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What is a good garbage disposal cleaner? 

 October 6, 2020

By  Xion Lab

Food waste can accumulate and start giving off a lousy odour if it is not disposed of immediately and adequately. Garbage disposals simplify the act of disposing of, which takes place in the kitchen. They are one of the most comfortable and most efficient ways to discard food waste produced by the kitchen.

The garbage disposal system has many advantages. The appliance collects the garbage in one place, which helps save time during the process of recycling waste. Its design also prevents the debris from decomposing in the kitchen and creating a smell. Also, it protects the environment by reducing carbon emissions and methane, which spread because of the garbage truck that carries waste.

However, the garbage disposal system can be a significant problem if it is not cleaned and maintained correctly. If you put in large quantities or large pieces of waste into the course, you will have a clogged sink and a foul-smelling kitchen. Its problem has many easy solutions that you can employ to ensure the longevity of your garbage disposal unit.

How do you maintain and clean your garbage disposal system? What is a good garbage disposal cleaner? Read below to find out.

Identifying signs

Before figuring out what is a good garbage disposal cleaner, learn when your garbage disposal needs cleaning.

There are some ways through which you can tell that your disposal system is not working efficiently. These include:

– The design makes weird noises—squeaking, squealing or some other strange noise. It signals that the blades are not working correctly and something is stuck on it.

– Foul odours start emerging from the kitchen, but you cannot identify the source of the smell. It occurs when the food waste inside the pipes begin to decompose.

– The pipes are jammed, which cause the sink to be clogged. You will notice that the food particles are not going down the drain and are gathering in your sink.

If any of these problems are occurring, then it is time to learn what is a good garbage disposal cleaner.

Ice cubes and salt

garbage disposal

Can found a good garbage disposal cleaner in your kitchen only. Grab the salt from the cupboard, the ice from the fridge, and clean your garbage disposal. It method works wonders for even the toughest sludge and debris.

All you need to do is switch on the food waste disposer, turn on the cold-water tap, add the ice and then sprinkle the salt in the drain. Wait for the garbage disposal to grind the ice and salt. It toughens and sharpens the blade of the system, making as efficient as were.

An alternative way to clean the garbage disposal system, in It manner, is to freeze white vinegar ice cubes. Using white vinegar is a more effective method because it cleans the design and also removes the smell from it.

Baking soda and vinegar

garbage disposal

Another good garbage disposal cleaner is a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. It combination can help break through all kinds of sludge and clogs in the pipe.

To make a garbage disposal cleaner in this way, pour 2 cups of baking soda into the food waste disposer. Next, slowly pour half a cup of vinegar. It is essential to run the vinegar slowly to make sure that the elements have time to react with each other. Leave the mixture in the system for an hour. Do not open the water tap during this time. After the time is up, turn on the water and the disposal unit for some time. Close the system, and you have a clean and fresh garbage disposal system.

The baking soda in this mixture kills of bacteria like salmonella and E.coli, and the vinegar leaves the system smell-free.

Although this is an excellent answer to the question of what is a good garbage disposal cleaner, this method not recommended for daily use. The acidic quality of vinegar may damage the rubber of the disposal system, which will then need replacing.

Plink deodorizer

A good garbage disposal cleaner that recommended is Plink deodorizer. You do not have to make this at home and can easily purchase this. It is a very cost-effective method to clean your disposer and keep it odour free.

Plink is a garbage disposal cleaner made with natural chemicals to cut down any food particles caught in the drain. The use of natural substances prevents damage from the internal part of the system.

It comes in the shape of a small pill that consists of the chemicals. When combined with water, it deodorizes your garbage disposal system with a pleasant smell. It comes in different flavours—lemon, lime and orange.

It is effortless to use. Follow the steps below to know how to use Plink deodorizer:

– Run disposer with hot water to clean it of excess food waste.

– Reduce the flow of water to a steady stream.

– Drop in the pink pill and run the disposer for 15 seconds.

– Turn off the tap and the garbage disposal system. The blades will crush the pill and leave your kitchen smell-free.

Un-natural chemicals

Cleaning liquids with artificial chemicals are not a good garbage disposal cleaner. These substances, such as bleach, are corrosive and can damage the internal part of the system. Therefore, when wondering what a good garbage disposal cleaner is, do not opt for these artificial chemicals.

Dish Soap

Another good garbage disposal cleaner is soap. The walls of the pipe in the drainage system can accumulate food waste, which may result in a foul smell and the formation of sludge. To remove it, soak the drain properly.

