Why Your Compost Smells Bad — And the Simple Fix That Changes Everything, by Malkan. on YouTube. 35 min 28 s.
- Video length
- 35 min 28 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open the bin and dig into the middle with a fork. Smell the core and look for black, slimy, matted material. That tells you the pile has lost oxygen.
Stop adding kitchen scraps for now. A wet pile cannot handle more moisture until it drains and breathes again.
Pull the whole pile apart and spread it out on a tarp or bare ground. Break up clumps and compacted layers with the fork.
Mix in plenty of dry browns: leaves, straw, shredded cardboard or wood chips. Aim for roughly two or three parts browns to one part wet green material.
Squeeze a handful. It should feel like a wrung-out sponge. If water drips out, add more browns and spread the pile thinner to dry.
Build a passive aeration core. Stand a perforated pipe, a bundle of dry twigs or a stick bundle upright in the centre of the bin.
Pile the material back around the aeration core. Keep it loose, not packed down, so air can move through the gaps.
Check the bin every few days. Turn or loosen the outer layer if it crusts over, and add browns whenever the surface looks wet.
Tips and common mistakes
Rotten egg or sewage smells mean no oxygen, not too much green material, so fix airflow first.
Never seal a wet bin tight. Cover it from rain but leave gaps for air.
Turning alone often fails because the pile collapses back into a soggy mass within days.
Keep scraps buried in the centre and cover them with browns to stop flies and smell.
Questions
How long until the smell goes away?
You should notice less smell within a few days once air gets in and excess water drains. Full recovery to earthy compost can take several weeks.
Can I still use the slimy compost?
Yes. Spread it, mix in browns and let it recover. Only discard it if it is contaminated with plastic, chemicals or pet waste.
Do I need to buy an aeration pipe?
No. A bundle of dry twigs, a rolled wire mesh tube or a few sticks pushed upright into the centre works just as well.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
