Remedies for Disposer Smell?

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DISPOSER SMELL

A lot of good and a lot of overkill ideas have been suggested here. First of all this this is a little like smelly- moldy washers, it shouldn't happen in the first place. A properly used disposer should almost never develop an odor and it wouldn't if you grind plenty of citrus rinds, poultry bones, potato peals, coffee grinds, peach pits etc etc. It is true that a disposer should be generally run with

 

cold water when grinding food waste, but of course it won't hurt it in the least to run even boiling water through it.

 

I would never waste money on special cleaners or even regular detergents and lots of bleach trying to remove smells. First try turning on the disposer { with-out the water running ]start feeding ice cubes usually at least a full trays worth, then when the hopper is full of ground ice and no more ice can be added turn on the COLD water and let it swirl around till it all flushes down the drain. Many times when you do this you will see the ice turn brown from all the gunk that gets scoured out from under the rim of the hopper. Sometimes too the sink will monetarily back up when you start running the cold water and when it drains it will do so very forcefully and this really flushes the drain. This is the best method we ever found for cleaning disposers and it is much cheaper and environmentally more responsible than dumping lots of chemicals down the drain.
 
I don't think I've ever had disposer hallitosis.  I make it a routine habit when draining pasta, it's drained in the sink where the disposer is. 
 
I was told, by a plumber years ago to put three things down the disposal on a regular basis: eggshells, ice cubes, and chicken bones. To keep them fresh, fill the sink with hot water and bleach, pull the plug and let it roll. Follow it with a lemon, and it will cure any ills that they have. When I first moved into the house with my partner, and son, the kenmore 3/4 horse disposal just gummed everything to death. I followed the above regimen, and it is sharp as new, and takes anything you throw at it now.
Hugs David
 
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[COLOR=black; font-size: 10.5pt]I agree with John, A lot of good ideas and a lot of overkill ideas too.   Here's what I've done on the very few occasions I've had any issues with disposer "smell".[/COLOR]

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[COLOR=black; font-size: 10.5pt]My suggestion: lemons.   I take a whole lemon and quarter it.   Turn on the water (cold or warm), turn on the disposer, toss in a quarter of the lemon and a large handful of ice cubes at the same time.   Run it until it’s quiet (empty) and repeat.  Once it's running quiet again, add the two remaining lemon quarters at the same time (no ice cubes) and run until nothings left and it’s running quiet again.[/COLOR]

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[COLOR=black; font-size: 10.5pt]This has worked for me and leaves a nice lemon smell for a few days.[/COLOR]

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[COLOR=black; font-size: 10.5pt]Good luck with it Ralph![/COLOR]

[COLOR=black; font-size: 10.5pt]Kevin[/COLOR]
 
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