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Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

Celery and Banana Going into Garbage DisposalWith all the food and other waste that gets run through a garbage disposal it definitely needs to be cleaned occasionally. Regular cleaning will help the performance and extend the life of your garbage disposal also. This is a guide about cleaning a garbage disposal.
     

Solutions: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

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Keeping Your Garbage Disposal In Mint Condition

Garbage disposals not only get really stinky if you don't maintain them, the blades will also go dull. Here's is a fast and easy way to eliminate odors and sharpen the blades.

Throw two lemon wedges and a cup of ice in the disposal. Turn on the cold water and turn on the disposal. The lemon will help with the bad odors and the ice helps to get those blades sharp!

By attosa from Los Angeles, CA

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Putting Ice Cubes in Garbage Disposal

A dull or slow garbage disposal can be easily sharpened by running ice cubs through it.

By mom-from-missouri from NW MO

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Cleaning A Disposal With Baking Soda, Vinegar and Ice

I always use the old baking soda I take out of the fridge or freezer and put it down the disposal. I add vinegar to make it bubble up and get to every part inside. This keeps it smelling clean and fresh. When I turn it on to rinse, I add a cup or two of ice cubes and let it run until the cubes are gone. I understand this keeps the blades sharp.

By xintexas from San Antonio, TX

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Freeze Lemon Peels to Freshen Garbage Disposal

I appreciate the tip on saving lemon peels in the freezer for future recipes, that call for lemon rind or zest. I would like to add that by saving lemon peels in the freezer, you can use a few of them in the garbage disposal periodically. This will freshen the smell, and cleanse the disposal. Hope this helps some people.

By Donna
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An Ounce of Prevention For Garbage Disposals

My residents would always come to me for help with their disposals. After fishing out food waste, I advised them that the first cleaning is free, but from then on it's $50.00 each time. That pretty much cured them.

Since "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", I would always tell them that certain things don't go down the disposal in the first place.

1. Bones
2. Celery
3. Starchy things like spuds peels and rice
4. And lastly, no plastic bread tabs, wire ties, pennies, etc.

When they are ready to grind, run the water for a few seconds, and then feed gradually. Let the water run after it has shut off for about 30 seconds.

To keep it not only clean but smelling clean, I always told them to grind up some ice cubes with 2 tsp. of lemon juice once a week. It not only keeps the blades sharper, but smells good.

I hope this helps. It sure did them!

Source: Too many years experience.

By Sandi A. from Salem, OR

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Tips For Cleaning A Garbage Disposal

I use baking soda. Make sure the power is off. Pour into the garbage disposal, then take a scratchy sponge and put your hand in there. Clean the walls and under the rubber flaps.

In between doing this, I use denture tablet cleansers. Put one in the disposal, but don't turn it on. Let the water and the tablet do the work. If you do this quite often, it takes less than a minute to clean it by hand.

One other tip is to use baking soda and cheap white vinegar. While it foams, it deodorizes and cleans.

By hopeful from Salem, OR

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Lemon and Ice

To clean my garbage disposal, I slice one lemon in half and toss them into the disposal along with 4 or 5 ice cubes. I turn on the disposal and the cold water. Voila, the disposal is cleaned and freshened all at the same time.

Source: I do not know where I read this solution. I did not think of it myself, but I have been using it for years.

By Sandra B. from Jefferson, OH

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Freshen Garbage Disposal With Lemons

I've always put used cut up lemons in my garbage disposal to freshen it. I know that ice cubes are supposed to do that too, but they also are good to sharpen the disposal. So, I took cut up lemons, put them on a zip lock bag, and put them in the freezer. I just add to the bag in the freezer after using the lemons every time. I think the smell is more intense and I'm "killing 2 birds with 1 stone"!

By Clara from North Andover, MA

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Using Ice for Disposal Cleaning

Fill the disposal with ice cubes and let stand for a good ten minutes. Then flush with cold water, while running the disposal for ten seconds or so. This method hardens all the gunk on the blades, causing it to break up. It cleans and sharpens the blades.

