Here are five steps you can take according to the Affordable Service team to safely clean your garbage disposal. After continued use, the residue and food particles left behind causes an unpleasant smell to your garbage disposal. When this happens, it should be a red flag that your disposal unit needs some cleaning. You don’t necessarily need to invest in special products or seek help from expert technicians to get the job done. You can get your disposal back to normal and have it clean and smelling fresh with the basic items you already have in your kitchen. 

Power Off the Unit

The fundamental rule that expert technicians advise anyone planning to clean the disposal is to disconnect the power source. This is usually located in the wall under your sink. If you fail to locate it, consider cutting the electricity to the circuit where your disposal unit is powered. Don’t forget to confirm that the unit is turned off by turning on the disposal.

Check for Residue

Use a flashlight to point down the drain to identify items that may be wound around or lodged in the bin causing an unpleasant smell. Look out for things such as vegetable fibers, aluminum can pull tabs, and bottle caps. If you find any of these items, make sure that you remove them with tongs and needle-nose pliers.

Pour Salt and Ice-Cubes

While this trick may sound strange to some homeowners, pouring salt and ice cubes down the drain is something that works well at removing sludge and debris around the blades and inner walls of your disposal unit. Add one cup of salt and two cups of ice cubes into your disposal unit then turn it on. Make sure that there’s running water at the same time.

Scrub Scrub Scrub

Scrub inside your disposal unit using a scrub brush or old toothbrush. Make sure you remove the screen from the drain, which should make it easier to see and clean the unit. If you need additional cleaning agents, you may want to consider adding baking soda or vinegar.

Use Citrus Fruit Peels

Using citrus peels is a simple, natural way to leave your garbage disposal and kitchen smelling great. Any citrus fruit (lime, grapefruit, lemon, and orange) works just fine.

As you can see, there are quite a few ways to ensure you have a clean and fresh garbage disposal. It’s always important to consider safety first when doing any type of home project. For your plumbing issues, reach out to the team at Affordable Service! Our expert technicians are available 24/7!