How Do I Clean My Garbage Disposal?

If your kitchen sink is emitting an unpleasant or nasty scent, the culprit could be dirty garbage disposal. While the thought of cleaning it might seem intimidating or hazardous, the process is actually quite simple!

What Do I Need?

For our recommended method, you will need:

What Should I Know?

Under no circumstances should your hand ever go into the garbage disposal. Doing so can result in severe injury and is never worth the risk. Use tongs or pliers to remove any objects or debris from the disposal.

Not everything can go down the garbage disposal. Items like grease, stringy vegetables, and fruit pits can not only lead to bad smells but also cause serious damage to your disposal and plumbing system.

What Are the Steps?

1. Using your tongs or pliers, gently remove the gasket or splash guard from the top of your garbage disposal. You may find that the buildup of debris in the creases of the splash guard is the root cause of the bad smell.
2. Clean the splash guard by soaking it in a sink full of soapy dish water before using your scrubber to clean it.
3. Take a look down your garbage disposal and check for any large blockages that may be causing unpleasant odors. Once you’ve thoroughly inspected your disposal and removed any potential blockages, you’re ready to begin the cleaning process!
4. Pour ½ cup of baking soda into the drain and let it sink into the disposal.
5. Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the drain and listen for a fizzing sound. This will let you know the mixture is working. Let the combination sit for 2-3 minutes.
6. Pour 6 cups of boiling water down the drain to rinse away the mixture.
7. Fill up the garbage disposal with 2-3 cups of ice cubes.
8. Sprinkle 1 cup of salt over the ice.
9. Run cold water and turn on the garbage disposal until the ice and salt combination is removed. The texture of the ice and the deodorizing properties of the salt will work together to break down and remove grime and odor-causing bacteria from your garbage disposal.
10. To get rid of any odors that may still linger, cut a lemon into quarters and, with the disposal turned off, place two of them into the disposal. Run cold water and turn on the disposal until the lemon pieces are gone. Repeat the process with the remaining lemon quarters.

The natural citrus scent will eliminate any remaining pungent smells in your garbage disposal.