• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Bitz & Giggles
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Holidays
  • DIY & Cleaning
  • Shop
  • About
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Holidays
    • DIY & Cleaning
    • Shop
    • About
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » DIY & Cleaning » Cleaning Tips

    Garbage Disposal Tablets

    Posted: Feb 24, 2014 · Updated: May 7, 2024 by Sara · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email below & we'll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!


    This post may include affiliate links. Please see my disclosure. 

    I adore my garbage disposal. Until about three years ago, I was putting raw garbage into old shopping bags, tying the handles and taking it out to the garage to put in our large waste bin. I couldn't stand having it in the garbage in the kitchen. Raw garbage stinks within hours (sometimes minutes), causing you to have to change garbage bags over and over.

    When we got our disposal, everything changed. Everything became so much easier. I actually enjoyed peeling carrots and potatoes. Clean-up was a breeze. Then, a couple months later, I smelled something. I could actually smell this horrible odor when I opened up the doors under the sink. I could smell it through the pipes. That was the day I learned you needed to clean a disposal, too. I know, I know. Dumb, right? Growing up we never had a disposal. This was my first one. How was I to know?

    Thankfully, I've learned a thing or two since then, and now, I actually make my own freshener tablets to keep the stench away for good.

    All you need to do is grab a muffin or brownie pan. If you don't have either of those, just use an ice cube tray. Slice up some lemons and limes and place a few in each of the cups.

    Now, get some distilled white vinegar.

     

    Fill each cup up almost to the top. Are you having fun yet? I sure am. These tablets are so easy to make, and I love the smell of lemons and limes. You could even use orange peels if you'd prefer. Heck, along with the fruit put in a few drops of lemon or orange essential oil for each of the tablets!

     

    Take your tin and carefully place it into the freezer. Leave it in the freezer for at least 24 hours to ensure the vinegar freezes completely.

     
     
     
    Oh, hello gorgeous. This is what your tablets will look like when you take them out of the freezer. To get them out of the trays easily, you can always grab hold of a piece of lemon or lime that's sticking up out of the vinegar. That's how I usually get mine out!
     
     
     
    Here's a disclaimer. As good as these look, don't try licking them. When you take them out of the tins you'll be able to smell the vinegar. From afar, however, they look good enough to pop into your drink. My hubby actually licked his finger after touching one the day I made them and regretted it immediately.
     
    They definitely are beautiful, but they're not for consumption, so take care to store them in a bag in the freezer labeled DO NOT EAT.
     
     
     
    When you go to use one, you'll need one more ingredient - baking soda. Start running some really hot water into the sink for about a minute.
     
     
     
     
    Turn the water off and pour about ½ cup of baking soda into the disposal, followed by one of the tablets. You'll hear a little fizzing when you drop it in.
     
     
     
    Turn the water back on as a trickle and turn on the disposal. Push the rest of the tablet down into the disposal. Please watch your fingers! You should see some bubbling up from the disposal and you'll be able to smell the vinegar and citrus. The ice actually helps sharpen your disposal blades. Using a tablet once a day should keep your disposal smelling fresh and clean.
     
    Print
    No ratings yet

    Garbage Disposal Tablets

    Author: Sara

    Materials

    • muffin or brownie pan
    • lemons
    • limes
    • distilled white vinegar

    Instructions

    • All you need to do is grab a muffin or brownie pan. If you don't have either of those, just use an ice cube tray.
    • Slice up some lemons and limes and place a few in each of the cups.
    • Now, get some distilled white vinegar. Fill each cup up almost to the top.
    • Take your tin and carefully place it into the freezer. Leave it in the freezer for at least 24 hours to ensure the vinegar freezes completely.

    Notes

    1. Use Citrus for Freshness: Incorporating slices of lemons and limes not only adds a pleasant scent but also helps to neutralize odors in your garbage disposal.
    2. Freeze Completely for Effectiveness: Ensure the distilled white vinegar freezes completely by leaving the muffin or brownie pan in the freezer for at least 24 hours. This ensures the tablets solidify properly for effective use.
    3. Alternative Mold Options: If you don't have a muffin or brownie pan, an ice cube tray can serve as a suitable alternative for molding the garbage disposal tablets. Just adjust the quantity of ingredients accordingly to fit the smaller compartments.
    6941 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tanya

      January 26, 2021 at 3:39 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
    2. Rebecca Payne

      May 12, 2020 at 11:31 am

      I love this idea. I use the baking soda and vinegar but, will try this. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    3. Kelly

      May 06, 2020 at 8:16 pm

      I truly appreciate you sharing this. The only problem for me was reading the recipe. It's too many ads getting in the middle of the article it's almost impossible to read.
      Pinterest or whoever's responsible for this ads should stop this. It's so annoying, makes you as almost give up on reading the articles!

