The 30-Second Garbage Disposal Rule That Prevents Odors (And Saves Your Pipes)

If you've ever walked into your kitchen and wondered where the awful smell is coming from only to find that it's emanating from the depths of your garbage disposal, you're not alone. Thankfully, there are quite a few solutions that can help you banish nasty garbage disposal smells, and one of them is pretty quick and simple: let water run down the garbage disposal before and while you're using it, as well as for at least 30 seconds after you turn it off. Employing this method helps ensure all the waste flows cleanly through the system, rather than getting stuck in the disposal process (and stinking up your kitchen).

While it may seem counterintuitive, it's important to use cold water instead of hot when you're running your garbage disposal. When cold water flows down through, it helps to solidify fats and grease in food scraps, which makes it easier for your garbage disposal to grind these materials and wash them away with other ground-up food waste (this is also why putting ice down your garbage disposal is such a smart cleaning method). While this certainly can go a long way in keeping your garbage disposal clean, it's also good for your kitchen's pipes, as it can prevent them from getting clogged up with grease (which can save you from a hefty repair bill). Let's take a look at some other ways you can prevent a stinky garbage disposal.

While running cold water down your garbage disposal can certainly help take care of smells, it's not the only garbage-disposal-related thing you can do to keep your kitchen smelling fresh. Scrubbing the gunk off the underside of the splash guard (the rubber piece that sits in your sink's drain) can help wash away odor-causing food particles. Putting a few slices of a lemon and a tablespoon or so of baking soda down the drain along with a handful of ice cubes can also help grind away stinky grease and bits of food that are causing your disposal to smell.

While running water before, during, and after using your garbage disposal — and putting some of the other methods we talked about here to good use — can certainly help keep your garbage disposal clean, it's important to know when to call in a pro. If you find that no matter how hard you try, you can't get rid of garbage disposal odors, you'll want to reach out to a professional. Once the problem is resolved, be sure to run cold water regularly when you're using your disposal to keep it in great shape.