Garbage disposals frequently make the chore of cleaning up after preparing a meal in the kitchen. Your garbage disposal is great – when it works.

It’s a convenience in any kitchen, but can be an inconvenience if it clogs or makes your kitchen smell icky.

Here is the best news: If it clogs or smells, you don’t have to call a plumber—instead, we will provide you with a few simple steps and different methods for how to clean garbage disposal.

We know how much you rely on a functioning garbage disposal at Day & Night Plumbing. To that end, we figured it’d be useful to have a full-on guide: How to clean a garbage disposal.

Finally, you will know what to do when the time comes for you to start cleaning your garbage disposal and when is the right time to call in plumbing professionals for help with your drain cleaning services.

A Materials Checklist

Before we get going on how to clean a garbage disposal, I’ll give you a materials list!

Materials Needed:

• Ice cubes
• Rock salt, or coarse salt
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Lemon or lime
• Dish soap
• Small scrub brush (can also use an old toothbrush)
• Rubber gloves
• A flashlight

Basic Steps on How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal

If you’re looking to clean your garbage disposal, there are all sorts of different ways to do so. The approach will be determined by how bad your disposal’s accumulation of debris, clogger or stink is. Obviously, the first step is to unplug it.

Here are 3 simple things you can do when you have a garbage disposal that’s broken or stinky:

Clean Your Garbage Disposal with Baking Soda and Vinegar

To clean out your garbage disposal with baking soda and vinegar, put 1/3 cup of baking soda down the disposal. After you do that, flick the disposal on for a few seconds. Then, let the disposal go with the baking soda in it for a good fifteen minutes.

Following fifteen minutes, add a cup of vinegar to the disposal for 5 minutes and rinse with hot until cleared.

The Ice and Salt Trick for a Clean Smelling Garbage Disposal

It’s pretty easy to learn how to clean garbage disposal with ice and salt. Just shove two cups of ice cubes down the garbage disposal. Then toss a cup or so of iodine table salt (some claim rock salt works well) into your garbage disposal.

Squirt dish soap down the disposal and then run cold water for 15 to 30 seconds before turning it off6) Fill a tray with vinegar (or coconut oil, or lemon juice) and freeze it.

Since the ice and salt generate friction when they connect with the inside part of your disposal as well as its impellers, there is no reason to expect that your clogged garbage disposer won’t clear up — barring any extreme cases of clog.

The Homemade Cleaning Cubes Method

To naturally clean your disposal, try making a DIY cleaner at home: Freeze lemon slices in white vinegar.

For this one, you know how to clean a garbage disposal is by using an ice cube tray, get yourself an ice cube tray and place lemon slices (soaked in vinegar) into each compartment. Freeze in your ice cube tray and transfer the cubes to your garbage disposal, running it with cold water until your disposal is clean or unclogged.

Knowing how to clean a garbage disposal may also mean knowing how to uninstall it.

Put a bucket under the work every time

Tips on How to Deep Clean a Garbage Disposal

If you DO take your garbage disposal out to clean everything thoroughly, it can help. And that’s especially the case if there’s a lot of buildup, be it food debris or particles or lingering odors that have not been eliminated by routine cleaning.

Here is a comprehensive guide on deep-cleaning garbage disposal after you remove it.

Materials needed:

• Bucket
• A screwdriver or wrench (appropriate to your disposal model)
• Dish soap
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Small scrub brush, or an old toothbrush
• Toothpicks or small brush for crevices
• Towels or rags
• Rubber gloves

Here is an easy step-by-step guide to deep-cleansing a garbage disposal.

(As with everything) Turn off the power – unplug the disposal.

Unhook the disposal from under the sink drain – As with taking apart a drain trap, there’s no reassembly (and no leaks forevermore) without doing this in stages. Take out the disposal if you can prior to setting your bucket here to catch slime spillage Remove the disposer. Unscrew and disconnect drainpipes and dishwasher lines with a wrench or screwdriver. If you then turn the garbage disposal, it will come out of the mounting ring.

