The garbage disposal is one of those kitchen appliances that can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. If used properly, it will grind up bits of food and wash them away, leaving our garbage just a little less stinky than it would have been otherwise. But what about those times when the disposal becomes your worst enemy and starts to stink that smelly, offensive not-so-clean-kitchen smell? Well, your first order of defense is to clean the garbage disposal with baking soda and vinegar. Then after that, maintain with some DIY deodorizer tablets.
How to Make Coffee Grounds Garbage Disposal Tablets
Here’s how we made ours:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Dry Coffee Grounds (used or fresh)
- ¾ cup Epsom Salt
- ½ cup Baking Soda
- 3 tbsp Distilled White Vinegar
Step 1: Dry Your Coffee Grounds
If you drink coffee each morning, this is a great way to recycle your coffee grounds! After your morning cup, sprinkle the used coffee grounds on a large plate or baking sheet to dry completely. Store the dried grounds in a container and continue adding to it until you have 1 cup worth.
(NOTE: You can also use fresh ground coffee in this recipe if you don’t have the patience to dry and recycle each morning.)
Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients
Grab a large bowl and combine all of the dry ingredients: coffee grounds, Epsom salt, and baking soda. Mix well!
Step 3: Add Vinegar
Slowly add distilled white vinegar to your mixture. You will notice a fizzing reaction between the baking soda and vinegar, but this will subside quickly. Stir in the vinegar until the mixture starts to clump together. Add vinegar ½ tsp at a time until the mixture clumps into a ball.
Step 4: Scoop Your Tablets
Use a lemon baller, small scoop, or spoon to scoop and pack the tablet mixture into small tablets. Lay each tablet on parchment paper until completely dry. You can store these tablets in a jar or other container in your kitchen.
How to Use:
The next time you notice your garbage disposal could use a refresh, pop one or two tablets down your garbage disposal while it’s running and rinse it down with running water.
For even more cleaning power, follow these tablets with 1-2 frozen vinegar cubes. I have a container full of these in my freezer at all times! These will also help eliminate funky smells as well as sharpen your garbage disposal blades. You can also try citrus garbage disposal refreshers, which are better looking and will have a similar effect.
Ryan Adler says
This whole time I’ve avoided putting coffee grounds in my disposal because I thought it might be bad for it or something… and now you’re telling me I can actually use them to clean my disposal?! Haha. I’ll be sure to start saving my coffee grounds from now on.
Christy says
Ashley, do you have any response to the people commenting about coffee grounds being bad for plumbing?
Sarvesh Pal says
getintopcs.org
Chrissy says
A plumber told me recently to NEVER put Coffee Grounds down our sinks, because nothing causes more blockages and clogged pipes than coffee grounds and grease. Even if we don’t put them down the drain at the same time, they’ll meet up and form a sludgy impenetrable nightmare.
I use the tablets to put in my Food Waste Recycle Bins,as Council empty the bins once a fortnight, or spread the Coffee Grounds round my Garden. All plant life can benefit from the used coffee grounds; you don’t have to compost. Just spread ‘em around in your garden to repel insects like ants and slugs and stimulate your plants. If you don’t have a garden, start compiling them in a container and give them to someone who does. If you have houseplants, you can put both coffee grounds and spent tea in them.
A friend uses them when she makes her Candles – Coffee-scented candles: Melt wax, mix with grounds, pour into paper cup with candlewick. Cut away the cup and enjoy! (Not tried this myself, yet)
kala says
This is awesome, I’ve been looking for an easy diy recipe for the disposal! Would it be possible to incorporate this somehow to the garbage can area? I’ve been looking for a natural recipe to zap nasty garbage odors.
Best
Kala
http://www.eovida.com
Diane S. says
Talked to a plummer not too long ago and he said one of the things you should not put down your garbage disposal was coffee. Would these be OK as long as it is not straight coffee grounds?
Carla Taylor says
Awesome idea! !!!!! Can’t wait to try it!!!
Dianne says
Glad to know another way to use old coffee grounds! But I have learned over the years that the most important step in cleaning a disposal is to first scrub the crud from under the flaps of the splash guard. A long handled rounded brush and baking soda paste works well. I’m going to add to that by finishing with your deodorizing tablets.
Ashley Davenport says
Great idea! I’ve been saving my grounds for body scrub, but I have way more grounds than I need. Now I don’t have to waste them:)