Did you know that your garbage disposal can be a cesspool for smelly bacteria? After some research and personal experience I have come up with 4 simple ways to help you naturally prevent this!

1.)   Always rinse your sink with hot water and soap after washing dishes and utensils, especially after handling raw meats. Remember it is a garbage disposal not an actual trash can. Potato peels and large food products should not be placed in it. 2.)    Frequently clean your disposal. Besides hot water and soap, occasionally place a few ice cubes in the disposal turn it on. The ice chunks and chips actually remove that hard to reach food build up. Some people even freeze vinegar and rock salt for extra cleaning power. 3.)   After recently visiting a friend’s apartment I noticed a dingy smell in his kitchen. He responded, “Oh I think it is coming from the garbage disposal.” Has this happened to you?  There is a natural remedy for this and most of us already have the ingredients in our kitchens, citrus peels. I prefer lemon and oranges peels but others choose to use grapefruit and limes. Throw a couple of peels down there, turn it on and run a little bit of water! 4.)   Our  pest control representative recommended putting some bleach down the drain and then letting it sit for a few minutes before flushing. Here at Camden we like to keep it green so I searched to find an alternative. I found that many people actually use vinegar and baking soda (2 to 1 respectively). Let it sit for up to 10 minutes and then rinse with hot water. This volcano like mixture foams up cleaning and deodorizing the disposal! Bleach can kill good bacteria in your septic tank so try to avoid that if at all possible! Just remember to always run your disposal and water at the same time. Do not use your disposal as a garbage can and always try to find a natural remedy instead of using harsh chemicals!