How to Clean the Garbage Disposal

Keep your garbage disposal free of debris and running efficiently with these easy tips on how to clean the garbage disposal. Includes an easy recipe for DIY garbage disposal pods!

The garbage disposal is often one of the hardest working appliances in the kitchen, but can easily be forgotten about in terms of maintenance and cleaning. So I thought that today we could show our garbage disposals a little love with a couple of easy DIY green disposal cleaning recipes and some general maintenance tips.

Clean Your Disposal Regularly

The garbage disposal should be cleaned regularly to avoid a build up of food particles and smelly bacteria.  The good news is that it only takes a few minutes and can easily be done with items that you already have on hand.  Try to do the method below once per month and use the DIY garbage disposal bombs or vinegar citrus cubes {recipes follow} to keep it smelling fresh in between deep cleanings.

How to Clean the Garbage Disposal

STEP 1

Toss 8-12 ice cubes into the garbage disposal, run the water on a cool setting, and turn on the garbage disposal unit until the ice has cleared.  This will help to dislodge smaller food particles, break up any grease build-up, and sharpen the blades.  {Rock salt can also be helpful but is not necessary if you don’t have any}.

STEP 2

Make a paste with baking soda and water and use a small scrub brush or toothbrush to scrub the rubber flaps around the neck of the disposal.

STEP 3

Plug the garbage disposal and fill the sink about 3/4 full with cool water, a squirt of dish soap and a cup of vinegar. Allow to sit for a few minutes and then run the garbage disposal until the water has all cleared out. If there is any smell remaining, you can then sprinkle some baking soda down the disposal, let it sit for 10 minutes, and run the garbage disposal again.  If you use the green cleaning methods below, however, you won’t have to deal with any nasty smells again! 🙂

DIY Garbage Disposal Bombs

For quick maintenance throughout the month, I use these easy DIY green cleaning recipes to keep the garbage disposal clean and fresh smelling.  Both of these recipes will last me about a month.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups baking soda
• 1 tsp dish washing liquid
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 20-50 drops of essential oils {I like citrus scents but you can use whatever you like.  Read more about the best essential oils to use for cleaning HERE}
• 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup water

Instructions

• Mix the baking soda, dish washing liquid and sea salt together in a mixing bowl.  Add the essential oils as desired.
• Slowly add water until the mixture sticks together without being too wet.  The more essential oils you use, the less water you will need.  If you add too much water by mistake, just add more baking soda until you get the desired texture.
• Using your hands, form the mixture into balls {approximately 1 – 1.5 inch in size} and place on a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet.  Allow to dry overnight until firm.
• This recipe makes approximately 20 balls {depending on size}. Place in an airtight container and store indefinitely.

To Use

If you want a quick refresh of your garbage disposal, just pop a couple of these down the disposal, run some cool water, and turn on the garbage disposal for approximately 20-30 seconds.  I use these every few days for general maintenance or if I notice any funky smells coming up.  They can also be combined with the vinegar and citrus cubes below for extra disinfecting.

DIY Vinegar and Citrus Cubes

These citrus vinegar cubes will help to sharpen your garbage disposal blades and leave it with a nice, light scent.

Ingredients

• vinegar
• citrus peels {lemons, oranges, limes, etc.}
• citrus juice

Instructions

 

• Place 5-6 small pieces of citrus peels {lemons, oranges, limes, etc.} into an ice cube tray and fill up with vinegar. If there are extra pieces of lemon or orange around, I will squeeze the left over juice into the trays as well.
• Freeze until solid and keep frozen until use.  I generally make up two trays of ice cubes when I do these.  If you need the ice cube trays for other purposes, you can then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag or other freezer storage container.

To Use

To use, place a couple of these ice cubes down the garbage disposal, run your water, and turn on the disposal until the ice cubes have been broken down. The vinegar will help to disinfect your garbage disposal while the citrus peels will give it a fresher scent.  The frozen cubes will also provide some sharpening benefit to the blades.  For an extra cleaning boost, follow this with one of the garbage disposal bombs from above.

Garbage Disposal Maintenance Tips

• Do not put anything into the garbage disposal that is not biodegradable food waste.  It’s not a trash can!
• Run your garbage disposal frequently to prevent rust and corrosion and to ensure that there are no obstructions and always remember to run your garbage disposal prior to running your dishwasher to ensure that the drains are cleared.
• Remember that all garbage disposals are not created equal.  More expensive, higher horse power disposals will be able to handle items that the smaller, apartment sized models can’t.
• If you have any obstructions in your garbage disposal, be sure to unplug the disposal or shut off the fuse first before trying to fish the object out.  If possible, avoid putting your hands into the disposal and use pliers or kitchen tongs to get the object out.
• Use cold water when grinding food waste.  If you have any grease or fat, the cold water will cause it to solidify so it can be ground up and disposed of safely.  If you use hot water, it will liquify it and wash it down into the drain where it will then solidify again and possibly block your drain.  The cold water can also help the motor from overheating.
• Always have the water running when the motor is on.  When grinding is complete, turn off the garbage disposal and let the water run for at least another 15 seconds to flush out any remaining particles.

 

What NOT to Put Down the Garbage Disposal

Now you know what you should be doing to help maintain and clean your garbage disposal, here are a few things that you should NOT put down there…

• expandable foods such as pasta and rice {as they can also expand in your pipes and cause clogs}
• large amounts of potato peels {due to the high starch that can turn into a thick paste causing the blades to stick}
• mango peels {we learned this one the hard way!}
• large animal bones {smaller chicken bones may be used in more powerful garbage disposals}
• fibrous material such as corn husks, asparagus, banana peels, or celery stalks. Save these for the compost as they can be hard to break down in the garbage disposal.
• fruit pits
• artichokes
• grease/oil. These will gradually accumulate on the sides fo your pipes and can lead to a clog. To dispose of grease and oils properly, wait for it to cool down and then pour it into a jar or can which you can throw out in the trash.
• large amounts of coffee grinds {while not damaging to the garbage disposal itself, large amounts can be damaging to the pipes}

So there you go!  Now you know how to clean the garbage disposal. Now go give it some love! 🙂

More Kitchen Cleaning Tips

For more kitchen cleaning tips, check out these posts…

How to Clean Burned Pots

The Best Ways to Clean Stainless Steel

How to Clean the Dishwasher