Stinky Garbage Disposal - Saint Paul,MN

I use the garbage disposal cleaner packets when it's bad, and they work very well. I think they're called something cheesy like "Disposer Magic" or something like that. I also noticed last time I bought dish detergent that they have a new brand of disposer cleaner from one of the dish companies (I think Cascade), and they were selling it near the dishwasher detergent. Also, I sometimes coat ice cubes with dish soap and run the disposer and/or put lemons, limes or oranges down it.

I always keep lemons/limes/oranges around and put those down the drain and grind them up. Smells so good and they clean at the same time! The kids always put the rinds in there when they eat them too for me.

Ditto with the lemon! (or lime)

We have a plumber in the family.
You have to run HOT water--LOTS of it--after putting anything in the disposal.

I like to put a quartered lemon or orange through mine.

And remember--don't put any food in your disposal that you couldn't eat yourself (cantaloupe rinds, bones, etc.

And they DO sell a disposal cleaner (they are paper packets that you put in the disposal).

Good luck!

In an ice-cube tray, pour white vinegar and a slice of lemon in each, freeze, and occasionally drop two and grind them down the disposal.

Add vinegar with the baking soda or cut up a lemon and put a couple of slices in there. Citrus should break down the fish oil and help get rid of the odor.

baking soda and lemon juice...let it fizzle out and then flush with hot water.

other things:
run an orange or lemon peel/rhind down there.
buy the disposal magic at your grocery store you can find it next to the dishwashing liquid.

I use cut up lemons to freshen our disposal and it works like a charm!

Sorry if I repeat something someone else already said:

Use lemons, or oranges. You cut up a lemon, turn on the disposal and start dropping pieces in there. The sink will smell like citrus then. Works for us.

Dropping a lemon down it about once per month will usually keep it cleaned out.

If it's not working there may be some skin or something trapped around the top of the disposal that is not going down. If you have small hands you can reach in and feel around. BUT you may want to make sure the power is off to the disposal first, at the breaker, just in case. I usually just do it when a spoon or something falls in but if I were not used to it I would flip the breaker first.

There's a product called 'Plink' (or 'Plunk'), which are small orange or yellow balls. Plink them in. Spin. Hot water. Cuts through everything.

Alternatively:

Alcohol (like vodka or ever clear)
Enzymes

What happens is that you get an oil soluble thing in there (won't dissolve in water), and it coats the mechanism/walls/gunk in drain. You need something that will denature the oil. Typically an acid, or alcohol.... Or that eats oil, like enzymes.

We throw a full lemon in the disposal...takes care of most any smell

Recently, had to have a plumber in (to the tune of $400!!!!) to power snake our drain. He told us to put enzymes in all of our drains once a month. Apparently the enzymes eat the goop and help keep the drains clean, which in turn keeps the smell down. Haven't tried it yet, but I also second the disposer cleaners and / or lemon, orange, or lime down it.

Best wishes.

Yep oranges work wonders! I think it's even Martha Stewart approved. ;)

I totally agree with sending down lemon. I send them down in halves.

Lemons cut in half and put through the disposal.

cut up a lemon or an orange and let the disposal grind the rest of the smell away

that rubber part that goes down the sink hole-pull it out n wash it-food sticks to it and it can stink pretty bad-plus pour some vinegar down the drain an just let it sit for a while.

I usually use a little liquid dishwasher detergent to clean my white ceramic sink and it helps make the disposal smell better too.