There are six basic steps to cleaning a garbage disposal: gather supplies, clean the splash guard, remove debris from the garbage disposal, clean the disposal itself, clean the drain pipe, and get rid of nasty smells.
Out of sight, out of mind, right? In the case of your kitchen’s garbage disposal, not so much. It may be hidden away under the sink, but if you don’t clean it regularly, nasty bacteria and mold will create odors too foul to ignore.
| Project difficulty: Beginner Estimated time to complete: 10 to 30 minutes Project cost: Up to $20 |
A Word on Safety
It’s vital to remember that a garbage disposal can be a dangerous tool, one with sharp blades that can cause serious injuries if you’re careless. Always take the proper steps to protect yourself while cleaning a garbage disposal.
- Always unplug the garbage disposal before you begin cleaning and keep it unplugged until you’re finished.
- Ensure that anyone who enters the kitchen while you’re working knows not to plug the disposal in until you are done.
- Never put your hand down the garbage disposal or anywhere near the blades — even when it’s unplugged.
Step 1: Gather Supplies
Like any chore, the first step in cleaning your garbage disposal is gathering the necessary supplies. Here’s what you’ll need to clean your garbage disposal:
- Dish soap
- Sponge or scrub brush
- Tongs, pliers, or a similar long instrument designed for grabbing small objects
- Baking soda and vinegar
- Ice and salt
- Bucket
- Citrus fruit (optional but recommended)
Step 2: Clean the Splash Guard
Before you clean the disposal itself, clean its splash guard. The splash guard is the outermost part of the disposal that sits in the drain. It should be a circular piece of black rubber with five or six flaps.
To clean the splash guard:
- Remove the splash guard from the sink. Older disposals needed to be removed entirely just to remove the splash guard, but newer ones can be removed just by pulling.
- Scrub the splash guard with dish soap and a sponge or scrub brush. Make sure to scrub the bottom especially well and remove all debris and slime. Be thorough since this part can have several grooves, ridges, and other spaces where filth can gather.
Once you’re done, set the splash guard to the side.
Step 3: Remove Visible Debris
While the splash guard is still removed, use tongs, pliers, or a similar instrument to remove all visible debris from the inside of the disposal and put it in a garbage can. Ensure the disposal is still unplugged while you do this.
Step 4: Clean the Disposal
Now it’s time to clean the disposal. First, pour half a cup of baking soda down the disposal and let it sit for half an hour. The baking soda will deodorize the disposal and prepare it for the next step.
That next step is vinegar. If you ever made a baking soda volcano in school, you know what comes next. Add one cup of vinegar and a chemical reaction will create a large volume of white foam, which will get rid of the rest of the gunk in your disposal.
After three minutes, wash it all down the drain with hot water — either from the tap or boiled.
Next, put the splash guard back in place and plug the disposal back in. Put two cups of ice down the disposal, then one cup of salt. Run the tap with cold water and turn on the disposal until all the ice is ground up. The ice and salt combo will scrub the inside of the disposal, especially the blades, and loosen any residual muck.
Step 5: Clean the Drain Pipe
Your next step is to clean the drain pipe coming out of the garbage disposal. Just like the disposal itself, it can be host to mold, bacteria, and nasty smells. After all of the other cleaning efforts you used for the garbage disposal in Step 4, this won’t be a hard job, but it’s an important one.
To clean the drain pipe, you first need to disconnect it from the disposal. Then:
- First, disconnect the drain pipe from the disposal. Ensure you have a bucket below the pipe to catch the water that will come out.
- Next, clean the pipe. Scrub it thoroughly with a wet drain brush to remove debris.
- Finally, use baking soda and vinegar, as you did in Step 4, to remove leftover filth.
Step 6: Eliminate Bad Smells
Finally, the last step to cleaning your disposal is to make it smell fresh and clean. Simply put a citrus peel down the disposal and run it with cold water until the peel is gone. Any citrus fruit will do, but lemons are a popular choice. Once it’s done, your sink will have a fresh citrus scent.
Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal is Quick and Easy
As long as you do it safely, cleaning your garbage disposal is just like any other chore. It’s quick, easy, and well worth the effort to keep bad smells out of your kitchen.
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Main Image Credit: Mariakray / Adobe Stock Free / License
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