How to Fix a Smelly Garburator

A garburator is a valuable addition to any kitchen. They reduce the volume of household waste and make cleaning up after meals a breeze. While this device is designed to simplify your life and save time, it requires periodic maintenance or repairs to ensure reliable and efficient performance.

One of the most common issues that many homeowners face is a smelly kitchen sink, and if your garburator stinks, Mr. Appliance^® is here to help. Read on for some great tips from the appliance experts that will help you focus on all the good smells in your kitchen while eliminating the bad.

Why Does My Garburator Stink?

Any time you are dealing with food and food waste, there is the potential for unpleasant odours. As organic matter breaks down and begins to decay, it releases gasses with unpleasant smells and encourages the growth of bacteria.

When this smell happens in your garbage can, for example, you likely take it out and spray an air freshener, which typically does the job. But it’s a different story when the foul odour comes from your drain. If you detect the smell of rotting food coming from your drain, it’s a sign that there is some leftover debris or residue lingering within the unit, causing the garburator to smell.

While garburators are, by design, self-cleaning, it is easy for particles of organic material to build up over time and adhere to the walls, grinders, or even the flange. The good news is that you can easily resolve the problem with just a few common household items and a little bit of your time.

How to Fix Garburator Smell

Use these steps to freshen up the interior of your garburator and eliminate odours:

1. Start at the top

Before you begin the deep cleaning process, take a few moments to clean the areas that are easy to reach and safe to access. Use a long-handled scrub brush or soap wand and warm, soapy water to scrub the rim of the garburator, including the seam between the flange and the basin. Sometimes, bits of food and mould build up in these locations, but they can easily be handled with antibacterial dish soap and a bit of elbow grease.

2. Flush it out

Gather up some baking soda, vinegar, and a kettle full of boiling water to create a mild chemical reaction that will loosen stuck-on debris deep in the interior of the unit. Heat 250 ml of vinegar in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds to get it close to boiling, and set aside while you pour 65 grams of baking soda down the drain. Add the vinegar, and plug the drain for several minutes to give the two ingredients time to foam and react. Next, remove the drain plug and carefully pour the kettle full of water down the drain to flush out the baking soda, vinegar, and loosened organic matter.

3. Use ice and salt

Kosher salt or rock salt are both abrasive enough to scrub the interior of the garburator without harming it and when used in conjunction with ice cubes, they make an effective solution to remove any stubborn, leftover matter. Start by pouring 125 grams of ice cubes into the drain and turn on the garburator before adding 65 grams of rock salt or kosher salt and turning on the cold water tap.

For a bit more cleaning power, you can add a few squirts of antibacterial dish soap on top of your ice and salt mixture. Ice and salt work great as abrasives, but they can’t eliminate oily substances very effectively.

Adding dish soap to the mix results in an abrasive slurry that can remove food bits and clean off any grease or rancid oils in your garburator. Dish soap can also add a pleasant smell to your drain to immediately cover up any lingering odours.

Schedule an Expert Mr. Appliance Repair Today

Following these steps will keep your garburator clean and your kitchen sink smelling fresh. Unfortunately, a foul scent isn’t the only issue your garburator can have. If your garburator is broken, isn’t working properly, or you can’t seem to get the unpleasant odor to go away, call the professionals at your local Mr. Appliance for help.

For reliable Garburator repair and replacement contact the experienced team of service professionals at Mr. Appliance.