Clean Your Garbage Disposal the Right Way With These Expert Tips

With all of the meals that winds up in your sink’s grinding chamber, it’s solely pure for it to start out smelling and require cleansing. But don’t fret! The process might sound overwhelming, however in actuality, it’s easy to deal with with baking soda, vinegar, ice and even rock salt. Below, you’ll discover skilled rubbish disposal cleansing suggestions from Carolyn Forté, government director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab. Forté shares straightforward DIY cleansing options and cleansing merchandise that’ll not solely make your rubbish disposal look clear, however scent recent, too.

How Often Should I Clean My Garbage Disposal?

Forté suggests cleansing your rubbish disposal about as soon as a month in case you use it commonly. Her favourite cleansing merchandise embrace Affresh’s Garbage Disposal Cleaner, CLR’s Fresh & Clean Garbage Disposal Pods and Lemi’s Shine Garbage Disposal Cleaner and Deodorizer. “Most rubbish disposal cleaners suggest utilizing them month-to-month,” Forté says. “Of course, if it’s notably soiled otherwise you scent odors coming from it, it must be cleaned extra usually.”

When it involves upkeep, Forté has just a few suggestions:

Flush the rubbish disposal nicely with water after grinding meals, as “leftover bits will scent,” Forté notes.

If your rubbish disposal has a rubber gasket on the high, it must be cleaned beneath as meals bits splash up onto it. Some rubber gaskets are detachable, so comply with your model’s cleansing instructions. “If it’s not detachable, ensure that to flush the underside with water or clear it with a brush, fabric or sponge to take away particles,” she says.

Use a rubbish disposal cleaner month-to-month to wash and freshen the blades and wall surfaces.

To forestall the pipes from getting clogged, keep away from placing something down the disposal that’s stringy or too robust to grind up simply. Egg shells and husks are just a few picks Forté advises in opposition to.

How to Clean a Garbage Disposal With Soap, Baking Soda and Vinegar

Use a sponge and dish cleaning soap to wash the disposal baffle and across the drain. Scrub across the high of the grinding chamber, too, all whereas rinsing your sponge all through the method to take away the gunk. Once the floor feels clear, you can begin a deeper refresh with baking soda.

“Baking soda removes odors and whenever you add vinegar to it, it should foam up,” Forté says. American Home Shield recommends sprinkling half a cup of baking soda into the disposal. Then, pour a cup of white or apple cider vinegar in after. Make certain your disposal is off earlier than beginning the cleansing course of. They suggest letting the combination sit for 5 to 10 minutes earlier than turning the disposal again on and operating chilly water inside to flush all the pieces out.

How to Clean a Garbage Disposal With Ice and Rock Salt or Vinegar

An different cleansing resolution is to pour a cup of rock salt (or vinegar) into the rubbish disposal. Add ice cubes earlier than turning the disposal on and operating chilly water to flush it.

How to Deodorize a Garbage Disposal

“I throw just a few ice cubes down there and grind them up after I scent odors to assist clear the blades,” Forté says. “It’s a fast repair to freshen it.” American Home Shield additionally suggests utilizing citrus peels as a “nice DIY rubbish disposal deodorant.” Simply minimize your citrus peels (limes, oranges, tangerines, lemons or grapefruits) into small items. Turn the rubbish disposal on and run chilly water because the peels grind.

You also can buy Lemi’s Shine Garbage Disposal Cleaner and Deodorizer. Based on Lemi’s directions, simply drop one of many pods into the empty disposal, whereas operating chilly water at a low-speed setting. With the water nonetheless operating, let the pod sit for 20 seconds earlier than turning your disposal on and letting it grind for 5 seconds. After 5 seconds, flip the disposal and water off, wait two minutes, after which rinse the froth away.

Assistant Editor

Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, the place she covers house and life-style content material. Mariah has greater than 4 years of editorial expertise, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women’s Health and Avocado Magazine. She obtained her grasp’s diploma in journalism on the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and printed her first e book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She’s additionally the founding father of RTF Community a platform for creatives of colour to attach, be taught and showcase their work.