It comes as no surprise that your garbage disposal is far from the freshest smelling appliance in your home, considering all the items that get tossed into this appliance haphazardly it is bound to permeate a foul-retching stench. Anything from egg shells, meat, fat grease, and even fruits and vegetable easily get tossed inside of the sink disposal and if this disposal is not properly ran after depositing this food into it, it can lead to an array of odors within this drainage that will taint the indoor space of your kitchen, in some cases. Odors like musty, moldy, and mildew smells can develop in your garbage disposal and this can lead to worry and concern from homeowners who will begin to smell what they believe is a mold smell in their home.

Any time there is even a comparable scent to that of mold present in a home, most people will begin to do their due diligence to determine if there is mold growing in the home. However, after investigating you determined that the mold smell originated from directly in your garbage disposal in your sink’s kitchen – what could be the cause of this mold smell and how can you remove it completely?

In this article we are going to learn more about garbage disposals and why they can sometimes take on the odor of mold, along with determining what the best deodorizer is for your home’s garbage disposal for any kind of smell including mold.  

How Do Garbage Disposals Work

Have you ever stopped to consider how a garbage disposal works and its main purpose within your kitchen’s sink? Many of us will be well aware of what garbage disposals can do when it comes to chewing up and removing food scraps down its drain, however, there is more to this disposal than what many know. Although a garbage disposal seems to work like a blender, expect for the fact that this disposal does not contain blades, rather it has impellers or lugs that are mounted on a spinning plate. These impellers will continually work to force food waste particles against a stationary grind ring that will help to break down the food waste into very small particles, and eventually liquifying them. Once it become liquified it will be flushed by the running water from the sink and the particles will be pushed through the grind ring and out of the disposer into the waste pipes.

Unfortunately, like any other appliance there are problems that can occur with a garbage disposal that will lead it to get jammed or burnt out. These problems will happen when people put things down this disposal that it can’t handle, and thus it is important to be vigilant when it comes to determining what can and can’t be put down this drain.

What Not to Put in Garbage Disposal

When it comes to classifying what items are harmful and potentially damaging to your sinks garbage disposal it can be difficult to distinguish between something safe and alternatively something that is not safe to place down your garbage disposal. As we discussed previously, often times when we throw items down our garbage disposals we rarely think twice before doing so, which can potentially cause major problems in your disposal when the wrong items find their way down your drain. You may find that some items that you put down your drain all too often are some of the worst culprits behind damage caused to this appliance, and therefore it is necessary to know exactly what you can and can’t place down your sinks drain.

• Grease, Oils, & Fats: After cooking on a pan you may be inclined to take the remaining grease left on the pan and dump it down your sink drain but wait just a minute! Grease, oils, and fats are all items that could lead to the clogging of your garbage disposal.
• Egg Shells & Onion Layers: Onion layers and eggs shells have a film-like membrane that can wrap around moving parts and lead to damage when they come into contact with the garbage disposal.
• Nuts & Nut Shells: Nut shells are very hard and while some can easily maneuver these items, other garbage disposals will have a difficult time breaking down the nuts and their shells.
• Coffee Grinds: Coffee grounds may not be horrible for your garbage disposal but when it comes to your plumbing it can have quite the effect. These grinds will eventually settle like sediment in your plumbing and will essentially increase the likelihood of clogging in the plumbing pipes.
• Animal Bones: Bones are obviously a no-go when it comes to your sink’s garbage disposal, as it is one of the hardest naturally occurring substances. It is a general rule of thumb to never put down bones in the disposal as it can break it and lead to a major clog that can cause problems like odors in the sink.

How Often Should You Clean Garbage Disposal

It may seem like a foreign idea to clean your garbage disposal, but even your garbage disposal will require a little TLC throughout its life in your kitchen’s sink. The question then becomes how often should you clean your garbage disposal and what should you clean it with? The main reason as to why it is important to clean your garbage disposal is because of the strong odors it can produce and elicit into the environment after an accumulation of food has been collected within this appliance. Regular maintenance and cleaning of your garbage disposal will help to eradicate odors that have developed in your garbage disposal and help to upkeep the quality of this appliance to last for a long lifespan in your home.

