Does your garbage disposer in the sink smell like a dump? Here’s a simple way to freshen it quickly and rid the kitchen of lingering smells.
A garbage disposal or waste disposal unit is usually installed underneath a kitchen sink, generally between the sink drain and the trap. It’s used to shred unwanted food pieces so that it can pass safely to the septic system. Unfortunately, this means that little pieces of food particles can sometimes become entrapped in the blades or walls of the disposer, particularly if it isn’t rinsed well, creating unwanted smells.
Don’t fret, those smells are easily remedied with this simple tip.
You’ll Need:
1 cup chopped lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit, including rind
1 cup baking soda
1 1/2 cups water
Place pieces of chopped citrus fruit in an ice cube tray or muffin tin. Combine water and baking soda, stirring until dissolved, pour over the citrus fruit. Place in the freezer and freeze until solid.
Remove cubes from tray, then place in a plastic bag if you are not going to use them immediately.
To clean the disposal, turn it on, drop in 2-4 cubes into the running disposal with cold water running. This cleans the blades and wipes away any nasty residues that are lingering within the drain.
Be sure to always run water with the disposer while it’s running or you may “cook” the motor.
Alternatively, if you don’t have any baking soda, or don’t wish to use baking soda, you can freeze the citrus fruit in cubes or muffin tins as directed. When adding the cubes to the disposal, add 1 TBS of regular salt. This scouring action works great to clean disposals!
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / Laboko
