Why your garbage disposal smells worse in July, and how to fix it.

A garbage disposal that smells in the summer is almost always food residue breaking down faster in the heat, and most of it is stuck to the underside of the rubber splash guard where you can't see it. Scrub the splash guard, clean the grinding chamber, and run cold water a little longer after every use. If the smell survives a real cleaning, the problem is further down the drain.

Everything that makes a July kitchen smell like summer, sweet corn, watermelon, burgers off the grill, ends up near the sink, and a hot kitchen is exactly where bacteria multiply fastest. That's why a disposal that was fine in April can start smelling in July even though nothing about it has changed.

Start with the splash guard

The splash guard (the rubber flaps in the sink opening) is where most disposal smells actually live. Every time food goes down, some of it smears onto the underside of those flaps, and it sits there out of sight, warm and damp. Running water and grinding ice don't reach it.

First, turn the disposal off at the switch, or unplug it under the sink if it's plugged in. Then look at the guard. On many models it lifts straight out, and you can scrub it with a brush and a paste of baking soda and warm water, or put it on the top rack of the dishwasher. If yours doesn't come out, fold the flaps up one at a time and scrub the underside with an old toothbrush. Never put your hand past the guard into the grinding chamber, even with the power off.

Then clean the grinding chamber

With the guard clean, give the inside a scrub it can do on its own. A handful of ice cubes ground with the cold water running knocks residue off the grinding parts. We cover the ice and salt version in our list of what not to put down a garbage disposal. After that, sprinkle a quarter cup of baking soda into the drain with some water and run it through. A few small pieces of lemon or orange peel at the end leave it smelling better.

Skip chemical drain cleaners. They're harsh on the disposal's seals and metal parts, and they don't touch the splash guard, which is where the smell was coming from. Doing the scrub once a week through the summer keeps most smells from coming back.

What July puts down the drain

Summer food adds its own problems. Corn husks and silk are long, stringy fibers that wrap around the grinding parts instead of grinding up, and they belong in the trash or the compost. Grease from the grill turns solid as it cools and coats the chamber and the pipe past it. Big chunks of watermelon rind are slow to grind and leave pieces behind. Our full list explains the reason behind each one.

Time away matters too. If the house sat empty for a week while you were up north (our before you leave checklist covers the rest of the house), the water in the drain has been sitting in the heat the whole time. Run the cold water for a minute and grind a few ice cubes when you get back.

When the smell isn't coming from the disposal

If a real cleaning doesn't fix it, look past the disposal.

• The dishwasher connection. Most dishwashers drain through the disposal. If the drain hose sags instead of looping up high under the counter, dirty dishwasher water can sit in it and smell.
• A slow drain. If water sits in the sink after the disposal runs, something is partially blocking the pipe past it, and trapped food is rotting there.
• A leak. A musty smell from the cabinet, a damp cabinet floor, or water under the unit means something is leaking. A leak from the disposal's body itself usually means it's time for a new one, which we explain in our repair or replace guide.

When to call

A smell by itself is almost always a cleaning job. Call when it comes with a leak, a drain that won't clear, or a disposal that hums instead of spinning, which we walk through in our humming disposal guide. If the unit is past 10 years old and the smell keeps coming back, a new disposal grinds finer and cleaner than the one it's replacing. Our garbage disposal page covers installation and repair around Milford, Novi, and Farmington Hills.

Quick answers

Why does my garbage disposal smell?

Usually food residue stuck to the underside of the rubber splash guard and inside the grinding chamber, where bacteria break it down. Summer heat speeds that up, which is why smells get worse in July.

How do I get rid of garbage disposal smell?

Turn the disposal off, scrub the underside of the splash guard, then grind ice with cold water running and rinse a quarter cup of baking soda through. If the smell comes back after a real cleaning, check the dishwasher drain hose, a slow drain, or a leak under the sink.

How often should I clean my garbage disposal?

Once a week through the summer keeps most odors away. Scrub the splash guard, grind some ice, and run cold water for a while after every use.

Countryside Plumbing is a licensed master plumber serving Milford, Novi, Farmington Hills, and southeast Michigan since 1979. Garbage disposal installation and repair is one of our three specialties. Free quotes at 248-705-7543.