How to clean a garbage disposal?

A garbage disposal is fit under the kitchen sinks. They save you time by handling food scraps and saves the environment by preventing extra waste from going to the landfill. But these also need to be maintained and cleaned at regular intervals. Check out how to clean garbage disposal in this guide.

See also: Your guide to effective chimney cleaning

Cleaning garbage disposal: Things required

• Sponge
• 50 ml of baking soda
• Vinegar, one cup
• Drain stopper
• Rubber gloves
• Hand soap

Cleaning garbage disposal: Steps to follow

Turn off the power

As a safe practice, turn off the power to prevent the disposal from inadvertently operating while you are cleaning.

Clean the baffle

Use a rough kitchen sponge with dish soap. If you want, put on rubber gloves. After that, scrub assiduously to reach all the crevices and folds under the garbage disposal baffle and around the drain. To get rid of the muck, frequently rinse the sponge.

Clean the grinding chamber

Scrub the surface of the grinding chamber with the sponge dipped in soapy water. Rinse the sponge repeatedly. Continue until there is no longer any debris left on the sponge and the disposal’s surfaces feel clean.

If the garbage disposal only requires a light cleaning, you can stop here. However, if it has been a while since your previous cleaning or if you wish to clean a stinky trash disposal, drain, and trap, move on to the following step.

Add the baking soda and vinegar

Activate the garbage disposal with 1/2 cup of baking soda. After that, gently and slowly pour 1 cup of vinegar into the garbage disposal.

Note that baking soda and vinegar are natural cleaning agents that won’t harm garbage disposal the way harsh chemicals can. On the other hand, frequent use of vinegar might eventually erode the rubber parts of a disposal system due to its acidity. Therefore, this technique works best when garbage disposal requires a thorough cleaning. 

Cover the drain

Over the drain opening, place the washbasin stopper. Baking soda and vinegar mixed will start to fizz right away, and the pin will keep that bubbling scrubbing action inside the disposal.

Flush the disposal

Ideally, wait for ten minutes. After that, run the garbage disposal. If the washbasin has two basins, cleaning both at once will maximise the effectiveness of the cleaner. Apply equal quantities of vinegar and baking soda to the other washbasin drain. If necessary, repeat each step.

Tips for deodorising a garbage disposal

A well-liked deodorising technique uses citrus peels to clean the garbage disposal. Simply throw a few peels that have been sliced into small pieces into the disposal and turn on the water. A fresh aroma will be added by the citrus oils. The peels won’t actually clean the disposal or remove any grime or sliminess, though. For added cleaning power, add some ice cubes along with the citrus peels.

Maintenance tips to keep garbage disposals clean

Keep your garbage disposal in good working order by adhering to the following recommendations:

• Never try to grind a large amount of food waste at once.

• Be aware of the items that should never be disposed of in a garbage disposal, including huge pits, coffee grounds, stringy vegetables, and bones.

• Cooking fat and oil shouldn’t be put down the drain since they can solidify and block the garbage disposal.

• To thoroughly flush the food waste out of the garbage disposal, run water while using it.

• Run the garbage disposal until one can no longer hear it breaking up food, and then let it run for a short while longer to let it eliminate any remaining small food particles.

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