Garbage disposal smell: clean the guard before you replace anything

A rotten smell under a working unit is usually food stuck on the splash guard and the top of the grind chamber. That is cleaning, not a rebuild. It still sits under garbage disposal repair because people search smell when the unit “won’t get clean.”

Safe clean (power off)

Kill the wall switch. If you reach into the sink opening, kill the breaker too. Never put your hand past the splash guard into the chamber.
Pull the splash guard if it is removable. Scrub both sides with dish soap and a brush. Most odor lives here.
Scrub the rubber lips and the rim of the grind chamber from above with tongs and a brush. Lift scraps out with tongs, not fingers.
Cold water on, then run the unit with a handful of ice and a squirt of dish soap. Optional: a citrus peel for a short fresh smell. Skip bleach and drain cleaners in the disposal.

Sewage or sewer gas smell that cleaning does not touch: that can be a dry P-trap or a vent issue, not the disposal. Do not keep dumping chemicals. Get a plumber.

When smell means repair or replace

Odor plus a jam or standing water: clear the jam first, then clean.
Odor plus a leak under the sink: find the joint. A body leak is replace, not more cleaning.
Burnt wiring smell: leave the breaker off. That is not a clean job.
Guard is torn, stiff, or keeps trapping food after you scrub: replace the splash guard. If the unit is old and keeps re-stinking with weak grind, treat it as repair vs replace.

Garbage disposal repair or replace Also jammed Also leaking Call a plumber

Tools that actually help

Splash guard — Amazon search
Amazon Associates link. We earn from qualifying purchases.
Long-handle brush — Amazon search
Amazon Associates link. We earn from qualifying purchases.