How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal with Four Simple Products 

Do you know the sale and popularity of garbage disposal rose after World War II when remodeling and modernization of the kitchen become popular!

We all are familiar with garbage disposal and its remarkable role in keeping our trash bins free. But it is not an organic trash bin. It should not be treated like one! Garbage disposal is a handy tool that must be cleaned regularly.

It is right why you must learn; how to clean your garbage disposal and keep it maintained.

If not, the residue and food particles may leave behind, giving you a hard time and causing the unit to malfunction while having an unpleasant odor.

So what affects the functionality of your garbage disposal in the first place and how to clean your garbage disposal?

Well, pouring food items that are heavy in fat, oil, and grease down the drains increases the odds of clogs as these food particles solidify eventually.

Similarly, some other food items that should never be sent down the garbage disposal include coffee grounds, eggshells, and stringy vegetables like lettuce, onions, and celery.

However, if the alarm bells have started to ring or the damage has already been done, then it’s time to act and take some action. It time to understand; how to clean your garbage disposal? But the successful completion of your cleaning action depends on two fundamental steps. First, be prepared to do some cleaning, and second, read on to know everything about cleaning your garbage disposal!

So; how to clean your garbage disposal? In this post, we will help you nail the job by using four simple products or ingredients. There are many reasons not to neglect the regular cleaning of your garbage disposal. The first and foremost reason; is to save energy, time, and money in terms of repairs and replacement of your unit.

So without further ado, let’s have a look at some proven ways to answer; how to clean your garbage disposal!

How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal Regularly and Instantly

The following are the most recommended ways/steps to get rid of unclean and smelly garbage disposal instantly. The discussed products will help you fix the job now so that you can continue using your kitchen and garbage disposal without facing the issue of clogging or foul odor.

Step 1: Turn OFF Your Garbage Disposal

The foremost step to cleaning your basic kitchen unit is to turn off the garbage disposal by disconnecting the power.  This process of disconnection will depend on your type of removal. For instance, in the case of plug-in disposal, unplug the unit.

Using built-in garbage disposal, head over to the electrical panel and shut off the kitchen’s power. It might seem not very pleasant, but safety should always be your priority. Next is grab a few towels, rubber gloves, and a couple of essential scrubbing tools such as the long-handled and narrow kitchen brushes or toothbrushes to carry out later steps.

To spot your unit’s unclean area, take a close look at the impellers to know if there is an obvious issue. You can do it properly by using a flashlight, pulling back the flaps, and taking a closer look at the main point. This step will be useful for two fundamental reasons;

First, if there is something inappropriate or large in your garbage disposal such as metal pieces of tapped fibers, you can quickly notice them and dig them out even before cleaning your garbage disposal. Tone professionals recommend using a pair of pliers or other similar tools to pry out unwanted objects easily.

Remember – never stick your hands entirely down the drain! This small negligence may lead to severe physical disability for your lifetime. 

Second is to take the flashlight and have a look at the disposal impellers. Do you find it exactly as you expected?  Probably not! The chances are that you might have pictured spinning blades at the bottom of your garbage disposal, but, in actuality, most of the units comprise a series of grinding plates. Knowing this is important to understand how to clean your garbage disposal and in practicing correct behavior.

Step 2: The Use of Smart Products to Clean the Garbage Disposal

To regain your garbage disposal’s optimum efficiency and once you have successfully turned off the unit and have seen the tricky spot, it’s time to answer the fundamental question; how to clean your garbage disposal with four simple products.

There are multiple ways to go about this. In this step, you can use different products and their combinations to clean the garbage disposal. We will help you understand; how to clean your garbage disposal by discussing different ways to clean it.

It will help you choose the method or the product that best meet your cleaning requirements and which is easy for you to arrange and perform the cleaning of your garbage disposal.

Let’s have a look!

1.    Ice and Salt

 How to clean your garbage disposal?

Answer: Use the proven combination of ice and salt!

This combination has the potential to turn your unclean garbage disposal back on. All you need to start is to arrange and apply the necessary mixture of ice and salt.

Take around 15 ice cubes and pour them into your garbage disposal. Now measure an almost ½ cup of salt and run it in the removal too. Some people prefer to use rock salt, but it’s perfectly acceptable to go with table salt. It also works, in the same way, to help you get the job done. Now flip the garbage disposal. Allow it to run for at least a few minutes.

Yes, it will make some noise, and it is going to be loud!

Indeed, continue the process, and don’t worry about damaging your garbage disposal. Your garbage disposal will take some time to grind it all up completely. The use of ice and salt is an excellent method that quickly grinds and breaks apart everything that might have stuck in the unit. As per one of the theories, the cold temperature makes these particulates easier to break and more brittle. Mainly the salt melts down the ice to a lesser extent while scouring the inside of your disposal.