By Neal K. from Leawood, KS

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Freshening the Garbage Disposal

Clean the inside of your garbage disposal with chopped up pieces of a lemon to eliminate those old food odors. This works better than baking soda or anything else! I usually use about 1/2 a lemon each time I need to freshen up this part of the sink. Cut the lemon into several pieces, turn on the garbage disposal and enjoy the fresh, clean scent!

By Steph from eastern IA

Editor's Note: You can also rub the lemon around the sink to remove greasy residue before you put it in the disposal. This works really well with stainless steel sinks.
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Ice to Clean Disposal

One of the best ways that I know of is to turn the water on at a trickle and turn your disposal on while empty. Then push about two quarts of ice cubes down into the disposal. That's ice, not fingers! This cleans the blades. With clean blades, there will be no smell. The ice actually cleans the whole mechanism. You can use lemon down the disposal to help with odors, but this is totally optional.

If the disposal is really dirty, the crushed ice may back up into the sink. Don't worry, let it run and it will all go down. When the disposal runs empty, you are done. I cleaned apartments for many years, and you learn to work smart not harder than you need to.

By Zoek from Grand Junction, CO

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Use A Broom To Unstick Garbage Disposal

I was told once when renting an apartment when my garbage disposal was stuck, and not working like it was suppose to. Take a broom handle and swirling it around turning the blades as you go round and round. Arlene
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Questions

Here are questions related to Cleaning a Garbage Disposal.
Garbage Disposal Cleaner

I saw a solution for cleaning the sink disposal with ice and vinegar. I did try it at the time and it really worked well. I cannot find this information now. Think it was on Thrifty Fun.

By Edie C

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Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

How do I clean my garbage disposal? There's a musty smell coming from the drain.

By Pat L. from Phoenix, AZ

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Most Recent Answer

By KLJohn02/06/2010

The 'citrus' trick is what I use, but I just toss any citrus piece, never have to cut a piece specifically for the disposal, just use a lemon wedge from my iced tea, right into the drain. The disposal always stays nice and fresh, because it takes a few days to get rid of the rind.

Archives

Here are archived discussions related to this page.

Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

I put white vinegar, baking soda, hot water, ice cubes, etc. into my kitchen sink garbage disposal. The black rubber "fins" covering the unit get grungy with a greasy, dirty-looking film. I've tried cleaning with a vinegar soaked rag which helps some. Does anyone have an easier way to keep this area of the garbage disposal clean? Thanks for help and for a super website.

Mairmie from Alberta, Canada


RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

It sounds like you've tried just about everything. What works for me is good old "elbow grease!" I pull out the rubber fitting and scrub the grunge with a little bit of dish soap on an old toothbrush. The toothbrush gets down into the ridges quite well. Hope this helps!! (05/17/2006)

By Proud mom of 4 girls

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

Try this: cut in half 2 large lemons, put into disposal unit along with half a cup of baking SODA, turn on briefly, just a couple of seconds, turn off and then pour lots of boiling water into the unit put the plug in and turn on for about 5 seconds. Works every time.

Good luck. (05/17/2006)

By Ang

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

I purchased a brush made to clean the garbage disposal from The Clean Team via the internet. They are based in California, I believe. Also, there is a new product on the market made especially for cleaning the garbage disposal... I'm sorry i cant remember the name, but it has a lemony smell. Best wishes (05/17/2006)

By Carol in PA

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

If you can somehow submerge the piece of rubber you are referring to, use very hot water, a small amount of dish soap, and bleach. The bleach does a great job of soaking into the cracks, disinfecting, and cutting through the slimey grime. (05/18/2006)

By Elizabeth


Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

I need to know how to clean a garbage disposal. I don't remember ever having one before, an easy homemade way. Thank you folks. You have always come to my rescue.

Jamish from Ransom, Kansas


RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

I put the rubber ring in the dishwasher on the top shelf to clean it. (08/14/2006)

By PICO

Vinegar and Baking Soda

I toss in a handful of baking soda followed by a cup or so of cheap white vinegar. This will foam and fizz. When the fizzing stops, add some more vinegar. Leave it for about 20 min, then flush with very hot water. Easy, homemade and cheap, also non-toxic. (08/14/2006)

By Linda

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

I use bar keepers friend to clean my sink. It does pretty well on the rubber piece also. Recently, I cut the old flaps away and inserted a new replacement rubber. You can buy these at any hardware store I brought mine at Home Depot under $3 I remember.

