When your garbage disposal isn’t maintained, it’ll begin to smell. The more time that passes, the parts can become damaged as well.
This is especially true if you’re not running water when you’re disposing of food waste. Moreover, putting food items in it that don’t belong (e.g., egg shells) can lead to damaged parts.
Your garbage disposal should be cleaned regularly. The more you use it the more often you’ll need to clean it. Generally, it’ll range between every week to once a month. Below we’ll review how to clean your garbage disposal so you can prolong its life.
Baking Soda and Vinegar Method
The combination of baking soda and vinegar is a perfect solution for cleaning. Together, they can unclog any mess and make cleaning a breeze. What’s more, they’re great at eliminating odors.
To start cleaning the garbage disposal, run hot water down the drain to loosen up any grime on the walls. Next, pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain. Following that, you’ll want to slowly add ½ to 1 cup of white vinegar.
If you have a sink stopper, place that in the drain to keep the chemical reaction from erupting out. This will better ensure your garbage disposal gets coated with the mixture.
After a few minutes, remove the stopper and pour hot water down the garbage disposal. At the same time, make sure the disposal is running.
Repeat these steps if the garbage disposal doesn’t get fully cleaned.
Ice and Rock Salt/Salt (or Vinegar) Method
Ice helps break apart anything that’s stuck in your garbage disposal. When combined with the salt, they have an easier time dislodging food and removing grime. You can use table salt, but coarser salt will do a better job of scouring your garbage disposal.
First, you’ll pour ice down into the garbage disposal until it’s filled. Pour between ½ to 1 cup of salt into the drain.
If you choose to use vinegar instead of salt, pour in 1 cup of vinegar. Alternately, you can freeze vinegar and pour those ice cubes down the drain.
Next, turn on the garbage disposal while you have cold water running. As a bonus, crushing ice in the disposal helps sharpen the blades.
If needed, repeat these steps if the disposal isn’t fully cleaned the first time.
Deodorizing With Citrus
If your garbage disposal is still emitting a foul odor, you may need the aid of citrus peels. Lemons, limes, and oranges are the best citrus fruits to use for removing odors. One rind should be enough for the job.
Cut the peels into smaller pieces and place them in the garbage disposal. Turn on the disposal while you have water running down the drain.
The rind carries citric acid which can help clean the garbage disposal (if it isn’t fully cleaned). If the peels aren’t enough, you can always soak them in vinegar. This will better help remove the odor as well as disinfect your garbage disposal.
How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal the Easy Way
Now that you know how to clean your garbage disposal, it’s time to check if it needs a good cleaning. To make cleaning easier you’ll want to remember to clean it often. If you don’t, you could end up using these methods a few times over.
Reach out to us today if you have any questions or need your disposal repaired or replaced.