Your garbage disposal is a convenient kitchen workhorse, making quick work of food scraps and preventing clogged drains. However, over time, food particles, grease, and bacteria can accumulate on the grinding components and inside the drain lines, leading to unpleasant odors, sluggish performance, and unsanitary conditions. Regularly cleaning your garbage disposal is essential for a fresh-smelling and hygienic kitchen. Asubra Cleaning provides a simple, step-by-step DIY guide to effectively deodorize and disinfect your garbage disposal.
Why cleaning a disposal matters
Beyond just eliminating bad smells, a clean garbage disposal offers several key benefits.
- Eliminates Odors: This is the most common and noticeable reason. Decomposing food particles stuck inside the disposal are the primary source of foul odors emanating from your sink.
- Prevents Clogs: Buildup of grease and food debris can restrict water flow and eventually lead to clogs in your drain pipes, requiring costly plumbing repairs.
- Improves Efficiency: A clean disposal grinds food waste more effectively, reducing strain on the motor and extending the appliance’s lifespan.
- Enhances Hygiene: Bacteria thrive in damp, food-rich environments. Cleaning disinfects the disposal, preventing the spread of germs in your kitchen.
- Attracts Fewer Pests: Food residue and odors can attract unwanted pests like fruit flies and cockroaches to your kitchen sink area.
DIY cleaning ingredients (baking soda, lemon, ice)
You can effectively clean and freshen your garbage disposal using common household ingredients.
- Ice Cubes: Help dislodge stuck-on food particles from the grinding components. The coldness also solidifies grease, making it easier to grind away.
- Coarse Salt: Acts as a mild abrasive to scrub the grinding components.
- Baking Soda: A powerful natural deodorizer that absorbs odors. Also acts as a gentle abrasive.
- White Vinegar: An acidic cleaner that helps dissolve grease, soap scum, and mineral deposits, and also acts as a disinfectant.
- Citrus Peels (Lemons, Oranges, Limes, Grapefruits): Contain natural oils that break down grease and leave a fresh, clean scent.
- Dish Soap: Helps cut through grease and provides a clean rinse.
Step-by-step cleaning routine
Follow this routine for a thorough and effective disposal cleaning.
- Safety First: Turn Off Power! Before putting your hand or any tools into the disposal, always turn off the power to the disposal at the circuit breaker. This is a crucial safety step to prevent accidental activation.
- Remove Visible Debris:
- With the power off, use a flashlight to look down into the drain.
- Carefully use tongs or pliers to remove any large pieces of food, silverware, or other debris that might be lodged on the blades or in the drain opening. Never use your hand!
- Grind Ice & Salt/Baking Soda (Abrasive Cleaning):
- Turn the power back on.
- Place about two cups of ice cubes into the disposal.
- Add 1/2 cup of coarse salt or 1/2 cup of baking soda over the ice cubes.
- Turn on the cold water to a slow trickle.
- Turn on the disposal and let it run until all the ice and salt/baking soda are ground up (about 30-60 seconds). The ice helps dislodge grime, and the salt/baking soda act as abrasives to scrub the grinding plates.
- Flush with Hot Water & Dish Soap (Grease & Rinse):
- Turn off the disposal.
- Squirt about 1-2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap down the drain.
- Turn on very hot water and let it run for about a minute to flush away any remaining grease and soap residue.
- Deodorize with Citrus Peels:
- Turn the cold water on.
- Drop a handful of lemon, orange, lime, or grapefruit peels into the disposal.
- Turn on the disposal and run it until the peels are completely ground up. The natural oils in the citrus peels will break down grease and leave a pleasant, fresh scent.
- Clean Rubber Splash Guard:
- Turn off the power to the disposal at the circuit breaker again.
- Use an old toothbrush or a small scrub brush and some dish soap (or a baking soda paste) to clean the underside of the black rubber splash guard (flange) at the top of the drain. This is a common spot for mold, mildew, and grime.
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
- Turn the power back on.
Disinfecting and odor removal tips
For extra freshness and to tackle stubborn odors.
- Vinegar Ice Cubes (Pre-emptive Odor Control): Fill an ice cube tray with white vinegar and freeze. When you notice a slight odor, run a few of these vinegar ice cubes through the disposal. They clean and deodorize simultaneously.
- Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano (Deep Odor Absorption):
- Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain.
- Follow with 1 cup of white vinegar.
- Let the mixture fizz and foam for 10-15 minutes (this chemical reaction helps break down grime and absorb odors).
- Flush with hot water for a minute.
- Bleach (Use with Caution & Rarely): If odors persist due to suspected severe bacterial buildup, you can sparingly use bleach. Pour 1/4 cup of bleach down the drain, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then flush thoroughly with cold water. Never mix bleach with vinegar or any other cleaners, as it can create dangerous toxic fumes. Use this as a last resort, as it’s not ideal for plumbing.
Preventative maintenance tips
Simple habits can keep your disposal clean and functional between deep cleans.
- Run Cold Water: Always run cold water before, during, and for about 15-30 seconds after using the disposal. Cold water helps solidify grease and pushes food particles through.
- Grind Citrus Regularly: Whenever you have citrus peels (lemon, orange, lime), toss a few down the disposal and grind them with cold water. This helps clean and freshen.
- Use Plenty of Water: Never run the disposal without sufficient water. Water is essential for flushing food particles through.
- Avoid Problem Foods:
- Grease/Oil: Never pour grease or cooking oil down the drain, as it solidifies and clogs pipes.
- Fibrous Foods: Avoid celery, corn husks, onion skins, artichokes, and banana peels, as their fibers can tangle around the blades.
- Starchy/Expanding Foods: Don’t put potato peels, pasta, rice, or coffee grounds, as they can swell and cause clogs.
- Hard Items: Never put bones, fruit pits, or other very hard items.
- Regular Use: Run your garbage disposal regularly, even if you don’t have food waste, just to flush it out and keep the components moving.
When to call a professional plumber
While cleaning can solve many issues, some problems require professional help.
- Persistent Clogs: If your drain is completely clogged and you’ve tried basic plunging or baking soda/vinegar, there might be a more severe blockage further down the pipe.
- Disposal Not Turning On/Making Humminng Noise: This often indicates a jam (something stuck in the grinding plates) or an electrical issue.
- First: Hit the red reset button usually located on the bottom of the disposal unit.
- Second: Use an Allen wrench (often provided with the disposal) to manually turn the flywheel from the bottom center hole to dislodge jams.
- If it still doesn’t work: A plumber can diagnose electrical issues, motor problems, or severe jams.
- Leaks: Any water leaking from the disposal unit itself or the pipes connected to it requires immediate professional attention to prevent water damage.
- Loud Grinding Noises (without food): This could indicate loose or damaged grinding components, or something hard lodged that you can’t see.
- Burning Smells: An immediate sign to turn off the disposal and call a professional, as it could indicate an electrical problem or motor burnout.
Regular cleaning and mindful use of your garbage disposal will ensure it remains a clean, efficient, and odor-free asset in your kitchen.
Is your kitchen in need of a deeper clean, beyond just the disposal? Asubra Cleaning offers comprehensive kitchen cleaning services, ensuring every appliance, surface, and corner sparkles and is free from grime and odors. Contact us today for a free estimate and experience the difference professional cleaning can make in your home!