With 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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
How do I clean my garbage disposal? There's a musty smell coming from the drain.
By Pat L. from Phoenix, AZ
By KLJohn
02/06/2010
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.
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.
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