Start by plugging the drain inside your kitchen sink. Next, fill the sink with water— 2-3 inches high. Add some vinegar, followed by dish soap and mix. The acidic nature of the vinegar will cut through the severe sludge. To finish the process, remove the plug from the drain and let the water run through the pipes, while the garbage disposal system switched on.

It will allow the mixture to wash the system thoroughly. After a few minutes turn the garbage disposal off and let the mixture soak in the pipes for a few minutes. To wrap up, turn on the hot water tap to wash away the medicine. The hot water will help liquefy grease and oil.

Citrus fruits

garbage disposal

Citrus fruit peels make for a good garbage disposal cleaner. The acidic chemicals in the peel clean the blades and the walls of the disposal unit.

The best part of using this method? They act as natural deodorizers. Oranges, lemon, grapefruit, and lime, will leave your kitchen smelling perfect.

To make use of this method, cut the peels of the fruit into small pieces and throw them in the sink when the disposal system switched on.

Remove blockades

In some instances, there is no need to use a good garbage disposal cleaner. You can clean the garbage disposal system by using tools.

Sometimes, the drainage system needs cleaning because a large object is clogging the system. To solve the problem, you need to remove the item. If you do not, the clog may cause further problems in the garbage disposal system.

Remove the blockage by turning off the garbage disposal system. Can found the switch for the course on a nearby wall or under the sink. Make sure the system is off before you go on to the next step, or you may end up damaging your hand.

The next step is to grab a flashlight and a pair of tong or pliers. Even after switching off the disposal system, it is not advisable to clean the disposal system with your hands.

Using the flashlight, peer down the drain until you find the cause of the block. Use the pliers or tong to reach inside the drain to remove the clog.

If you cannot pull out the clog, do not put too much pressure. Just try to dislodge it. Loosening it will allow you to flush it out with water and soap once you turn on the garbage disposal system.

Scrub the garbage disposal system

An alternative to a good garbage disposal cleaner is to clean the system manually. To do this, you need a brush designed for this purpose, or you could use an old toothbrush.

After grabbing the brush:

  1. Get to work.
  2. Remove the screen from the top of the food waste so that you can see the internal part of the drain.
  3. Scrub all the essential features, including the rubber flaps around the neck of the disposal.

Do not forget to clean the external parts of the system. The outside area, like the rest of the disposal unit, can develop mould and sludge. To prevent this, use the brush with baking soda and vinegar or soap dish to clean the whole system efficiently.

Take preventative measures

You will not have to figure out what is a good garbage disposal cleaner if you engage in some preventive measures. These measures will always keep the system clean. Follow the guidelines below to maintain your garbage disposal system:

Biodegradable food

The food waste disposer is not a trash can. You cannot throw down all kinds of food waste into it. Only put in biodegradable food. Try to avoid putting fibrous materials— onion skins, artichokes, celery stalks and corn husk— down the system. It is better to decompose such materials than to flush them down.

Try to dispose of starchy materials in another manner as they stick to the food waste disposer blades, which makes them inefficient.

Pasta and rice are expandable foods. After they soak, they grow in size, which blocks the pipes. To avoid this, do not throw them down, then the disposal system.

Keep grease away

It is not a good idea to allow greasy and oily substance down the drainage system. These substances deposit in the drain and slow down the disposal system.

To avoid such outcomes, wipe off your plate with a towel before you rinse it in the sink.

Small pieces of food

Only add small pieces of food in the disposal unit. Clogs usually occur because of large food pieces, so cut off the big food pieces into small cubes of 1 inch.

Keep the water running.

how to clean the garbage disposal
Stainless kitchen sink with food waste disposal

A common mistake that people make is that they close the water tap before closing the disposal system. It is not a good thing. The garbage disposal system needs a steady flow of water to process the waste properly.

For this reason, it is advisable to never run the garbage disposal system without turning on the tap. It also recommended to let the water run for an extra 5 seconds after switching off the course.

Keep running the garbage disposal system.

When the noise from the garbage disposal system ends, it does not mean that all the food has processed. Hence, it is necessary to let the system run even after the noise disappears. I switched off too early, the food stuck in crevices will not drain and cause a foul odour in the kitchen over time.

Small amounts of food

Clogging occurs because too much food thrown into the garbage disposal system for processing. It is advisable to add small quantities of food. It will put less pressure on the blades and will allow the system to drain correctly.

There is no one answer to what is a good garbage disposal cleaner. All the methods mentioned above are efficient, effective, and simple methods to clean and maintain your garbage disposal system. Please choose the one that suits you, use it regularly, and engage in preventative measures to prevent yourself from buying a new disposal unit regularly.

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