When it seems like my garbage disposal could use a little freshening up, I usually reach right for my vinegar and lemon cubes. They’re effective, inexpensive, and don’t contain any harmful ingredients. Win-win-win! But I try to never pass up a good opportunity to reuse something, so when I came across the idea to use coffee grounds to deodorize your garbage disposal, I was immediately on board! We don’t have any coffee drinkers at my house, but I figure that most of you probably do, so I decided it needed to be shared. :-)
It may be surprising to hear that coffee, just like baking soda, can be used as a deodorizer, but it’s true! In fact, coffee beans are widely used as a way to “reset” someone’s sense of smell when they’re smelling several different things, like perfumes or wines. Coffee can also help neutralize odors, which makes ground coffee a great thing to have on hand around the house if your garbage disposal starts to smell unpleasant. And you don’t even have to waste your good, fresh ground coffee; you can use your used grounds, too! Here’s how to make these easy coffee grounds cleaning tabs.
Garbage Disposal Cleaning Tabs
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coffee grounds (fresh or used*)
- 3/4 cup Epsom salt
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 3 Tbsp white vinegar
*To make your tabs out of used grounds, spread them out onto a plate and allow them to dry thoroughly first.
Directions:
Combine the coffee grounds, Epsom salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Slowly add the vinegar to the mixture in the bowl. The vinegar will start reacting with the baking soda, so it will fizz up a bit, but it will subside quickly.
Stir the ingredients until the mixture starts to clump together. You want the mixture to be damp enough that you can form a ball. If it seems too dry, add more vinegar in 1/2 teaspoon increments until it’s damp enough.
Pack the mixture into a melon baller or a small scoop. Then pop the formed tabs out, and lay them out onto a piece of parchment paper.
Place the tabs and paper onto a baking sheet, and put it in your freezer. Once the tabs are frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe bag or jar.
Using Your Garbage Disposal Cleaning Tabs
When your garbage disposal seems like it could use some cleaning or freshening up, simply drop one or two of your frozen tablets into your running garbage disposal. Rinse with cold water.
To pack an extra deodorizing punch, do the same thing but rinse with a cup of vinegar, rather than water.
We had a disposal when we first bought our house. Did not use it as the hose in on a septic system, and garbage is not at all good for septic, Despite that, the disposal would still eventually begin to smell as the dishwasher drain ran to it, So to clean it, I first tried running the dishwasher to fill it, then turning the disposal on, and then draining the dishwasher (via its cancel button). That helped, but not for long. Next, I did the ice cube thing, which also helped a bit, but not for long. Finally, I filled the disposal with ice cubes, plugged the sink and ran water until it was about 1/2 full, then simultaneously pulled the plug and turned on the disposal. Talk about a racket! But it cleaned the heck out of that disposal, as proven by the nasty black crud that it churned up. Just be sure to hold the drain plug over the opening so you don’t end up with a homemade Old Faithful of the crud. Eventually, I just removed the disposal and the double bowl sink and installed a farmhouse style single bowl. p.s. Before trying this, I suggest that you make sure that all the plumbing connections under the sink are tight.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Several pluming websites say that while coffee grounds won’t harm the garbage disposal, they can actually clog drains, so they don’t recommend using them. Did your research show otherwise?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes, this method uses a very small amount of coffee ground on an infrequent basis – definitely safe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sadly some plumbing can’t handle even small amounts. Especially true in older homes. The city waste water treatment plant or your septic system doesn’t want the grounds either. So play it safe and compost or put out with the green waste pickup.
I use ice cubes and orange peels.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I had to use 11 sheets of paper to print only ONE page of a recipe ! I will NEVER print of of your recipes again! I had to use up my ink,so probably saved NOTHING!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you highlight the recipe you can choose to print only what’s selected in the printers Options.
I had the same problem with printing a recipe. However, there are different types of printers and some allow you to choose the pages that you wish to print.
I USE ICE CUBES AND DAWN FIRST FILL IT WITH ICE THEN PUT SOME DAWN ON THE ICE PUT A COVER OVER THE DRAIN AND TURN ON TO MAKE ASNOW CONE DO NOT RUN THE WATER YET LET IT FOAM 2 MIN. OR SO IT WILL BE BLACK YUK THEN RUN HOT WATER TO FLUSH IT WORKS NEVER PUT COFFEE IT WILL PLUG UP DRAINS FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY .
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you have a lemon or lime slice, add one to your garbage disposal every week. Another thing to do is after you use your disposal be sure to run the cold water for at least 60 seconds with the disposal on turned off, that should wash out any small amounts of debris that were left in the disposal.
I have septic and never put coffee grounds down my sink. I was told they don’t break up in the tank so I avoid anything that won’t break down. This includes egg shells also.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.While we’re on the subject, raw potatoes will suck in water super fast, and form an immovable clog in a garbage disposal. They expand and get very solid. Plumber required, unless you want to take the drain apart yourself, dig the gunk out into a bucket, and put it back together again. Our plumber says it should be at the top of the NO! List.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I had always thought coffee grounds were good for cleaning the disposal. Now it sounds like not so much.
