What’s That Nasty Smell Coming From My Kitchen

I think most households are a lot like mine in that family and friends inevitably congregate in the kitchen. We gather there to eat our meals and linger over conversations. The kids work on school projects at the kitchen table. When our friends visit, the dining table turns into the game table or we end up on the bar stools in the kitchen chatting over coffee or drinks.

Bottom line – the kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house. So it’s important to me to keep the kitchen clean and smelling fresh. I am a bit of a clean freak and I keep my kitchen ready for the next inevitable party all the time. So firing up my steam cleaner is pretty much a daily thing.

That’s why I was frantic when I had this weird lingering odor I could neither locate or identify. I searched everywhere. I removed every item from the refrigerator checking for any spoiled or expired food items then steamed every nook and cranny.
I think most households are a lot like mine in that family and friends inevitably congregate in the kitchen. We gather there to eat our meals and linger over conversations. The kids work on school projects at the kitchen table. When our friends visit, the dining table turns into the game table or we end up on the bar stools in the kitchen chatting over coffee or drinks.

Bottom line – the kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house. So it’s important to me to keep the kitchen clean and smelling fresh. I am a bit of a clean freak and I keep my kitchen ready for the next inevitable party all the time. So firing up my steam cleaner is pretty much a daily thing.

That’s why I was frantic when I had this weird lingering odor I could neither locate or identify. I searched everywhere. I removed every item from the refrigerator checking for any spoiled or expired food items then steamed every nook and cranny.
I went through the cupboards searching for the culprit but didn’t find anything. I checked and steamed my dishwasher. I took out the trash, steamed the inside and outside of the trash can. I eliminated all of the obvious places unpleasant odors tend to hide but couldn’t find the cause of the awful odor that was now permeating my whole kitchen.

Tuesday I was peeling carrots and I turned on the disposal. Let me just say it quickly became very obvious that I had found the source of that nasty odor. It was the worst smell you could ever imagine. I thought the garbage disposal was designed to pulverize and remove food waste and send it down the drain. I should have realized the disposal was actually the perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow…wet, dark and hidden.
As disgusting as this was, I was relieved to finally find the cause of the awful odor. I knew this problem could be resolved within 10 to 15 seconds. All I had to do was my turn on my steam cleaner. I knew the steam temperature was hot enough to kill the mold and bacteria that caused the odor and its nozzle was angled perfectly to blast the gunk out from the hidden area under the rubber gasket.
I went through the cupboards searching for the culprit but didn’t find anything. I checked and steamed my dishwasher. I took out the trash, steamed the inside and outside of the trash can. I eliminated all of the obvious places unpleasant odors tend to hide but couldn’t find the cause of the awful odor that was now permeating my whole kitchen.

Tuesday I was peeling carrots and I turned on the disposal. Let me just say it quickly became very obvious that I had found the source of that nasty odor. It was the worst smell you could ever imagine. I thought the garbage disposal was designed to pulverize and remove food waste and send it down the drain. I should have realized the disposal was actually the perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow…wet, dark and hidden.
As disgusting as this was, I was relieved to finally find the cause of the awful odor. I knew this problem could be resolved within 10 to 15 seconds. All I had to do was my turn on my steam cleaner. I knew the steam temperature was hot enough to kill the mold and bacteria that caused the odor and its nozzle was angled perfectly to blast the gunk out from the hidden area under the rubber gasket.
Once my steamer was heated, I put the nozzle down into the disposal and steamed for about 15 seconds. Then I turned the nozzle upside down so I could get up under the rim. A few seconds later the odor was already dissipating. I gave it an extra blast just for good measure, ran some water through it and sure enough the odor was gone!

I now include the garbage disposal sanitizing process in my weekly steaming tasks and have never encountered this problem again.
For more information on cleaning with steam, purchasing a steam cleaner, or having a FREE cleaning demonstration in your home, call Michelle at 801-979-6707.
I have many years of experience with a cleaning business, but once I became acquainted with the Sargent Steam cleaner, I decided not only to use the machines in my cleaning business, but also to become an independent business owner. Steams My Team is listed on Angie’s List!