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Sewer Smell Coming from Garbage Disposal

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Date: 09/17/2004 Topics: Cleaning > Appliances | Readers Request > Cleaning  
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I would like to know how to get rid of the awful odor that comes up through the garbage disposal... it smells like the sewer. I asked a plumber about it, and he said to grind up a quarter of a lime without using water every so often in the disposal--didn't work for me. Any suggestions?

Carolyn from Kansas
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By brph2002 (5) Contact
POOR BOBS KITCHEN SOAP will remove the odor from your garbadge disposel and will also remove the "SOUR" smell from your sink sponge or dishcloth. www.POORBOBPRODUCTS.co or www.ODORTECH.com

Posted on 02/07/2010 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Ann Parker (67) Contact
When a garbage disposal is old and the rubber blades are worn, it doesn't grind everything like it should. Food gets stuck on the rubber and rots. Nothing helps. My daughter got a new disposal and the odor was gone. Complain to the apartment manager and insist they solve the problem.

Posted on 01/04/2010 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Jeffery (Guest Post)
Personally, I make sure that when I use the disposal that I run alot of water down after I turn the disposal off to make sure that any gunk is flushed down. I also fill sink part ways with stopper and then remove the stopper so that the disposal is flooded with water. Sometimes your water running isn't strong enough.

I also use some lemon Comet and a toothbrush about once a week. I just pour a little comet in there and stick the brush down past the rubber filter and scrub around. When I first moved into my new place it was coated with black gunk but since I keep it clean there is rarely anything in it.

Posted on 01/11/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Gary W. (Guest Post)
First make sure you have the drain from the disposal going into a trap (U bend under the sink or under the floor) if not you will have nothing to stop the sewer smell if it is straight piped. Next try baking soda, gring a lemon usually helps also try grinding ice.

Posted on 09/23/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse

By chiquita (Guest Post)
I have tried everything but nothing works. I live in a apartment so there's really little I can do about it besides the home remedies. I'm going to try everyone that is listed because the smell is unbearable.

Posted on 04/29/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Jack (Guest Post)
I had a drainage problem on my property so I had someone dig a French drain and lay a vapor barrier in the crawl space. One of the workers unwittingly bumped into the garbage disposal drain pipe, and for about three years everything coming out of the disposal went straight to the crawl space. It rotted, smelled awful, and I had to spend $8,000 to remedy the damage done underneath the house. It's worth checking out - that smell may be your house, not the disposal!

Posted on 12/29/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse

By (Guest Post)
I had an awful smell coming from my garbage disposal. I thought somehow the septic tank was backing up into the kitchen plumbing. Nothing seemed to work until I stuck a dish scrub brush down the disposal to scrub and found that awful 'stuff' had indeed collected under the rubber gasket. I almost gagged the smell was so horrific, but after scrubbing the gasket and flushing with vinegar the smell has subsided. THANK YOU!

Posted on 11/29/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse

By miriamne (5) Contact
All these suggestions are good news for cleaning the disposal unit. Many thanks for all. Wish I could find a way to print just a few.Miriam Null

Posted on 09/17/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse

By BABBIE (227) Profile Blog! Contact
One of the problems is the garbage is thrown back up and it sticks around the sides and under the rubber gasket, the best thing is to take a small brush and scrub out the inside. not all rubber gaskets come off, ( be careful not to flip the mock in your face) and don't forget to run a lot of hot water in the opposite drain , food particles can backup in there and rot.

Posted on 07/22/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Rosa (Guest Post)
We recently bought a house that is ten years old. The disposal is probably as old as the house. I noticed that ODOR coming from it. I poured a box of baking soda down but still have the odor. Then something fell down the sink. I took a long handled spoon and reached in to try to retreive it. Well what I got out was a spoon with lots of black looking gunk on it. I couldn't believe how filthy this disposal was. I am going to try some of these ideas and if they don't work, out it goes. It doesn't look like it has ever been cleaned.

Posted on 07/04/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse

By tthompson (113) Contact
I had the same problem today with my disposal. I tried the suggestion from Susan and poured baking soda and white vinegar down until it stopped fizzing then let water run down the disposal. this worked great! I have tried other ways before but this worked instantly. Thank you Susan!

Posted on 06/11/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse

By butter scotch (Guest Post)
thank all of you for the help. I thought I was lost until I found this page.

