Even the most gorgeous kitchen can be off-putting if the food-waste odor wafts from the kitchen sink. That’s why knowing how to clean a garbage disposal should be one of your go-to hacks for a spiffy space. Much like knowing how to clean a dishwasher filter, a clean garbage disposal not only prevents a grimace but ensures all the refuse buildup doesn’t clog the drain. You use your kitchen sink for dishes and, if the garbage disposal doesn’t work properly, all the icky water can come up, creating a swamp bath. Not a very sanitized scenario. Don’t think that a splash of bleach is going to fix the problem. Bleach doesn’t always play nice with other cleaning products and leaves your kitchen smelling like a pool.
To prevent a clog in your garbage disposal, avoid stuffing too much down the opening. While it can work like magic on food scraps like cucumber peels, big chunks—say, a chicken bone—can overwhelm the grinder, cause clogs, and damage the appliance. Even seemingly harmless food like corn husks and celery sticks can mess with the garbage disposal because the strands can tangle around the blades.
The good news: The DIY garbage disposal cleaning methods take less than 30 minutes. That means you can have a fresh-scented sink that hums efficiently when you need it. All that’s required is some hot water, ice cubes, basic household items such as white vinegar and baking soda, and common cleaning products. For an extra clean garbage disposal utilize an old toothbrush. Read on for the best tips on how to clean a garbage disposal.
How do I clean and deodorize my garbage disposal?
One of the quickest and easiest ways to clean your disposal is to run warm water, squirt dish soap into the drain and turn it on. If you haven’t cleaned the appliance in a while, use boiling water to sanitize the drain, disposal, and pipes. To deodorize and get rid of that stale kitchen sink smell, drop citrus peels into the disposal—you might want to use tongs to ensure they are in—then let running water and the grinder mash it all up into DIY aromatherapy. This method can be done with cold water.
Alternatively, pour a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar into the sink drain. Make sure to place the stopper over the drain because this mixture will fizz up and try to escape. The baking soda-white vinegar method works great if you have buildup food particles or grime on the garbage disposal blades. Let sit for about five minutes. Turn the hot water faucet on and run the disposal to clear out. For a serious clog, use tongs to check if a non-food item is stuck in the garbage disposal. A bottle cap or toothpick can make it rattle. If you can’t resolve the problem on your own, call a plumber to assess the situation.
How do you manually clean a garbage disposal?
No one wants to lose a finger cleaning the grinding chamber. First things first: Turn off the power source, which means flipping the breaker or unplugging the disposal. Ensure that the garbage disposal is truly off by pushing the on-and-off button or switch.
If the rubber splash guard comes off easily, remove it first. Take a flashlight and shine it into the drain opening to see if large food scraps or other debris are blocking the grinder. Never put your hands into the garbage disposal to remove objects. Doing so can result in lacerations and even finger fractures. Instead, use tongs or pliers to remove these items safely. Once the garbage disposal is unobstructed, use a scrub brush suited for a garbage disposal (an old toothbrush can do the trick too), as well as dish soap or drain cleaner, to cleanse around the disposal impellers and dislodge grime. Once you’re finished, reconnect the power and run the disposal with hot water to clear out the soapy water and any remaining gunk.
How do you deep clean a garbage disposal?
To deep clean your disposal, use cups of ice, white vinegar and rock salt. Fill your garbage disposal with ice cubes. Adding a cup of vinegar and salt to give it that extra cleaning oomph will dislodge all the gunky residue. Run the disposal with warm water so the ice is ground into a slushy mixture. Don’t be surprised if it comes up tinted brown. Repeat this method a few times until the ice slush stays white. For no-fuss cleaning, use disposal cleaners, like Plink or Grab Green mineral-based garbage disposal cleaning pods, both found on Amazon.
How often should the garbage disposal be cleaned?
Every time you’re done using the garbage disposal, leave cold water running for an extra 30 seconds to make sure the debris is flushed away. Make cleaning your garbage disposal a weekly habit. Adding a few cups of ice with a handful of rock salt and running it with some warm water is a task that literally take you less than two minutes to complete. Bonus points if you finish by throwing in citrus peels for a burst of freshness. Even if you rarely use your garbage disposal, cleaning it every two weeks will prevent a lingering stale-kitchen-sink smell. Once a month, deep clean with a scrub brush.
