How to Naturally Deodorize a Stinky Garbage Disposal

Kitchens smell, and whether you find the smell tolerable or revolting is entirely up to you.

For lingering food odors on your hands, try using stainless steel or coffee grounds to remove the stench. To de-stink smelly jars, use mustard and water. For cutting boards, use lemons and salt, and for your funky kitchen, use cinnamon and sugar. Combine baking soda and a sponge in your fridge, or even just orange peels and salt.

However, there's one thing we haven't discussed yet, and it could be the most noisome of all kitchen smells: your garbage disposal. There are a lot of parts to a garbage disposal — the shredder ring, flywheel, impellers, hopper, drain hose, and splash guard — all of which can contribute to an unpleasant odor in your sink.

There are chemical products you can use to declog and freshen up your disposal, but if you want a more natural approach to de-stinkifying it — or at least a cheaper one — try these deodorizing methods on for size. I'll assume you've already tried using water and dishwashing soap to flush out stuck foods, so let's move on.

Use enzymatic cleaners

Enzymatic cleaners are a nontoxic and eco-friendly option for maintaining a clean and odor-free garbage disposal. These cleaners use natural enzymes and beneficial bacteria to safely digest organic buildup, such as food particles and grease. They're safe for your plumbing and septic systems, and because they're noncorrosive and biodegradable, they're also safe around kids and pets.

Professional cleaner Karina Toner recommends using an enzymatic cleaner like Earthworm Drain Cleaner weekly for effective results. The cleaning process is straightforward: pour the product using a measuring cup, let it sit for 6–8 hours, preferably overnight, and rinse with hot water.

Other products that should work include:

• Bastion Foaming Bio-Enzyme-Powered Garbage Disposal Cleaner, Citrus Scent

• Helix BioFresh Drain Cleaner + Odor Eliminator

• Green Gobbler Liquid Enzymatic Drain & Grease Trap Cleaner

• Green Gobbler Drain Sticks — Enzyme Enhanced Formula

• Nature's Pure Edge Bio-Blaster Drain & Septic Tank Cleaner & Deodorizer

You can also use non-enzymatic cleaners in a pinch to quickly deodorize and freshen up your disposal. Just look for the eco-friendly products.

• Renuv Heavy Duty Garbage Disposal Cleaner and Deodorizer Tablets

• Affresh Disposal Cleaner Tablets

• Active Disposal Cleaner Deodorizing Tablets

• Bastion Garbage Disposal Cleaner Drops, Lemon Scent

• Plink Garbage Disposal Freshener & Cleaner Balls

Use ice and salt

Aside from water and dishwashing soap, the next best thing is a combination of ice and rock salt. Both will help get rid of any foul-smelling foods stuck between the impellers and shredder or grind ring. While the ice will not help sharpen the shredder or grinder, it will help loosen bits of gunk hanging onto the shredder ring, impellers, and upper chamber. The salt will help disinfect. If you don't have any rock salt, sea salt, or ordinary table salt will suffice.

Using ice cubes as an abrasive can effectively scrape away food debris and grease from the disposal's walls and blades, which are often the sources of unpleasant smells. The cold temperature also solidifies grease, making it easier to break apart and rinse away.

To clean your disposal, first clear the sink of any dishes and debris. Then fill the disposal with one to two handfuls of ice cubes and a cup of salt, turn on cold water, and activate the disposal for 30–60 seconds. Allow cold water to run for an additional one to two minutes afterward to flush out any remaining debris.

For ongoing freshness, use the ice cleaning method weekly, run the disposal daily, and consider grinding citrus peels or vinegar ice cubes for added deodorizing effects. Always use cold water, as hot water can cause grease to adhere to the disposal's surfaces. Avoid overloading the disposal with large chunks of food to prevent clogs and odors.

Use citrus fruits

One of the most common ways to de-stink your smelly garbage disposal is with citrus — lemons, limes, oranges, and anything of the sort. You could use just the peels or even entire fruits if you want, which might be a good idea if they're already spoiling.

Aside from the deodorizing, the acid in the fruit will help disinfect the blades and disposal walls, and the citrusy smell will help curb stress and anxiety the next time you cook or wash dishes.

Use ice and vinegar (plus citrus)

You can substitute the salt above in Option 2 with vinegar instead; the high acidity helps kill most mold, bacteria, and germs. And if you want to degunk and deodorize, combine the citrus from Option 3 and make vinegar ice cubes with citrus peels already in them.

• On Amazon: Iberia All Natural Distilled White Vinegar, 1 Gallon, 5% Acidity

Use baking soda

Baking soda isn't just good for removing odors from fridges, pets, and underarms; it'll also help deodorize the disposal. Just pour a little bit down there and flush with some warm water. Bicarbonate of soda is a natural deodorizer that neutralizes and eliminates odors on contact.

Use baking soda and vinegar

For a really good clean to remove putrid stenches, pour baking soda (about a half cup) into the disposal and follow it with vinegar. The chemical reaction will help loosen up any stuck bits of nastiness in there. Just make sure to allow the reaction to occur, letting it sit for 5–15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with hot water.

As the video below demonstrates, you could also combine this with Option 4 above by freezing vinegar into ice cubes.

You could also save some of that baking soda and vinegar for your next science project. Sodium acetate (i.e., hot ice) is made using them, and you can also use them to launch tiny DIY rockets.

Use some mouthwash

Mouthwash might not be a "natural" way to deodorize your garbage disposal, but as Yumi points out, if it's good enough for your mouth, it's good enough for your sink. Pretty much any mouthwash will do.

Preventing nasty smells in the future

Never put grease down the sink; it's a big factor in not only clogging pipes but also making things smell wretched. The grease congeals after time and catches all sorts of food, making it much more challenging to clean and deodorize. Also, try to keep large items out as well as "gooey" foods like eggs, shrimp, fish, and honey. And while coffee grounds may help deodorize your freezer, hands, and kitchen, they're not a great idea in your disposal, as the grounds will build up in your pipes.