How To Clean Garbage Disposal

Table of Contents

• What Precautions Should You Take Before Cleaning the Garbage Disposal?
• What Are The Supplies You Need To Clean Garbage Disposal?
• How To Clean Garbage Disposal With Baking Soda and Vinegar?
  • Take Out The Splash Guard 
  • Dump Baking Soda & Vinegar Into The Disposal
  • Turn On The Garbage Disposal 
• How To Clean Garbage Disposal With Ice Cubes?
• How To Clean Garbage Disposal With Disposal Cleaner?
• How To Freshen Up Garbage Disposal? 
• How Do You Maintain Garbage Disposal To Keep It Clean & Fresh? 

After installing the garbage disposal, most homeowners use and leave it without cleaning.

If you don’t clean the disposal unit, food particles will cause a blockage and water back up in the sink. Turns out, the accumulated food buildup will spread a foul odor. 

To avoid issues like jammed garbage disposal, cleaning the garbage disposal is a must. 

And this guide will teach you how to clean garbage disposal like a pro. 

What Precautions Should You Take Before Cleaning the Garbage Disposal?

Before cleaning the garbage disposal, ensure you turn off the disposal unit. 

To turn off the garbage disposal, unplug the power cord of the unit from the electric outlet. 

If your garbage disposal is hardwired, go to the circuit breaker box and flip down the breaker for the disposal. 

Next, wear the safety gloves and goggles to avoid potential injuries. 

What Are The Supplies You Need To Clean Garbage Disposal?

Here is the list of supplies you should have at your fingertips to clean your garbage disposal: 

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Ice cubes
• Citrus peels (optional)
• Dish soap
• Soft brush or toothbrush

How To Clean Garbage Disposal With Baking Soda and Vinegar?

To deep-clean your garbage disposal with baking soda and vinegar, follow these simple three steps:

Take Out The Splash Guard

Locate the splash guard (made of plastic) at the top of the garbage disposal opening. Then, take the splash guard out of its place with your hand. 

If it’s an old unit, the plastic splash guard will be dirty. 

Take the splash guard under another sink. Wash it with water. Then, spray vinegar over it, leave it for a few minutes, and scrub it with a toothbrush to remove the gunk that forms on the splash guard. 

Finally, rinse the splash guard with cold water. 

Dump Baking Soda & Vinegar Into The Disposal

Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the garbage disposal. Then, dump a cup of apple cider or white vinegar in the garbage disposal. 

Let the baking soda and vinegar sit in the garbage disposal by leaving it for five minutes.

After that period, run warm water into the garbage disposal. Some plumbers suggest using boiling water. But I want to keep you assured about the safety of the PVC drain pipes.

Turn On The Garbage Disposal

Turn on the cold water supply. Then, turn on your garbage disposal by flipping the On/Off switch to the On position. 

Operate the unit for up to 30 seconds to clean the gunk lingering inside the garbage disposal. 

Afterward, turn off the unit after grinding is complete. Let the water run for a few seconds to flush the drain smoothly. 

How To Clean Garbage Disposal With Ice Cubes?

To clean the garbage disposal correctly with ice cubes, go along with these steps: 

• Put a bowl of ice cubes down the garbage disposal. Don’t fill up the disposal completely with ice cubes.
• Pour a cleaning agent like baking soda (1/2 of a cup) into the garbage disposal. 
• Run warm water and turn on the garbage disposal.
• Keep the disposal running until grinding is complete. The disposal unit will pulverize the ice cubes and dislodge the gunk buildup. 
• Turn off your garbage disposal and run the water for a few seconds to flush the drain like a charm. 

How To Clean Garbage Disposal With Disposal Cleaner?

Garbage disposal cleaners are available in both liquid and tablet forms. Those disposal cleaners help cut hard-to-remove gunk and deodorize the disposal unit. 

In this chapter, I will show you how to use a garbage disposal cleaning tablet to clean the disposal like a champ. 

To clean the garbage disposal with a disposal cleaner tablet, follow these guidelines: 

• Ensure the garbage disposal is empty. Run a steady stream of hot water for a minute.
• Reduce water to a slow trickle (less than the width of a pencil) and turn the faucet away from the drain. Remove the tablet from the wrapper before using it.
• With the water running, drop a table into the garbage disposal. 
• Turn on the garbage disposal and run it for a minute. 
• The garbage disposal cleaner has a foaming agent. In other words, it will create a foam. Continue to run the disposal and water until the foam drains. 
• Rinse the remaining foam from the sink and turn off your garbage disposal. 

How To Freshen Up Garbage Disposal?

Grinding citrus peels like lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit will help remove the foul odor. The citric acid in the peels cleans the disposal blades (impellers) and eliminates bad smells. 

To freshen up the garbage disposal, walk through the following steps:

• Turn on the cold water supply.
• Put the citrus peels like lemons into the garbage disposal. Ensure you cut the lemon into wedges. 
• Turn on your garbage disposal and run it for a few seconds or until the grinding is complete. 
• After grinding is complete, turn off your garbage disposal. 
• Run the cold water for a few seconds to flush the drain properly. 

How Do You Maintain Garbage Disposal To Keep It Clean & Fresh?

Cleaning the garbage disposal will help keep the disposal unit in tip-top condition for several years. 

To keep the food waste disposal efficient, follow these garbage disposal maintenance practices: 

Daily Maintenance Routine:

• Use the garbage disposal a few times a week, even when there is no food waste to grind. 
• Run cold water while operating the garbage disposal.
• Avoid certain types of food to put in a garbage disposal, including fibrous foods, grease, and non-food items. 

Weekly Maintenance Tips: 

• Clean the garbage disposal once a week following the cleaning procedure mentioned throughout this article.
• Inspect the drain pipes under the sink for leaks.
• Sharpen the disposal blades (impellers) by grinding ice cubes.

Monthly Maintain Tasks:

• Clean the splash guard every month
• Clean the drain pipes to release blockage. 

Regular cleaning of your garbage disposal will increase the performance and lifespan of the disposal unit. 

Just follow the cleaning procedure mentioned and remove the buildup from the unit. 

I suggest you avoid harsh chemicals like bleach or drain cleaner to clean your garbage disposal.