A garbage disposal or garbage disposer is an appliance that is perfectly installed in between the sink’s trap and the drain under your kitchen sink. This device can be electrically powered in some cases. A garbage disposal appliance requires to be taken care of and cleaned perfectly after a short while, failure to which you might end up having severe mold and bacteria breeding sites. This kind of miracle appliance enables excess leftovers heading into the landfills, in this case, your time for handling food scraps is minimized or rather saved.
Although garbage disposal is placed under the sink making it excellently concealed and easier to forget about it, you are supposed to keep checking on it like any other appliances. Always remember that this device is the one responsible for making your food scraps and other leftovers be able to move away down the drain leaving your sink clean. A build-up of leftovers makes your sink start to stink and cleaning it thoroughly eliminates food debris foul odors. Your garbage disposal is very sensitive and together with the drain need to be frequently cleaned to prevent stinking and bad smells.
There are a variety of simple remedies which require readily available ingredients that you can use to clean your kitchen’s garbage disposal unit. No matter how clean your garbage disposal is some small pieces of food will tend to stick and end up decaying at the splash guard. In this article, we are going to tackle more information about how you can clean your garbage disposal. For more details on the top keep reading this article.
Garbage Disposal Cleaning Steps
Cleaning your garbage disposal deeply is easier and an important thing that you should keep doing now and then. At most, you can be doing deep cleaning after a week using the required cleaning components. Since the sink’s metal part can be easily corroded by the use of chemicals cleaners, it’s recommendable you use natural cleaning ingredients such as ice, lemon peels, table salts, baking soda, and vinegar. Follow these steps carefully to clean your garbage disposal unit.
Step 1: Power disconnection
This initial step is more critical when it comes to garbage disposal cleaning. You are supposed to make sure that any power heading to the sink’s waste disposal unit is switched off or rather cut off for safety. For easier power disconnection you can simply pull out the plug that is physically connected to the under sink outlet. Also, you can perfectly turn the entire home electricity off directly from your box breaker. To make sure you have managed to disconnect the electricity, double-check by trying to turn it on before commencing to operate your garbage disposal.
Step 2: Splash guard cleaning
Beneath the splash guard or gasket is more likely to have more small particles of food and grease trapped on its crevices and grooves. This splash guard is mainly made of rubber and you can pull it out easily. Then clean it well using a scrubbing brush and more dish detergent. For you to remove all slime underside it, you need to scrub it thoroughly.
Step 3: Removal of visible food particles
This step is done when the splash guard is still removed, you are supposed to shine a flashlight through the disposal as a way of checking any food debris that could be evading the grinder. In case of any food particles you are required to use tongs to remove them, never think of using your finger since the blades are sharp even when motionless.
Step 4: Use Vinegar and baking soda
To clean your garbage disposal with baking soda you are supposed to do the following. Pour a properly measured baking soda half a cup into the intended disposal to clean. For the baking soda to work its deodorizing property you need to leave it to sit for about 30 minutes. After this pour vinegar about one cup which leads to the bubble up of a foamy liquid to your sink. Then leave the chemical reaction to eliminate the gunk for three minutes and you rinse the disposal using hot water.
Step 5: Salt and ice grinding
This step is done mainly for disposal blades cleaning as well as any build-up loosening. Here you need to ensure the splash guard is reinstalled and the power reconnected to pour ice of about two cups. Then you are supposed to add salt on top of it, just one cup, after running cold water turn the disposal on. The salt-ice combination is an effective scrubber.
Step 6: Lemon peels grind up
This is the last step when cleaning your waste disposal unit, where you are supposed to use citrus smell for freshening. For the popular option, you can use lemon peels, put them into your sink disposal, then run cold tap water, and turn the power on. With the citrus peel, your entire sink will be refreshed and left with a pleasant scent.
General Disposal Usage Tips
When using your disposal always consider the following general usage tips to ensure it remains clean and refreshed.
- Always make sure you use your disposal with water as a way of maintaining odors and gunk at its minimal level. The water should be there throughout food grinding, before and after.
- Before turning your disposal on, always make sure you run cold water, during food grinding, as well as 7 seconds after stopping. This process allows all food to leave your disposal and out of the pipes.
Conclusion
Your garbage disposal device is like any other appliances you have in your home and needs to be maintained throughout. The more properly you keep checking on it and ensuring it’s in a good condition the higher chances of increasing its life span to more than 8 years. You are supposed to avoid the usage of commercial disposal cleaners since some will corrosive particles damaging the metal part. Always consider the use of natural ingredients like lemon peels for cleaning your waste disposal unit.
Reference
- https://www.thespruce.com/cleaning-a-garbage-disposal-2718863
- https://www.thisoldhouse.com/kitchens/21317716/how-to-clean-garbage-disposal
- https://www.consumerreports.org/garbage-disposals/how-to-clean-your-garbage-disposal