      Reply
      • Sara

        May 07, 2020 at 4:09 pm

        Hi Kelly,

        I'm sorry you had trouble reading the article. I'm able to offer the information for free because of the ads. They are what keep the blog up and running. It's kind of like TV and commercials. I really appreciate the visit to the site. It helps support bloggers who are the ones producing free content for others to learn from and enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Carolyn Dennis

      September 16, 2019 at 5:50 pm

      So disappointed. I thought you had a tab for a garbage compacter. My mistake BUT maybe you do or could come up with one. The story was almost the same. My husband has the household tie up any garbage that might smell and it goes out to the garage because the compacter really packs it down and you use the same bag for up to three weeks because clean paper trash we put in the recycle box (mail junk for instance). So how nice would it be to have a tablet for the compacter and not have to keep running out to the garage. We do not have weekly garbage pick up. We take it to the dump ourselves. Just trying to give you the whole idea. Thanks. I'll be watching.

      Reply
      • Sara

        September 24, 2019 at 9:49 pm

        Hi Carolyn! I don't have a trash compactor but I would think that the more frequently you'd empty the trash compactor, the less "stinky" it would be. I know some trash compactors come with air freshening discs or charcoal filters that help keep the smell "at bay." Every now and then you may want to unplug the compactor and give it a good cleaning by removing any loose debris from inside the cabinet and then washing out thoroughly with warm water and a mild detergent. Sorry I couldn't be of more help here with a magic tablet!

        Reply
    5. Kristen

      August 05, 2015 at 8:09 am

      Wow, so creative and neture friendly at the same time! I would never think of using this, it's just brilliant!

      Reply
    6. Carrie

      January 13, 2015 at 1:38 am

      The ice and citrus for freshening your drain is always a good idea (don't forget to pull out the rubber flange, turn it over and give it a good scrub and rinse - yucky sludge under there). But using the vinegar and baking soda combination will damage your disposal over time. It will eat away at the "pot" metal parts and ruin the bearings.

      Save the vinegar and baking soda for a good cleansing in all your other household drains a couple times a year. Put 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour a full gallon of vinegar steadily in and watch the bubbling clean it out. Give it a good rinse after. This advice was given to me by a plumber - he said twice a year and I'd never have to call him again.

      Reply
      • Sara

        January 13, 2015 at 8:06 am

        Thanks so much for the tips, Carrie. I don't the tabs are concentrated enough to do damage, but I agree you need to be careful. I love your tip about cleaning out the household drains!

        Reply
    7. Clare

      November 18, 2014 at 1:54 am

      This is an awesome tip - I've been putting orange peel, baking soda and ice cubes down my disposal all on separate occasions - I never thought to combine them all!

      Reply
      • Sara

        November 18, 2014 at 3:31 pm

        I love grinding up those citrus peels in the disposal. Nothing like fresh smelling lemon instead of all of the grossness we put down them every day!

        Reply
    8. Kate

      August 21, 2014 at 6:22 pm

      Just as a heads up...

      My brother's roommate used citrus peels in the garbage disposal at my old house (where they currently lived)... and the citrus peels ended up causing a deep down blockage that required hiring a plumber to snake out. Over time, the oils from the peels build up in the pipes.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Sara Zenner, blogger at Bitz N Giggles

    welcome!

    Hey, I’m Sara!

     Born and raised in Wisconsin, where family and fun are at the heart of it all - I inherited a deep appreciation for home cooking and family traditions. I’m all about quick and easy recipes, tidying up, and laid back “up north” living.

    Read more!

    Popular Recipes

    • A piece of Poor Man’s Lobster showcasing the flaky, buttery cod fillet served with broccoli and lemon.
      Poor Man's Lobster
    • A green cocktail garnished with pineapple and a cherry.
      Green Hawaiian Cocktail
    • California Blend Vegetable Casserole
    • Air fryer corn on the cob on serving dish with butter.
      Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
    • No Bake Cherry Dump Cake - An easy, no-bake cherry trifle dessert with layers of angel food cake, sour cream, pudding, cherry pie filling and whipped topping.
      No Bake Cherry Dump Cake
    • Pouring caramel sauce over salted caramel kentucky butter cake.
      Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe

    Thanksgiving Recipes

    • A heaping plate filled with colorful veggie casserole.
      Veggie Casserole Recipe
    • Piece of apple pie with ice cream on a white plate.
      Sheet Pan Apple Pie
    • A bowl of soup filled with carrots, potatoes and turkey
      Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
    • side view of a piece of pumpkin pie
      Praline Pumpkin Pie
    • piece of pumpkin poke cake garnished with cinnamon
      Pumpkin Poke Cake
    • stack of stuffing balls on a white platter
      Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls

    Footer

    Featured on:

    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy
    • ↑ back to top
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2025 - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required