Garbage disposal units are designed to clean themselves by breaking down food debris and draining them out of the unit via the discharge pipe. This built-in cleaning mechanism keeps the interior chamber of the disposal in great shape.
However, over time a sticky and oily buildup may form on the walls of the chamber and underneath the rubber stopper that covers the drain opening. These are the areas where the disposal’s grinder doesn’t reach and where stinky clogs can form.
Cleaning your garbage disposal every once in a week can keep your garbage disposal clean, healthy, and working smoothly. Here’s what you need to need to do for a weekly garbage disposal cleanup.
What You’ll Need
- An abrasive cleaning sponge
- Dish cleaning solution
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
Directions to Clean Your Garbage Disposal
- First off, turn off the power to make your garbage disposal doesn’t start running accidentally while you’re cleaning. Even after turning off, make sure you keep your hand from the grinding teeth located at the bottom of the disposal chamber.
- Apply the dish cleaning solution to the abrasive sponge and start scrubbing thoroughly under the restrainer. Make sure you clean all the gunk and grime in every corner and keep rinsing the sponge frequently to get it rid of the gunk.
- Scrub the top area of the disposal’s chamber and keep washing the sponge after every swipe. Your garbage disposal should be clean and good to go at this point, but if you suspect it still smells or drains slowly, continue with the following steps.
- Add 1/2 cup of baking soda followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar into the unit.
- Cover the garbage disposal by placing a restrainer on the sink opening. The baking soda and vinegar solution will react and fizz up outside the disposal, and if the sink stopper isn’t covering the drain.
- After eight to ten minutes have passed, take off the sink stopper, turn on the garbage disposal, and run hot water into the drain.
- If you have two sink basins in your kitchen, use the same method for the other basin.
Though it’s best to keep your garbage disposal cleaned and well-maintained, we recommend hiring professionals to do the job. Our team of professional kitchen and bathroom plumbers at Pro Serve Plumbing is highly experienced with advanced plumbing techniques.
Give us a call today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about our services.
