A garbage disposal can be a great tool to have in a kitchen. These long-lasting units cut down on trash and odors by grinding up and flushing away food scraps so they don’t sit in your garbage can and can help to protect the environment, too. By grinding up small food scraps, the disposal makes it easier for pipes to flush away food waste, which puts less pressure on your pipes, and helps to protect them. The disposal can also prevent you from having to touch and pluck out food scraps in the sink in order to transfer them to the trash—a task that no one loves.
But if you’ve noticed an odor coming from your garbage disposal, you might have run into one of the pitfalls—the garbage disposal, while it can help keep your sink and drain clean, can take on an unpleasant smell itself. While there are causes for a smelly kitchen sink besides the garbage disposal—like plumbing problems or sewer issues—the disposal is the most likely source of the issue. Here, we’ll break down what’s causing that unpleasant smell, what to do about it, and how we can help out in your kitchen with counter and sink refinishing Memphis residents rely on.
How does a garbage disposal work?
To understand why your garbage disposal might develop a smell, it helps to understand how the disposal works. The disposal unit is mounted underneath your sink, and as water flushes food particles from the sink, the unit collects these particles in the grinding chamber.
When you turn on the disposal, the impeller plate, or a spinning disc, grinds up these particles, which are washed out by water. This plate typically has a few sharp teeth to help grind up waste. While some models have all the bells and whistles (like noise reduction) most remain much the same as the simple original model from 1927, they also share most of the same functional parts.
What’s causing the smell?
While garbage disposals are pretty good at getting rid of food that’s ground up in them, issues can arise which usually means that some of that food got stuck. This might be because there’s not enough running water used while the grinder is on, or after it’s shut off—this means that the particles aren’t washed down the pipes. Or maybe some things have gone down the disposal that shouldn’t have—coffee grounds, stringy vegetables, eggshells, and some other foods should never be put down the garbage disposal. These products tend to get stuck more easily, and stop other foods from going down the pipes as they should.
When small particles of food get stuck on the impeller plate or in the pipes connecting to the disposal, these particles eventually start to decay—leaving you with an unpleasant smell coming from your sink. This is made especially bad by foods like onion skins creating a little “net” that catches other food particles and stops them from going down the drain. If left untreated, the smell can worsen as food particles cake onto the pipes and plate and harden in place—leaving you with decaying, foul-smelling particles that are difficult to wash away.
What can I do about the odor?
Luckily, the smell from your garbage disposal is usually easy to fix. The first and easiest solution is to flush the disposal with hot water while it’s running—this can help to wash out any stuck particles stuck onto surfaces. If that fails, hot and soapy water might be the next step…but be careful not to put so much soap that bubbles prevent water flow.
To do this, first clean the visible and accessible parts of the appliance with some soap and a brush. Then, fill the sink with hot, soapy water. Unplug the sink, and run the garbage disposal while the soapy water drains. Since the garbage disposal’s housing doesn’t usually fill with water as you wash dishes, allowing it to fill up can help clean some nooks and crannies that often don’t get cleaned.
If the smell continues to hang around, ice and salt can help you to scrub away any particles remaining. Put a cup of ice into the disposal, and turn it on—then add half a cup of kosher salt. These ground-up materials help to clear away any caked-on particles. If that fails, you might try baking soda and vinegar. Add half a cup of baking soda to the drain, followed by half a cup of vinegar. Allow this to sit for an hour before flushing with cold water.
If nothing seems to be touching the unpleasant smell, it might be time to call in a professional. Particles that have hardened a lot and are caked on can be hard to get rid of—a professional plumber will have access to professional cleaning products that will not harm the disposal, and the know-how of how to use them safely, including disconnecting and reconnecting the disposal unit.
How can the Tub Pros help me?
An unpleasant smell can make even the cleanest kitchen feel dirty and worn, dragging down the desire to be in one of the most important rooms in a home. But it’s not just smell that can have this effect—a cracked or damaged sink or counter can make the room look unkempt and dated, even if it’s clean and well-loved. This type of damage can also be a hazard to electrical appliances like a garbage disposal. But that’s not to say you need to start looking for full kitchen remodel ideas—reglazing or refinishing might be the solution.
At The Tub Pros, our factory-trained professionals are here to help get your space looking and working great. Our refinishing services can help those in the Greater Mid-South area of Memphis, Germantown, and Collierville who are wondering “where can I find counter and sink reglazing near me?” We can work on a variety of surfaces—from granite countertops to porcelain sinks. And if you’re wondering “what about Corian countertop repair near me?”, we’re here to help with that, too. Check out the variety of colors available to personalize your space, or our full list of services to see how we can help you.
Ready to get started? Give us a call at (901) 871-8827 today, or use our online form. We’re here to help you tackle all of your sink and countertop needs.
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