Remove everything from the garbage disposal – Remove all food or debris that you can easily reach with your hands, grabbing out of the sink and storing in a bucket (not down the sink; you disconnected the drain!). Flush the disposal with warm water from another sink (again, remember you disconnected the drain!).

How to clean garbage disposal by deep-cleaning – With a screwdriver, remove any detachable parts like the impellers, rubber splash guards and so on. Leave them to soak in a bucket of warm soapy water for about 20 minutes or until any grease or food particles break down. Get into the small areas and crevices with a small brush or toothbrush, as well as toothpicks, for a good deep cleaning.

Deodorize the entire unit – Knowing how to clean a garbage disposal properly means knowing how to deodorize it properly too. Put in a generous amount of baking soda into the disposal and coat with vinegar. The foam action will dissolve any remaining gunk and grime, as well as deodorize the device. Then just rinse the unit out.

Clean Around Where the Unit Was Mounted – Check and clean the sink flange and gaskets. You’re halfway there, do the makeup!

Reassemble, Reinstall and Test – The last and crucial final how to clean a garbage disposal properly steps are reassembling the unit, and reinstalling it. Hook power back up and give it a try.

How to clean your garbage disposal – Remove drain, drain and twist out.

Disconnect the power, every hose and drain, and a turn or two of a wrench frees it from its coupling flange

Final Thoughts

When you’re cleaning a garbage disposal, you want to be thorough, so for the best clean. Learning how to clean a garbage disposal should involve following these methods:

• When cleaning a garbage disposal, always turn the water on while you run it and be sure there is water both before and after you have cleaned for at least 30 seconds.
• You can put small bones in your garbage disposal; they will shake around and cause friction that could dislodge whatever is blocking the flow of your disposal.
• Citrus, citrus, citrus can be a life saver! Lemons, limes and oranges can banish odors and sanitize your garbage disposal.
• The toothbrush is also suitable for cleaning in unreachable places. A rubber seal in your garbage disposal is possibly the source of the unpleasant smell. Make sure to scrub the shit out of it with a toothbrush.
• All of these are really simple tips, but they could go along way when it comes to cleaning out a garbage disposal.

Tips for Cleaning Your Disposal

Discovering your garbage disposal is clogged or smelly is going to make you want to clean it out right away, after all, who wants a non-functioning garbage disposal!

You’re probably better at selecting a home remedy to clean your garbage disposal by now, but do keep in mind the following things before jumping to do it yourself:

Safety Should Always Come First

Learning how to clean a garbage disposal is knowing safety always comes first. Garbage disposals can grind up more than just garbage and food scraps. Always play it safe when cleaning a garbage disposal.

Do not stick your hands in the disposal when it is running, and avoid using dangerous chemicals to clean it. Safety first and be smart while cleaning or unclogging your garbage disposal. The best advice for safe practices is often to just unplug the power before you attempt a cleaning task.

Always Participate in Routine Maintenance

Don’t wait until your garbage disposal is smelly or broken to start cleaning it. Regularly clean your waste disposal to ensure that the accumulated dirt and sludge won’t develop into potential odors or clogs later on. You’ll thank yourself later if you put in the effort to avoid these same problems.

Sometimes drizzling boiling water down the disposal can not only clean away buildup, but also help to kill fruit flies that may have taken up residence in your drains.

Know When the Pros Are Needed

Which isn’t so much of a hard fact – we’d like to believe that any clogged disposal can be repaired by us, but in some cases no one can repair your garbage disposal unless you’re calling for help. If the issues appear to be beyond tending, it might be best for you to seek professional assistance.

Need Professional Garbage Disposal Cleaning Advice? Call Day & Night Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling

We’ve revealed some methods that will allow even renters to regularly clean their garbage disposal.

But if you think it is too clogged up or stinky for mucking with yourself, then just call Day & Night Plumbing Heating and Cooling for help. We put in the effort to clear and unclog your garbage disposal so you don’t have to.

No matter what your sewage and drain cleaning needs are, we’re here to help you with the problem at hand. Contact us for more details today!