Your kitchen is usually the most wonderfully aromatic place in your home. It's the birthplace of all of the mouthwatering scents of cooking and baking, but those aren't the only smells that can occur there.
If your kitchen stinks and you emptied your trash, washed your dirty dishes, and still can't identify that sour smell, check your garbage disposal. Although it is an extremely convenient tool, it can sometimes be the source of odor in your kitchen.
Why Does My Garbage Disposal Smell?
Although they simplify our lives, the construction of garbage disposals are actually fairly complex, with plenty of nooks and crannies for food waste to become stuck. Garbage disposals consist of an upper hopper chamber where food waste is deposited as well as a lower chamber where it all collects after it is ground down and is later pushed out into the grain by gravity. The food is smashed up into tiny pieces that can easily flow through piping thanks to a plate filled with several holes connected to another plate full of tiny blades. Food can collect anywhere in the blades and begin to decay, causing an unpleasant odor in and around the sink.
How Can I Eliminate Odor Caused by My Garbage Disposal?
To minimize odors and prevent damage to your food disposal, make sure that you run water before, during and after use of your garbage disposal to help the food wash away from the garbage disposal. Also, it is extremely important to avoid putting anything in the disposal that is difficult to break up or dissolve. Never put trash into your garbage disposal, and avoid materials like banana peels, celery, rice and potato peels.
You can also clean your garbage disposal by running warm water through it for a minute and then feeding several ice cubes into it. The ice cubes will safely remove any build-up without corroding or damaging the blades. Continue running water for a minute afterward. For a fresh scent in the home, cut up a lemon, orange or lime into small pieces and feed it through your running disposal.
If odor is being caused due to a malfunctioning garbage disposal, don't attempt to repair it yourself. Contact a professionally licensed and insured plumber to quickly and effectively address the issue.
Stahl Plumbing is Pittsburgh's trusted plumbing company. We handle any type of plumbing repair or installation in the home or business, including 24/7 service for those times when it's an emergency.
Contact us to learn more about our plumbing services or to schedule an appointment today!