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It happens. Kitchens get odors, and their source is hard to discover sometimes. After you've disposed of any remnant of old food, dumped the trash, loaded and run the dishwasher, and searched high and low, you still can't figure out where that mild, but clearly unsavory odor is coming from. Your kitchen sparkles with all the work you've done, but still there is an odor that won't go away. Then, as you get closer to the sink, you realize that it just might be coming from your garbage disposal.

Garbage disposals have a nasty habit of collecting germs and odors, and they are very good at hiding the mold and germs attracted to them. Upon first examination, you notice a rubber shield that keeps food and debris from washing back up into your sink. This protective sheath usually has pleats in it. While the top of it may shine giving the impression that nothing could possibly be wrong, the underneath side of it might well be the source of your worst nightmare.

Cleaning your disposal isn't that hard, and maintaining it between cleanings is even easier. The first thing you want to do when cleaning your disposal is to run it well, with lots of water. Then be sure to unplug it for your safety before cleaning it. The plug to your disposal is usually located under your sink.

The next thing you want to do is loosen any and all caked on dirt. Use an old tooth brush or better yet, a pipe cleaner folded at the top once or twice. Wipe between all the pleats, and then gently lift up each underside pleat to wipe with a damp paper towel. Repeat the process until your paper towel is clean. You can add a little vinegar to the paper towel to help get rid of thick grease build up.

After you have cleaned the protective lip of your disposal, take an old toothbrush and swish it around inside of your disposal, moving the gears to loosen any food that might be stuck. When you are done, dry your hands and plug the disposal back in. Now you can rinse your disposal with clean hot water. Let the water run for a good three to five minutes, and then turn the disposal on, add a couple of drops of dish soap, not too much, and run your disposal for another minute or two. The bubbles from your dish soap will come up and sanitize the bottom side of the protective sheath.

To maintain your disposal between cleanings, put citrus like oranges and lemons in it, peels and all. As the disposal chops them up and takes them down the drain, the acid from the fruit will give your disposal a fresher scent. It will also prevent some bacteria from building up in it. You should run citrus through your disposal about once a week or so and thoroughly clean it every three months. If you do, you might never have to search for those impossible to find odors again, and if you do, you'll know they couldn't possibly be coming from your well maintained garbage disposal.

Learn more about this author, M. J. Joachim.
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