The best way to clean and maintain your garbage disposal
Key takeaways:
Do you smell that? No, it's not something you threw in the garbage in your kitchen or food that went bad in your refrigerator that’s stinking up your home. Before you spend too much time looking around for the culprit, look at your garbage disposal.
Garbage disposals have quickly become an important part of many household kitchens. In fact, according to a survey conducted by ConsumerReports.org, more than half of Americans live in homes with a garbage disposal, and of those who do have one, more than 60 percent said their disposal was already installed when they moved in.
Why are garbage disposals so popular in homes today? As you do the dishes, these handy appliances make it easy to scrape off leftover food and let the disposal take care of it, rather than constantly cleaning out the sink's drain cover.
Why clean your garbage disposal?
When garbage disposals malfunction, it can be frustrating for everyone involved. A clogged or broken disposal can make it difficult for the kitchen sink to drain properly, creating a breeding ground for harmful bacteria or mold.
Luckily, with a home warranty company like Cinch Home Services, you can get your garbage disposal back up and running fast. See, home warranties help cover repairs and replacements due to normal usage, offering peace of mind and potential savings on unexpected costs.
If you use your garbage disposal often, let's be proactive and do what we can to keep it in good shape. Here’s our comprehensive guide to cleaning and maintaining your garbage disposal.
Garbage disposal cleaning procedure
Step 1 – Disconnect the power
This is an important step to ensure that you avoid injury. You can disconnect the power by removing the plug, usually connected to an outlet under the sink or by completely turning off electricity via the breaker box. As a reminder, try to turn on the garbage disposal before you start cleaning. This will verify that you disconnected it properly.
Step 2 – Remove any visible food particles
A garbage disposal is a combination of several parts. However, before properly cleaning one, we must clear it of any food particles stuck inside. Using your garbage disposal daily makes it easy to understand how food and grease can get trapped. You can use a pair of pliers to get hard-to-reach parties that may be stuck inside. Remember that using tongs or something similar instead of your fingers is always best. After all, even though the power is off, the blades are still sharp and can slice open your fingers easily.
Step 3 - The ice-cube scrub
If you've mistakenly put oil, egg shells or any other food item that you shouldn’t in your garbage disposal, you may have heard about this popular cleaning method. First, if you removed any parts of the garbage disposal when you were cleaning it to remove large food particles, make sure you put it back together. Next, reconnect the power and pour in 2 cups of ice. Once the ice is in, add a cup of salt, run the cold water and turn on your garbage disposal. All you have to do is let the garbage disposal run until all the ice disappears.
Why is this effective?
The salt and ice work together as a scrub that clears food particles and kills bacteria.
Step 4 – Add baking soda and vinegar
This is another proven step that you can take to clean your garbage disposal.
- Pour half a cup of baking soda into the garbage disposal and let it sit for 30-45 minutes.
- Pour a cup of vinegar into the disposal. This will cause a chemical reaction and you’ll see bubbles in your sink.
- After 5 minutes, rinse with hot water from the tap.
Why is this effective?
The baking soda and vinegar react to deodorize and clean the garbage disposal.
Step 5 - Finish with citrus
There's nothing like the refreshing scent of citrus to make your kitchen smell new. This is the last (and probably the most fun) step of cleaning your garbage disposal. You can use lemon or orange peels for this step. Simply place the peel into the disposal, turn on cold water from your tap and hit the power button.
Why is this effective?
The disposal's blade slices up the peel, sharpening it and leaving it smelling great.
How often should you clean your garbage disposal?
If you use your garbage disposal daily, cleaning it 1-2 times monthly should suffice. However, every homeowner is different. So, if your disposal isn't functioning correctly, clean as often as needed.
How long do garbage disposals last?
Generally, garbage disposals last approximately 10 years with typical usage and proper maintenance.
Here are some helpful maintenance tips that may help you prolong the life of your garbage disposal:
- Make sure you run the disposal every few days. You don’t want the food canister that holds the food to get overly filled. You also don’t want the metal teeth inside to start rusting or deteriorating because they’re not being used. When you run it, turn on the cold water to help flush out food-waste particles.