Well, I for one think the amount of grounds that you are putting down the garbage disposal will not clog it in the least and will not harm it either. This is a wonderful idea and I for one am happy to have received it from a website i enjoy getting helpful hints from.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t know what ever happened to the old saying “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”. Maybe we all need to go back to basics….
Goodness me!! I don’t always agree with her tips and ideas, but would never attack her or others posting their comments! I know coffee grounds are not best put down a disposal; however, I did learn they are great for deodorizing things. Take the positive from the blog and be kind about the rest.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It makes me sad to read such nasty comments.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Please be nice to each other.
While I would never put grounds down my disposal (like others say, this is very bad for your disposal!) they really are great for neutralizing odors! After cutting onions I’ll rub a bit of the used coffee grounds on my hands and viola! The smell is gone and your hands have been exfoliated!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Whether coffee grounds are good or not, this is way to much work to clean a disposal. I like what Jean said and is just what I do. Get an old toothbrush or small brush and scrub away. Little pieces of lemon rind will freshen it right up. Drying and baking coffee grounds is much more time consuming than just cleaning it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Garbage disposals smell bad because they are dirty and need a good cleaning, with a brush and cleanser/detergent of some kind. All these little tablets, ice cubes, etc. don’t get the top of the disposal clean.
First remove the little rubber flap at the top (I don’t know what it’s called), turn it over and look at the back – NASTY!!
I like to sprinkle it with a little Comet and scrub with a toothbrush.
Now for the disposal itself – buy a small cheap toilet brush.
Using whatever cleanser/detergent you prefer – again, I like Comet – and scrub thoroughly, concentrating on “under the rim” just like in a toilet.
Rinse completely and your disposal will no longer stink.
I like to do this once every couple of weeks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you, Jean, for posting how to clean the parts of the garbage disposal. The rubber splash guard at the top of the disposal in our sink cannot be removed, but I clean it by pulling it up & scrubbing the underside with the scrubbie side of a sponge with soap & water. I have read everything I have ever seen about cleaning the disposal, and am always disappointed that no article has ever addressed cleaning the underside of the rubber splash guard, which is where the smell originates if not kept clean
For those of you who will be cleaning this for the first time, I suggest that wet paper towels be used to remove as much as possible of the gunk that has collected there. Be aware, this will not be a pleasant sight!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee is there a way to take this post down as it will cause problems. We need to compost our grounds. The baking soda and the epson salt mixed with vinegar or lemon is OK to use. Just don’t want you to get in trouble with your friends.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This post has Jillee’s name on it, which allows her to post at will. If readers want to compost their grounds, they can. Others can blog about compost if they prefer. Judge not.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I work for a large plumbing contractor, and coffee grounds are definitely a no-no in the garbage disposal. And I am using my head for more than a hat rack.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You should have stopped typing after where you work! That was so RUDE and you should not say that. How about saying “I don’t agree and don’t plan to use coffee grounds”. Go get your own darn blog!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What he said was informative from someone who works in the plumbing industry. He was not rude, but wanted to enforce and important point. Please folks, stop being so sensitive, constructive criticism is sometimes vital in order to stop people from doing damage to a disposal and even more importantly, the pipes.
I agree. I felt so bad to see that once a plumber (a nice guy) had to clean up the clogged (the degree beyond non-professional attempts to unclog) pipe with coffee grounds mixed with other stuff…. Since then, whenever I use French press for my coffee, I remove all the coffee grounds thoroughly into my compost bag before washing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I came across an article just last week about what NOT to dump down the drain and coffee grounds was one of the items that can cause problems if put in the disposal. After reading this post, I Googled coffee grounds in the drain and found some articles from plumbing companies. The ones I read all said coffee grounds were not good for the disposal.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I put my coffee grounds down the drain everyday!! No problem just have to run lots of water! Use your head for more than just a hat rack!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow!!! Hard to believe a grown person deciding to insult another just for stating a fact!!! How about you use YOUR head for something other than a hat rack and do a bit of research. GEEZ! Just because YOUR have never had a problem with it, doesn’t mean it’s GOOD to do. Hell, read the comment from AN ACTUAL PLUMBER. Why don’t you tell him that HE’S wrong??? Good grief!
Then you have been lucky so far, I was a lucky one too, until I wasn’t. After several expensive plumbing repairs I will never put coffe grounds down my disposal again.
Jillee,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just had a new garbage disposal installed. The installer told me never to put coffee grounds down the disposal.
Coffee grounds and egg shells, so I now recycle them to the garden but not down my sink.
As a plumber, have seen many drain lines clogged with coffee grounds and egg shells also celery trimmings.. very hard to “digest” if you don’t allow enough water to was away this and other foods.. Best is put grounds into the garden around rose bushes or can it !! Certainly true if you don’t use the sink a lot or leave it dry for days as they will dry out and residue hardens.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I never would have thought coffee grounds were bad. I do exactly what you suggested though and I use them to water plants. I also run a lot of water when I use the disposal. I knew about the celery but the coffee and eggs surprise me You learn something every day Thank you