.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Gather about 1 cup of lemon or other citrus peels. Smaller pieces work best.
2. Toss the peels into the garbage disposal.
3. Turn on a strong stream of cold water.
4. Run the disposal until all the peels are ground up.

As the peels get shredded, they release citrus oils that help clean and disinfect your disposal, leaving behind a nice, fresh scent.

Other natural cleaning tricks

Baking soda, vinegar, and lemon are great, but there are other natural cleaners you can try out.

The ice and salt method

This one uses a bit of elbow grease to scrub away buildup inside the disposal and around the blades.

Steps to follow:

1. Pour 2 cups of ice cubes into the garbage disposal.
2. Add 1 cup of salt—rock salt is great if you’ve got it, but table salt works too.
3. Turn on a steady stream of cold water.
4. Run the disposal until all the ice is gone.

The ice sharpens the blades while the salt acts like a scrub, getting rid of residue and leaving your disposal clean.

DIY citrus vinegar ice cubes

Make your own cleaning cubes for an easy way to keep your garbage disposal in tip-top shape.

Steps to follow:

1. Place small pieces of citrus peels into each compartment of an ice cube tray.
2. Fill the tray with white vinegar and freeze it.
3. When needed, drop a couple of these cubes into the disposal.
4. Run a gentle stream of cold water and turn on the disposal until the cubes are gone.

The mix of vinegar and citrus peels packs a powerful cleaning and deodorizing punch.

Garbage disposal freshener pods

If you’re looking for a quick fix, natural cleaner pods might be your new best friend.

Steps to follow:

1. Drop one freshener pod into the garbage disposal.
2. Run a small stream of cold water.
3. Turn on the disposal for a few seconds.

These pods are non-toxic and plant-based, making it super convenient to keep your disposal smelling fresh.

Tips to keep things fresh

Keeping your garbage disposal clean doesn’t have to be a pain. Here are some easy tips:

• Regular water flush: Run cold water through the disposal before, during, and after you use it to help rinse away bits and pieces.
• Clean the rubber flange: Use an old toothbrush and some dish soap to scrub the rubber splash guard and the drain area where gunk can build up.
• Use citrus often: Tossing in small pieces of citrus peels now and then can help keep bad smells at bay.
• Check your manual: If you’re not sure about something, your appliance’s manual is a great resource. Need help finding it? Check out our guide on how to locate your appliance’s model number.

We’re here to help

Keeping your garbage disposal clean and fresh is a breeze with these natural methods. If you need parts or just some advice, we’ve got your back. Swing by AppliancePartsPros.com for quality parts and expert tips.

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If you’ve got any questions or need support, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always here to help keep your appliances running smoothly.