Posted on 04/13/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Anonymous (133) Blog! Contact
I also use baking soda and vinegar in my disposal. It works pretty well especially after grinding up onions and garlic leftovers. I read that you can mix up white vinegar with a little water, freeze it in an ice cube tray and once a week, toss a couple of cubes in the disposal. The ice sharpens the blades and of course the vinegar takes care of smells.

Posted on 01/13/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Bob (Guest Post)
Always good to know you're not alone. We live in a less-than-a-year old new condo, and have recently noticed that when we turn on the tap and flush water down the garbage disposal, an awful, musty, sewer-like oder rises up out of the disposal cavity. We're going to try all the remedies and hints on this page, and hope that something works. Otherwise, it's a call to the contractor or plumber and who knows what that will lead to. Thanks, everybody.

Posted on 01/13/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse

By beachers (Guest Post)
I had the same smell. the plumber came out and went under the kitchen. he found the pipe had rotted away and every thing I was putting down the garbage disposal was sitting on the ground rotting, hence the awful smell not to mention the rats that feast on it. he replaced the pipe and cleaned up the mess poor guy, then he sprinkled a lot of lime powder on the ground to nutrilize the exisiting smell. problem solved thank god. i was sure to thank him

Posted on 11/25/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Justanothercowgirl (23) Contact
We were having this problem with our bathroom drains, especially when we would drain the tub, this horrible smell would come out the sink drain and the overflow drain. We called it "the stench of death" it was so disgusting. We tried everything mentioned on here and then some!! I read on another forum that it could be from bacteria caught in the overflow drain and to pour hydrogen peroxide into all of the drains involved and let it sit and bubble. Problem solved!!! It worked like a charm for us, hope it works for you!!

Posted on 11/25/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Sweetfilter (Guest Post)
Bior dissolving packets eliminate sewer odor ovedrnight.

http://www.rodxpam.com

RE: Sewer Smell Coming from Garbage Disposal

Posted on 11/24/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse

By shelby (Guest Post)
I have tryed everything ,,but nothing seems to work.maybe i will just take out the garbage disposal.

Posted on 08/24/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse

By sarah_bellum (Guest Post)
I have used the lemon and ice cube trick and when I am feeling lazy or in a hurry I stick one of my electrosol tabs in it and turn it on. This also seems to help!!!

Posted on 10/27/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

By jeangnome46 (52) Contact
Lowe's or Home Depot sell a product especially for this problem.

Posted on 10/20/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Amanda A. (Guest Post)
Take a whole lemon and cut in half, take a cup of baking soda and pour into garbage diposal and add only 1/2 cup warm water to it, let sit for half an hour or more if smell is bad. Then turn disposal on and run hot water down disposal put in half lemon and wait til all chopped then add other half while still running hot water. That should take care of the smell. We use this method at my restaurant and it works wonders.

Posted on 10/14/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Suze (Guest Post)
HI I had some problems with that and found taking off the rubber ring in the drain and turning it over---there is a lot of goop in there and cleaning that. Also I tried putting several cups of icecubes in there and running the disposal worked well and last the bleach plus the icecubes did the trick at the end. I did try all of the other methods suggested but the ones I listed worked on my stinky disposal.

Posted on 09/20/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Diana Sanchez (Guest Post)
I grind up a whole lemon about once a week, and that really seems to help. I was having a lot of trouble with a "stinky garbage disposal." Hope this helps.

Posted on 09/20/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

By johnsonya (27) Contact
I meant to say disposal not dishwasher !

Posted on 09/20/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

By johnsonya (27) Contact
I bought a toilet brush just for my dishwasher and use it whenever I notice a smell along with grinding lemons and oranges, I never seem to have too big a problem with odor

Posted on 09/20/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Pat (Guest Post)
Hi, When my garbage disposal smells I use 1-2 chopped up lemons (after I have used the juice for cooking) and I let the cold water run until the lemons have disappeared.

Posted on 09/17/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

By ThriftyFun (3003) Profile Blog! Contact
Hi Carolyn,
I'd try some baking soda (about 1/2 cup) and then pour white vinegar down it until it stops fizzing. Then run the disposal with the water running. There is probably something stuck in the pipes below or below the blades that is smelling. This should help clean it out. I do this periodically with mine and it keeps it clean.
- Susan

Posted on 09/17/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

By Lee-Ann (Guest Post)
Would pouring a bit of bleach down help?

Posted on 09/17/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse

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