2.    Vinegar and Baking Soda

How to clean your garbage disposal?

Answer: Use the old trick of building classroom volcanoes!

Here we are referring to the homemade drain and garbage disposal cleaner and wondering how to make it? Get your hands on vinegar and baking soda!

It is one of the best combinations to clean the chamber of your garbage disposal. As we know, vinegar is an acidic compound that helps kill germs and cut down strains. On the other hand, baking soda acts more like a scouring agent and deals with the bad smell.

When you combine these potential products, the resulting reaction produces foam that helps drive the vinegar much deeper into your garbage disposal crevices. Start by pouring ½ cup of baking soda into the drain; now slowly pour a full cup of vinegar (white vinegar). You can see the ensuing chemical reaction that might remind you of your childhood.

There is one more thing to note; to ensure fuller cleaning, you can increase the quantity of vinegar. An easy way to do it is to freeze the vinegar into ice cubes and then use it. You may try this if you have enough vinegar, time, and curiosity to try this trick. Otherwise, you may go with the simple step discussed above.

3.    Citrus Peels

How to clean your garbage disposal?

Answer: Use the refreshing citrus peels!

Do you know that using citrus peels is one of the most popular ways to freshen up your unclean smelly garbage disposal quickly? Citrus peels contain oils that indeed work great to add some fragrance in the air. However, this method is not as effective in case your garbage disposal requires intensive cleaning.

In that case, it’s better to call the assistance of professionals to avoid breaking your garbage disposal. But as we are discussing cleaning the garbage disposal regularly and instantly, citrus peels are worth mentioning.  They also work to clean your garbage disposal. But it is recommended to clean the slimy areas beforehand, by using a sponge as citrus peels might not clean these areas properly.

Indeed, all you need to do is to give your garbage disposal the go-ahead to grind the handful of citrus peels along with cold water. Before grinding citrus peels, make sure to cut them into smaller pieces. To get maximum results, you may also add some ice cubes.

Citrus peels are a popular choice for the regular cleaning of the garbage disposal because they provide the sink and disposal drain a pleasant smell, lasting a while. Once again, this method is only recommended if you clean your garbage disposal regularly and plan to clean relatively straightforward disposal.

4.    Dish Soap and Hot Water

How to clean your garbage disposal?

Answer: Make the most of dish soap and hot water!

It is another cleaning option you have. If you want to keep it simple and don’t enjoy using other products like baking soda, vinegar, or citrus peels, go ahead with the dish soap.

It is a simple cleaning method that only requires dish soap and hot water. But this simple method is generally preferred when you notice an unpleasant or acrid smell coming from the garbage disposal. Start by using the sink stopper. Plug the disposal drain and add a good squirt of dish soap to your sink.

Now run hot water into your sink and make it half full.  Next is to turn on the garbage disposal after releasing the sink stopper and allow the complete sink contents to drain into the disposal unit as it runs. When you perform this garbage disposal method cleaning, it fills up the soapy water removal and lets it reach the top portions of the unit. These upper portions are usually left out and don’t get cleaned when you use other cleaning methods.

Dish soap and hot water is also an excellent way to clean the drain line along with your garbage disposal and helps in harboring odors and food residue.

Step 3: Scrubbing and Flooding

Regardless of the method you use to clean the garbage disposal. It is recommended to scrub the pouring material before rinsing it out immediately. Take the toothbrush or scrubbing brush and wash the cleaning material. It involves the areas like rubber folds and other related crannies of your garbage disposal. It will help clean the grim away and clean the parts that remain untouched by pouring the cleaning material.

To make your scrubbing efforts more effective, pour the additional cleaning solution in your sink as you scrub the garbage disposal. Last but not least, it’s time to wash it all off. For this step, plug the garbage disposal or cover it up using a plastic dish. Fill the sink with hot water and then unblock the removal to allow the hot water flood through the garbage disposal all at once. This process will ensure that all the debris bits are carried away while the garbage disposal becomes cleaner and smell much better.

In the nutshell

Your garbage disposal is a piece of essential equipment for your kitchen. It is the part of your kitchen that is not only used regularly but multiple times in a day. Thus, its cleaning should be your utmost priority if you wish to keep it working for long.

As now you know how to clean your garbage disposal, it’s time to take action! It’s time to make the most of the given steps so that you can avoid the unexpected inconvenience of clogging. In case the above methods don’t work out for you, don’t hesitate to take the professional assistance and avoid breaking down your unit completely.