Tips and Tricks for a Fresh and Efficient Kitchen

Your garbage disposal makes cleaning up after meals faster and easier. However, learning to keep a clean garbage disposal becomes a crucial household task once you rely on it. Allowing it to gunk up inside can affect its performance as well as leave lingering odors in your kitchen. Use this guide to learn how to clean a garbage disposal and keep the device running efficiently.

Clean the Garbage Disposal with Care

Once you unplug the power source from the garbage disposal unit, check to ensure the circuit breaker for that area is off. This ensures that you won’t be harmed even if you need to use your hand to clean the unit. Wear thick rubber or latex gloves, keep a flashlight nearby to look down the drain, and make sure there aren’t any large items clogging up the drain.

Use Pliers and Tools

If you see debris in the drain pipe that you think can be pulled out, always use pliers or tongs. Grip firmly but gently and don’t apply too much force, which may cause damage to the pipes or valves. Remove all removable parts carefully, clean them thoroughly with a mild disinfectant, and put them back in, ensuring they fit properly.

Don’t Use Harsh Chemicals

You might think chemicals would clear all residual debris away, but they can cause the drain and pipes to degrade over time, weakening your plumbing system.

• Sprinkle a half-cup of baking soda into the opening of the garbage disposal. Pour in a cup of white vinegar and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Turn on the garbage disposal and allow hot water to rinse away the mixture.
• As an alternative, use chopped citrus peels. Cut up a handful of peelings from a lemon, lime, or orange, and feed the peels through the grinder a few strips at a time while running the cold-water tap.

A garbage disposal helps us keep our kitchens tidy and clean, but it does require maintenance every now and then. At Water Doctor of Washington, we treat each of our customers with respect and kindness in addition to providing the best plumbing service available. If you’re experiencing a home plumbing problem, or would like to have your garbage disposal replaced, give us a call.