How Do I Clean My Garbage Disposal

Few things are less inviting in the kitchen than a stinky garbage disposal. Despite the fact that most of us them every day, garbage disposals are easy to overlook when it comes to basic home cleaning. Doing dishes is not fun as it is, but doing them when your disposal stinks makes it ten times worse.

Fortunately, getting rid of that odor coming from your garbage disposal is not a difficult task. Here are a few tips from the expert Longview, TX plumbers at Bird Dog Plumbing to make this task as easy as possible.

Remember, before you start cleaning or put your hands anywhere near the garbage disposal, remember to unplug it, or turn off the disposal’s breaker. 

Clean the visible portion of the garbage disposal

Using some dish soap and a brush, clean the areas around the disposal, such as the joint where the disposal meets the sink. This area is particularly susceptible to food getting trapped, making it a haven for mold to grow.

Clean under the baffle

The rubber baffle at the bottom of your sink is a prime location for food particles to get stuck in the folds. Using a brush be sure to scrub this area.

Clean the grinding chamber

Use a soapy sponge or brush, scrub around the grinding chamber where food particles could be stuck in the grinder or the walls of the chamber. Make sure you are rinsing the sponge and sink and continue this process until the sponge comes up clean from the disposal.

Here are a few more things you can do which require that the disposal be running, so remember, hands out!

Citrus

Using citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, or oranges is a really effective way to give your disposal a fresh scent. Simply throwing the peels, or the entire fruit (chopped into wedges) into the disposal does wonders. The oils that come out of the peel coat the disposal and help keep the disposal fresh for an extended period of time. Interestingly, the rough peels actually help pull gunk off the blades and walls.

Ice and rock salt

Ice and rock salt are great for scraping food and waste of the inside of the pipes and blades.

The best way to keep your disposal clean is the easiest of all. Routinely flush your disposal with water after each use. This keeps food from getting stuck to the walls as the pipes and disposal dry.

If none of these tips help and you are noticing that your disposal is still not getting as clean as you like, please give us a call. This could be a sign that you are in need of a garbage disposal repair or replacement. The expert Longview plumbers at Bird Dog plumbing are always here to help make sure your plumbing is working properly. For more information or to schedule a service please contact us NOW.