When it comes to how often to clean your garbage disposal, it is recommended to clean it at least every week to three weeks, depending on the use of your disposal. Now when it comes to what clean this disposal with there are many go-to items that most homeowners will use that include baking soda, vinegar, bleach, lemons, and other product that claim to work for eradicating odors and cleaning your garbage disposal.

Why Does it Smell Like Mold in Garbage Disposal

Stepping into your kitchen the moment you get close to the sink it starts to smell like the scent of mold from in your garbage disposal. Why does it smell like mold in my garbage disposal and how on earth can I get it out? The problem with this smell is that it can come from out of nowhere to most homeowners and leave you questioning why does my garbage disposal smells like mold within this appliance, and the answer to this can be a rage of things such as decomposing food, the water produced into your home, or even maybe mold spores that have become trapped in your home’s pipes. These problems could be the crux of your issues when it comes to a smelly garbage disposal that smells like mold.

When it comes to mold spores, they can be virtually everywhere and be readily available to grow in the environment, especially when it comes to your drains. These spores will cause the odors from within your sink or garbage disposal that smells like mold, in some cases. These spores will develop inside of sink drains and disposals because of its easy access to moisture within this appliance, and therefore it is necessary to keep a watchful eye (or nose!) out for any mold smells originating from your sinks drain and garbage disposal.

Sources of Sink Disposal Smells

When it comes to the different types of odors that can be produced inside of your sink’s garbage disposal, there are several factors or sources that can cause these undesirable, smelly odors. These odors can come from a multitude of things such as stuck food debris in the disposal and sometimes even mechanical problems. The more and more that a home’s garbage disposal is used, the increased likelihood that issues may arise such as an accumulation of food collected in the disposal that may lead to an emission of funky odors from this disposal into your home.

In addition, mechanical problems may also be another problem when it comes to smells produced from your sink’s garbage disposal. Sometimes when running your garbage disposal, you may encounter a problem such as a jam that can lead to your disposal not working at all when running it. When this problem happens, it will allow for food debris that was pushed into this disposal to sit and produce a rancid odor that will also cause smells to develop from this appliance in your home.

How to Deodorize Garbage Disposal Odors that Smell Like Mold

Deodorizing your garbage disposal may sound way more complicated than what it truly is, especially when you have the right products at your disposal to clean this rancid appliance inside of your home. The go-to items for cleaning and deodorizing a garbage disposal will usually include lemon peels, ice, vinegar, baking soda, bleach, and a range of other household products that people wishfully place in their disposal to get a fresh outcome. However, although these household products will help to remove some components of the odors trapped within your home’s garbage disposal it will do little for the heavy odors trapped in this appliance like mold smell.

The OdorKlenz Sink & Disposal Cleaner and Deodorizer is a revolutionary product available to consumers that allows for them to finally achieve a complete odor neutralization and restoration of their sink’s disposals from the worst odor sources. The proprietary OdorKlenz technology contains a patented blend of earth minerals that are designed to safely and effectively capture and break down/neutralize a variety of noxious odor sources and chemicals that it comes into contact with when placed down your sink’s garbage disposal. The safe ingredients included in this chemical-free, masking agent-free sink disposal deodorizer includes castile soap/coconut oil potassium soap, glycerin/vegetable glycerin, water, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide.

OdorKlenz Sink & Disposal Cleaner and Deodorizer Application: The fast and effective OdorKlenz Sink & Disposal Cleaner and Deodorizer can easily be applied into your sink’s disposal to remove those stubborn odors from within your sink’s drain, all through the use of an easy application process. Simply pour 1/3 a cup down the sink or disposal and allow the product to sit for a few minutes. Come back to the sink and run some water down the drain, while also turning on the disposal to let the OdorKlenz work within this disposal. Finish up the application by adding more OdorKlenz Sink & Disposal Cleaner and Deodorizer into the running disposal and rinse it with more water to provide your sink’s garbage disposal with a thorough deodorization and cleaning!

Sink & Disposal Cleaner & Deodorizer

$12.99

✓ Made of Safe, Natural earth minerals that provide a complete odor elimination

✓ Fast acting, without the use of masking agents or fragrances

✓ Made from castile soap, vegetable glycerin, and metal oxides

✓ Helps clean while it deodorizes