Non-Toxic Garbage Disposal Bombs

These non-toxic garbage disposal bombs are the perfect way to clean your disposal and freshen the air without compromising your family’s health. Moreover, I’m willing to bet you have most ingredients on hand! With citrus and pine, these are a beautiful transition from Winter to Spring.

I love these garbage disposal bombs for so many reasons, with the non-toxic component being my favorite! Once I started educating myself and cleaning up the types of products that I used around the house I noticed my headaches decreasing and eczema improving. I’ve always been super sensitive to synthetic fragrance, so creating a non-toxic alternative to disposal cleaners was a no brainer! Sure, there are non-toxic products that are easy enough to grab from the nearest health store, but there’s something so satisfying about making your own cleaning products. Taking my family’s health into my own hands has given me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Not to mention, there’s just something nostalgic about using citrus to freshen the sink (thank you for the inspiration, Mom!).

For this specific project I used citrus and pine essential oils with some added citrus zest to give it an extra boost. I wanted to combine the fresh smell of pine and incorporate that with spring scents which are also natural disinfectants. You can use any essential oil combinations you like, but I find citrus my go-to as a base scent. This recipe steers clear of synthetic fragrances, SLS, and limonene which I found in most of the mainstream disposal cleaners. With that being said, here’s my take on non-toxic garbage disposal bombs. I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Sea Salt
• 2 cups of Baking Soda
• 1 cup of castile soap (I used unscented)
• 25-40 drops of essential oils
• Optional: fruit zest or dried herbs
• 1/2 a cup of water (not all will be used
• String or decorate material to wrap around jar
• Dehydrated fruit or greenery
• Tag for label

Directions

1. Combine baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl.

2. Add the castile soap and mix well. (note: I used unscented in order to gain all of the scent from the essential oils and fruit zest as well as keep it as non-toxic as possible.)

3. Pour a small amount of water at a time to the mixture until it feels like damp sand. (note: I did not use the entire 1/2 cup). To test the consistency, I grab a tablespoon amount and press it into the shape of a ball in my hand. If it molds together without falling apart I know it’s ready.

4. Add in the desired type and amount of essential oils and/or citrus zest.

5. Begin shaping tablespoon sized balls and placing them on parchment paper.

6. Let them sit for 24 hours to dry, then store in a container to maintain freshness.

7. To use: Run warm water down the drain drop in 2-4 disposal balls and turn on the disposal.

Considerations

• This recipe yields about 36 garbage disposal bombs.
• The amount of disposal balls you use can depend on how much essential oil and zest you use. With 20 drops I find 3-4 to be the sweet spot.
• If you’re used to synthetic fragrance in products, you will not get the same strong smell you’re used to. However, as you switch to cleaner products over time, you’ll notice you become more sensitive to smell. If you still want a stronger smell, try adding more essential oil and/or citrus juice to the mixture.
• When removing them from the parchment and placing them in the jar, I noticed a couple of the disposal balls crumble, but this is normal and they can still be used! After all, they’re all going down the sink anyway.

Benefits of Specific Essential Oils

(I am not an affiliate of any essential oil brand)

• Lime essential oil is great for freshening the air and is a natural surface cleaner.
• Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil has a refreshing aroma and has the cleansing properties of citronellal and citronellol, making it ideal for cleaning surfaces. Just as with lime oil, lemon oil can be used to clear and refresh the air. (I know many women would chop lemon and run it through the disposal)
• Arborvitae essential oil has an earthy aroma that’s great for relaxation, grounding, as well as cleaning household surfaces.
• Cilantro oil is really great for freshening the air and clearing unpleasant smells (I love the scent of chopping up cilantro for meals, yum).
• Lavender oil has been used historically for relaxation as well as for it’s cleaning properties.
• Here are a list of scents that are invigorating, relaxing, and grounding: pine, eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, clove, fir, tea tree.

Common Toxic Ingredients in Garbage Disposal Cleaners

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): These are surfactants that create the common foam in products and help oil bind with water. Although this seems harmless, surfactants may also weaken the defense mechanisms of our skin, causing skin, eye and lung irritation. During the manufacturing process, SLS and SLES are often found to be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, creating carcinogenic risks. According to the EWG, SLS has been linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin irritation and endocrine disruption.
• “Natural Fragrance”: The word “fragrance” or “parfum” is a mystery mixture (up to 3,000 chemicals!) of chemicals and ingredients. With no requirement to list the specific ingredients, many companies hide behind this label. Fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, skin irritation, respiratory issues and potential negative effects on the reproductive system. In our home we try our best to stay away from anything with the label “natural” because it’s an umbrella term covering a slew of undisclosed ingredients which can negatively impact our hormones. A great podcast that covers clean products and hormones can be found here.
• Limonene: this product raises concern due to skin allergy, skin irritation, asthma and toxicity to aquatic life.

Better Options:

If you don’t want to make your own garbage disposal bombs, or don’t happen to have the ingredients on hand, I’ve listed a “better” option compared to most brands that I’ve found:

• Lemi Shine Garbage Disposal Cleaner: This cleaner contains synthetic fragrances and sodium lauryl sulfate, which isn’t the best, but it is one of the better brands that I could find.