I've seen citrus peels tossed into disposals plenty of times, and yeah, they're usually harmless enough. But honestly, they're more of a temporary fix than anything else. A few years back, I had a customer whose disposal smelled like something crawled in there and died—seriously nasty stuff. She'd been using lemon peels religiously, but the smell kept coming back.
When I took it apart, I found a thick layer of slimy buildup under the blades and around the chamber walls. Citrus peels just weren't cutting it (literally). Ice cubes definitely help scrape off some of that gunk, but if you're dealing with persistent odors, I'd recommend occasionally pouring in some baking soda followed by vinegar. Let it fizz for a bit, then flush with hot water. It breaks down the grime better than citrus alone.
Also, every now and then, it's worth checking the rubber splash guard—that thing can trap food particles and get pretty gross underneath. Cleaning or replacing it can make a huge difference in odor control.
Totally agree about citrus peels being more of a bandaid than a real fix. When I moved into my first house, the disposal smelled like something straight out of a horror movie. Lemon peels made it tolerable for maybe a day or two, but it always came back stronger (and grosser). Eventually, I tried the baking soda and vinegar trick mentioned here, and it really did help break down that nasty sludge.
One thing I'd add is to make sure you run plenty of cold water whenever you use the disposal—hot water can actually melt fats and make them stick even worse inside. Learned that one the hard way after having to scrape out some greasy buildup myself... not fun. Also, every once in a while, toss in a handful of coarse salt with your ice cubes. The salt acts like an abrasive and cleans the blades better than ice alone.
Honestly though, if your disposal consistently smells like swamp monster territory, it's probably overdue for a thorough manual cleaning. It's gross work, but worth it in the end.
Yeah, citrus peels are basically the Febreze of garbage disposals—covers up the funk but doesn't actually fix anything. I second the ice and salt trick, works wonders. But honestly, nothing beats getting in there with an old toothbrush...gross but effective.
Isn't using a toothbrush down there kinda risky? Even unplugged, those blades can be sharp. Maybe try baking soda and vinegar first—safer and usually does the trick without needing to get hands-on...
Good call on the toothbrush thing—those blades can definitely give you a nasty surprise, even unplugged. Seen a few folks get nicked trying to scrub around down there. Baking soda and vinegar is usually my first recommendation too, since it's gentle and effective. If that doesn't quite cut it, you might try:
- Tossing in some ice cubes and lemon peels; the ice helps knock off gunk, and lemon freshens things up.
- Running cold water while the disposal's on to flush out leftover debris.
- Checking underneath for leaks or moisture buildup—sometimes smells come from hidden drips.
Just take it slow and easy. Garbage disposals can be tricky little beasts if you're not careful...
