How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal

Does your kitchen have a strange smell you just can’t seem to get rid of, no matter how often you clean? Garbage disposals can be home to bacteria, mold, and rotting food — needless to say, it can get pretty smelly pretty fast.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to clean your garbage disposal, the experts at Mr. Rooter of Southeast WI are sharing their tips for a happy, healthy kitchen.

Cleaning and Sanitizing Your Kitchen Sink’s Garbage Disposal

A clean garbage disposal not only keeps your kitchen smelling fresh, but it can also lower your chances of contaminating food or having fruit flies (a.k.a. sink flies).

Clean your garbage disposal this week by:

1. Turning off the disposal and faucet.
2. Pour 1 tablespoon of baking soda, three thin slices of lemon, and 1 teaspoon of bleach into your disposal.
3. Turn just the disposal on and let it run for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. After a few minutes, turn the cold water on for 30 seconds while the disposal continues to run.

And while it may be tempting to throw ice cubes down the disposal, as suggested by many sites, we strongly advise against this. Ice cubes do very little in terms of cleaning your disposal. In reality, all they’ll do is dull your blades and make it harder for your disposal to effectively eliminate food particles in the future.

Mr. Rooter Plumbing has been assisting homeowners with their plumbing issues for decades, and our expertise is unmatched! To learn more, give us a call at (262) 320-4822 or fill out our form!