I fill my disposal up with ice cubes and turn on the water, hit the switch, and add lemon or lime juice about every four to six months. I don't really use my disposal for grinding food away. I throw most in the garbage. (08/14/2006)

By jjager

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

I use an old toothbrush to clean the rubber part - oh maybe every 4 weeks or when I notice the grunge building up. Works great. (08/14/2006)

By

Mint

I grow several kinds of mint in my backyard. Every week I will pick a large bunch of mint and grind in the garbage disposal. It removes any odors and residue and makes the kitchen smell great...plus the mint is free and is good for the environment. If you decide to grow mint, be sure to plant in an area that you don't care that it spreads...it will take over a flower bed... (08/15/2006)

By kathyElaine


Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

What is the best way to clean and sanitize a garbage disposal?

Debbie52 from IL


Unclogging disposal w/ baking soda & vinegar

I found the baking soda/vinegar trick on this site while checking Google this morning for "how to clear plugged garbage disposal". I tried it this morning, and it worked!

I had dumped a large container of cooked pasta into it last night and plugged it up. I'm always careful about not putting grease and fibrous junk into it, but I'd never heard the warning about starch before. The blades would turn, but water wouldn't drain at all. When I turned it on, everything spewed out in a mess.

As directed, I put a half box of baking soda into the drain, right through the standing water, then 1 cup vinegar, then a 2nd cup of vinegar, and followed that up with a pot of boiling water. I could see a few little bubbles coming up, so then I used a plunger, and it opened right up.

Thank you for keeping me from using drain cleaner. My brother thanks you, too, since he's the one I would have called next. (03/16/2008)

By Sheryl

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

While buying cleaning supplies at WalMart I came across a product called Spring Again Garbage Disposal Cleaner. It was only about $3 for 12 uses so I figured it was worth a shot. I am happy to report that it worked marvelously and it was really easy to use. (08/12/2008)

By Paul


Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

What is the most efficient way to keep a garbage disposal clean? I would like to know if there is a product I can buy, but after looking in some stores I have not found any for this specific use.

Judy from Riverside, CA


RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

I only had a garbage disposal once, and I ground up lemons in it. (02/23/2009)

By Carol L.

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

Wow, lots of great information. I do 3 different things to keep my garbage disposal clean.
  1. Make sure your disposal is off, take 1/2 cup of bleach and pour it into the disposal, this will kill off any bacteria that could be growing inside, now, if you feel that the bleach won't get into the areas properly, use an old rag, dip it into the bleach, then reach in and wash around the sides, etc. When finished pour the rest of the bleach into the drain.
  2. Use ice to help keep the blades nice and sharp, you will find that by putting about a cup or so of ice into the disposal does a great job.
  3. Last but not least to give it a refreshing smell and again to help the blades, cut up a lemon and toss it in, then run the disposal. It will be nice and aromatic, but also be clean. The acids from the lemon also help to kill off bacteria
(02/25/2009)

By TxBluEyes

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

When I use my garbage disposal, after I shut the disposal off I always leave the water running for approximately 30 seconds. This keeps it clean. (02/25/2009)

By PICO

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

I just did this. It's a helpful hint I read somewhere. I don't use hot water when doing dishes. No matter how hot it is, if your dishes are not being boiled for at least 5 minutes, it does no good to run the hot water and do your dishes with it. Hot water also melts that grease from food down your drain and pipes and it ends up clogging your pipes, then you end up calling the plumber. I had a plumber tell me, that I would be very bad for his livelihood.

I use a good amount of Dawn dish soap and some water softener, like Calgon or White King D and soak, scrub, and rinse well. Well, my disposer got really disgusting lately and I poured down about 1 cup of baking soda and poured, slowly, vinegar until the soda was almost down the drain and let it foam for a few minutes. Then run cold water for a few minutes. It worked really well and deodorized the drain and pipes. (02/25/2009)

By C.Thayer

RE: Cleaning a Garbage Disposal

Just cut up some lemons and put down the disposal. They clean and deodorize.

Janette (02/25/2009)

By Ashley

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