A garbage disposal is an incredible timesaver taking your old food waste and making it go away instantly! However, if you forget to clean it after a while, bits and pieces of that food waste can come back to haunt you.
The small pieces of food waste that can get caught in your disposal can serve as a breeding ground for mold and bacteria that cause your garbage disposal to stink. This is more than enough reason to plan for cleaning your garbage disposal once in a while, and here is how.
Give the Splash Guard a Cleaning
To start with, you’ll want to clean the splash guard. Even if the splash guard looks clean at first, you’ll probably find that it is pretty dirty underneath. Make sure your disposal is off, and then clean the splash guard with a small brush, such as a toothbrush and some baking soda and vinegar.
Be sure to clean the entire splash guard, including the underside and around the rim. If you cannot remove the splash guard, that is okay. Just pull it up one part at a time until it is all clean.
Wash Your Garbage Disposer Out
Next, you’ll want to put a stopper on the garbage disposal and fill the sink up with a couple of drops of dish soap and hot water to about three-fourths of the way. After this, take out the stopper and run the disposal. Keep running the disposal until the sink is empty. This will help clean your disposal.
Give the Inside a Scrub With Ice and Salt
This step is intended to scrape off the stuck-on grease and grime that should have been loosened by the hot soapy water. Take about two cups or a dozen cubes of ice and pour them into your garbage disposal. Next, add in about a half cup of the biggest rock salt you have.
Now turn on the hot water and your garbage disposal. Leave it running for one to two minutes and then turn it off and disconnect the power. Look into the drain opening and hopefully see a shining clean grind ring and turntable looking back at you. Assuming it doesn’t look like it needs another treatment, reconnect the power.
Deodorize and Scour Drains With Baking Soda and Vinegar
Take a half cup of baking soda and pour it into your drain. Wait for about a half-hour to give it time to deodorize your drain, and then pour in a cup of white vinegar. Wait for about 15 minutes to let the vinegar react to break up loose stuck on gunk and disinfect your drain.
Freshen Your Drain with Citrus
For a final touch, leave your drain with a fresh scent by pouring a small number of citrus peels down your running disposal. This can be whatever citrus fruit you choose, including lemon, orange, or grapefruit. You can also simply use a small amount of sliced-up citrus fruit with the rind still on. Just don’t use any pieces large enough to recollect your freshly cleaned drain.
Final Thoughts
A garbage disposal is here to make keeping your kitchen clean easier, so you definitely don’t want it stinking the place up. Taking the time to keep your garbage disposal clean can leave your space smelling a lot fresher and help prevent the machine from clogging as well.
Contact Us
If your garbage disposal has a foul odor you can’t seem to solve, it may be time for a replacement, and J Griffin Heating & Plumbing can help. Call us at 781-520-1212 and connect with us on Facebook