"Also, every now and then, tossing in a handful of ice cubes with some coarse salt can really help scrub the blades and sides clean."
Ice cubes and salt definitely help, but honestly, if the smell keeps coming back, you might have a deeper plumbing issue. Had a tenant once who tried every trick in the book—citrus peels, ice cubes, vinegar—you name it. Turned out the disposal wasn't draining properly due to a partial clog further down the line. Once we cleared that out, swamp monster vanished for good. Might be worth checking into if nothing else sticks...
Good points about checking the plumbing. Ice and salt can help scrape off gunk, but they're not miracle workers if the issue's deeper down. A few other things I've noticed from experience:
- Sometimes the rubber splash guard gets super nasty underneath. Pulling that out and giving it a good scrub can make a huge difference.
- If you're eco-conscious, baking soda and vinegar down the disposal can help neutralize odors without harsh chemicals. It's not magic, but it usually helps keep things fresh between deeper cleans.
- Check the dishwasher drain hose connection if you've got one hooked up to the disposal. I had a weird smell once that turned out to be stagnant water in that hose—gross, but easy fix.
If none of these work, yeah, probably time to look at the pipes themselves...
"Sometimes the rubber splash guard gets super nasty underneath. Pulling that out and giving it a good scrub can make a huge difference."
Definitely second this. I ignored mine for ages thinking "how bad could it be?" until one day I finally popped it out—let's just say I regretted not doing it sooner. It was like a mini swamp of its own down there.
Couple other things I've found helpful over the years:
- Citrus peels (especially lemon or orange) can help freshen things up temporarily. Not a permanent fix, but good for quick deodorizing after cooking something particularly pungent.
- Check the underside of the disposal blades themselves. Sometimes stuff gets stuck there and just sits, slowly decomposing. I once had a small piece of potato peel wedged in there for weeks without realizing it... talk about nasty.
- If you're comfortable with basic plumbing, removing the trap under the sink and giving it a thorough clean can really help. Mine had some pretty gross buildup that no amount of ice cubes or vinegar was gonna touch.
Honestly though, if you've tried all these surface-level fixes and still have issues, it's probably time to bite the bullet and check deeper into your pipes. Had a friend whose disposal smelled awful no matter what he did—turned out he had a partial clog further down causing water to back up slightly. Once that got cleared, problem solved.
Good luck—hope you evict your swamp monster soon.
I get the citrus peel suggestion, but honestly, I stopped doing that after a plumber buddy warned me against it. He said those peels can clog things up over time, especially if your disposal isn't super powerful. Instead, I've found freezing vinegar into ice cubes works better—sharpens blades and deodorizes at the same time. Just my two cents...but yeah, definitely check deeper if it's persistent. Had to snake mine last year and found some pretty questionable stuff stuck down there.
I've tried the vinegar ice cube trick too—definitely helps with the smell. Still, I wonder if running cold water longer after using the disposal might prevent buildup better? Seems like it'd flush things out before they get funky...
