You may not think about it very often, but your garbage disposal needs to be cleaned out too. Depending on how often you use the disposal, every few months should happen. However, if you have noticed a decrease in performance or an increase in noise level after using the appliance, then now is the time to clean your garbage disposal. This article will help clean your disposer without much work at all.
Ice Cube Trick
The first way is to use ice cubes. You can run the cold water and drop about three or four ice cubes into the disposal while it runs, which will knock off any food particles that have accumulated on your blades. The next step you should do after this is to take a sponge with dish soap applied over it and clean all of the blades.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
Another way to give your garbage disposal a good cleaning is by pouring ¼ cup of baking soda, followed by ½ cup white vinegar into the drain. Allow it to sit for about 30 minutes before turning on the water and flushing out all of those nasty particles that have been clinging onto your blades.
If this does not work right away, repeat it one more time. You should try this method at least once every couple of months if you are using the disposal regularly or twice per year if not used often.
Ice and Salt
Another way to clean your disposal is by using ice and salt. This method works amazingly well after the vinegar and baking soda, but we do not recommend trying it on its own because you could end up damaging or corroding your blades! After waiting 30 minutes from when you used the vinegar and baking soda, turn on your cold water with a cup of rock salt in one hand.
Push out all of those particles with an Ice Cube created from another cup filled with fresh running water, then allow everything to sit for about 15 more minutes before draining. Repeat this process if needed until all food residue has been flushed away.
Lemon and Salt
Another way to clean your garbage disposal is by using lemon and salt. Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle some Kosher or sea salt onto the exposed fruit part, then rub it around the entire surface of the disposal. Please turn on your cold water for about two minutes and let the citrus do its job. If this doesn’t work the first time, try again until all particles are gone.
Baking Soda and Citrus
Another way to clean your garbage disposal is baking soda and citrus. Crush about a cup of fresh oranges, lemons, or limes to release their juices. Then add ½ cup of baking powder into the mix and pour it all down the drain while running cold water for 30 seconds.
Allow everything to sit inside the disposal for 15 minutes before turning on more cold water for another minute or two; then turn off the faucet but allow everything to continue sitting until you are ready to use it again for about an hour. This mixture will help eliminate any bad odors that might be lingering around from other methods you have used before.
Boiling Water
If you want to avoid using any harsh chemicals or anything that might damage your disposal, boiling water is a great way to clean it without any fuss. Boil about two quarts of water and pour it down the drain while the disposal is turned off.
Allow the hot liquid to sit for about five minutes before turning on cold water for one minute; then turn off the faucet and allow everything to cool before using again. This process can be repeated every few months if needed.
Pineapple
Last but not least, we have the pineapple method. Cut off one of the fruit’s crowns and remove the skin; then cut it into small pieces that will fit down your drain. Place them in the disposal and turn on the cold water for about 30 seconds; then wait 15 minutes before turning on more cold water until everything has been washed away. This is a great way to get rid of any bad odors and can be repeated every month or two if needed.
These are seven great ways to clean your garbage disposal without using harsh chemicals or spending a lot of money. All you need is some time and patience, and you will be able to get your disposal looking and smelling like new in no time. If one method doesn’t seem to work, don’t give up; just try a different one until the job is done.