I've seen baking soda and vinegar recommended everywhere, and yeah, it's harmless enough. But honestly, after years of plumbing calls, I've noticed it mostly just masks the smell temporarily. Had a customer once who swore by citrus peels—until they jammed up his disposal and I had to fish them out (fun times...). Those cleaning pods mentioned earlier actually do a solid job breaking down the gunk that causes odors. Worth a shot if your swamp monster refuses eviction.
I've tried those pods too, and they're decent, but honestly, the only thing that's really worked for me is manually cleaning out the disposal. Not fun, but effective. If you're up for it, here's what I do: unplug or shut off the breaker first (safety!), then use a flashlight and tongs to pull out any visible gunk. After that, scrub the rubber splash guard underneath—it traps a lot of nasty stuff. Finish by running hot water and dish soap through it. Smell usually stays gone way longer than with baking soda or citrus peels...
Yeah, manually cleaning it out is definitely the most effective way—you're spot on about that rubber splash guard. People overlook it all the time, but it's like a hidden swamp monster lair under there. One thing I'd add from experience: after you've done the deep clean, toss a few ice cubes down and run the disposal for a bit. It helps knock loose any leftover bits stuck to the blades and walls. Plus, it sharpens the blades a little, which never hurts.
I know it's not exactly a fun weekend activity, but once you get into the habit of doing it every couple months or so, it becomes less of a hassle. And honestly, it's oddly satisfying seeing all that gunk come out... makes you wonder how it even got there in the first place. Anyway, good tips—sounds like you've got it down to a science.
The ice cube trick definitely works, but I gotta say, I'm a bigger fan of citrus peels afterward. Lemon or orange rinds freshen things up nicely and leave a clean scent behind—way better than that chemical spray stuff, imo. Anyone ever try baking soda and vinegar down there after cleaning? Curious if people think it's legit or just kitchen folklore...
I've tried the baking soda and vinegar thing a few times, and honestly, I'm not convinced it's doing much beyond the initial fizz. Yeah, it looks impressive—like a mini science experiment—but after the bubbles die down, the smell usually creeps back pretty quickly. I think the citrus peels actually do more because the oils in the rind have natural deodorizing properties that linger longer.
One thing I've found that works surprisingly well is just plain dish soap and hot water. I run hot water down the disposal for a minute, squirt in some dish soap, then let it run another minute or two. Seems basic, but it breaks down grease and grime that can build up and cause odors. Plus, it's something everyone already has on hand.
Don't get me wrong, citrus peels are great—I toss them in whenever I have them—but I wouldn't rely solely on them if your disposal is really stinking up the place. The ice cube trick is solid too, especially for sharpening blades and knocking loose gunk, but again, it's more of a maintenance thing than an odor fix.
Also, one thing people often overlook is the rubber splash guard at the top. If you've never popped that out and cleaned underneath, brace yourself...it gets pretty nasty under there. A quick scrub with an old toothbrush or sponge can make a huge difference.
So yeah, baking soda and vinegar might be kitchen folklore to some extent. It won't hurt anything, and it's cheap enough to experiment with, but from my experience, it's not the miracle cure some folks claim.
