Garbage Disposal Odor Issues

 
What To Do When Your Sink Smells
Foul smells emitting from your garbage disposal is troublesome. It can slowly cause your entire house to smell. Even worse, it’s embarrassing when guests come over to visit.
There are tips to follow to keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh, including things you should not do. There are also warning signs that a plumber might need to get to the root of the smell.
Watch What You Put In Your Garbage Disposal
It’s a myth that the garbage disposal is meant to put all leftover foods in. The opposite is true. The garbage disposal is a protective measure for your plumbing. It grinds up any food into particles to keep them from clogging your pipes or possibly breaking them.
While some food residue is fine, putting large pieces of food or bones in your disposal can damage it. Scrape your dishes first into your kitchen trash can before you place them in the sink.
Some even opt to place a filter over their garbage disposal before washing dishes. This filter is usually made of rubber and sits on top of your sink drain. It will catch any large particles of food, keeping it from entering the disposal.
Never use drain cleaners in your garbage disposal. These cleaners contain high levels of toxins which can damage your garbage disposal. The same goes for most household cleaners.
What Can I Use to Keep My Disposal Clean?
Always run water into your garbage disposal when using it. If you don’t, you run the risk of burning out the motor. Cold water always works best when using your disposal. Baking soda works well to clean and omit odors. It also cleans and deodorizes your sink as well. Sprinkle the baking soda onto your sink and into your garbage disposal. Let it sit for five minutes then rinse well.
You can use ice cubes to clean your disposal. Toss in two to three ice cubes and run the disposal for thirty seconds. The ice cubes will help to remove any food debris that may be stuck on the blades. Then alternate between hot and cold water to dissolve the ice cubes while running the disposal.
How Do I Know If I Need a Plumber?
If the smell still remains, even after trying a few cleaning methods, you need to call a reputable plumber. You may have food debris stuck in the system or issues with your p-trap.
The p-trap is what keeps food and odors from reentering your sink. If you have a double sink, you may want the plumber to check and make sure that you have a p-trap on both sides.

Is your garbage disposal clogged and smelling up your Arlington kitchen? No need to wait, Call The Plumbing Dr. at (703) 525-9280 and get the right plumbing services you need.