- Don’t put anything down the disposal that shouldn’t be there. Being proactive and watching what you put in the disposal is an excellent example of preventive maintenance.
- If you get something tangled around the garbage disposal’s blades, follow the directions recommended by the manufacturer. You’ll likely have to turn the nut found at the bottom of your disposal to untangle it and then restart the system.
- If you do get a clog, don’t attempt to use commercial drain-clog remover, bleach or hot water. The chemicals can end up splashing up at you when you turn on the unit, and hot water can melt any fats in the food canister, which makes it harder to clean.
- Use the cleaning method we detailed above at least once a month to help keep your garbage disposal in tip-top shape.
If you’re not the type of person that has the time or energy to do repairs, then you might want to consider a home warranty plan that covers garbage disposals. These plans are tailored to help people save money on household items and their repairs.
What are some of the best garbage disposal cleaners?
Now that we’ve explained the steps you can take to clean your garbage disposal, we wanted to shed light on some of the top garbage disposal cleaning products on the market that you can use as well. Here’s our list:
Affresh
Affresh is one of the most popular brands of garbage disposal cleaners. These pods are known for foaming up a lot and leaving a garbage disposal extremely clean. You can buy them here; they usually come in three to a pack. It should also be noted that these tablets are made with safer chemicals for human health and the environment.
Glisten
Upgradedhome.com lists Glisten as its best overall garbage disposal cleaner. Known for its deep cleaning ability, Glisten biodegradable tabs reach deep into your disposal to clean your blades and eliminate that foul smell. You can purchase a 20-pack here.
Plink
Plink garbage refresher and cleaner gives you a lot of bang for your buck. According to customer reviews, it is one of the best-smelling cleaners and is also affordable. You can get 40 capsules for less than $20.
How does garbage disposal maintenance impact the environment?
Here’s some of the good:
- Reduces landfill waste: A garbage disposal unit can reduce the amount of organic waste in landfills by grinding food waste and sending it down the drain. This helps decrease the volume of waste in landfills, reducing methane emissions — a potent greenhouse gas produced by organic material decomposing anaerobically in landfills.
- Helps energy recovery: In some cities, wastewater treatment plants are equipped with systems that capture methane from decomposing food waste in sewage sludge, which can be used to generate renewable energy. This process turns food waste into a resource, offsetting some of the energy demands on the treatment plant.
What about the negative effects?
- Increased water usage: Garbage disposals require water to flush food waste down the drain. The more food waste processed through the disposal, the more water is used, potentially increasing household water consumption.
- More work for sewage facilities: Food waste entering the sewage system can increase the load on wastewater treatment plants. While some plants can handle this waste effectively, others may not be equipped to process the added organic material efficiently, leading to higher operational costs, increased energy consumption and additional strain on the system.
- May cause clogs and issues: If used improperly (e.g., disposing of fats, oils, grease, or large amounts of fibrous material), garbage disposals can cause blockages in household pipes or city sewage systems. This can lead to sewage overflows, contributing to water pollution and damage to aquatic ecosystems.
Get a plan from Cinch Home Services that covers garbage disposals
We hope our guide has provided you with some ideas for keeping your garbage disposal running effectively or getting it back up and running if you are experiencing issues. At Cinch Home Services, our Built-In Systems and our Complete Home plans* cover garbage disposals when they break down due to normal wear and tear.
Contact us if you have any questions about getting a home warranty plan and check out our other helpful homeowner guides.
*The product being offered is a service contract and is separate and distinct from any product or service warranty which may be provided by the home builder or manufacturer.
The information in this article is intended to provide guidance on the proper maintenance and care of systems and appliances in the home. Not all of the topics mentioned are covered by our home warranty or maintenance plans. Please review your home warranty contract carefully to understand your coverage.
Our blogs and articles may link to third-party sites that offer products, services, coaches, consultants, and/or experts. Any such link is provided for reference only and not intended as an endorsement or statement that the information provided by the other party is accurate. We are not compensated for any products or services purchased from these third-party links.