How To Clean a Garbage Disposal
The magic of your garbage disposal can make it appear as though your leftovers have been flushed down the drain without a trace. However, as time goes on, food particles accumulate and eventually cause your sink to have an unpleasant odor. There is a straightforward treatment that just requires basic things, most of which you most likely already have in your kitchen. Here is how to clean your garbage disposal when smells start coming from it, as well as basic best practices for everyday use that will help keep odors at bay until you can clean it properly:Turn Off The Power Source.
The first and most important step in cleaning your garbage disposal is to turn off the power that supplies it. If you do not follow these instructions, a mundane activity around the house could become a terrifying scene! Either pull the plug, which is normally linked to an outlet under the sink, or switch off the electricity at the breaker box to disconnect the power. Pulling the plug will disconnect the power. Before you begin cleaning the garbage disposal, you should always perform a last check to ensure that the appropriate circuit has been unplugged by attempting to turn it on.Be Sure To Clean The Baffle.
If you want to, you can put on some rubber gloves. Sponge an abrasive kitchen scouring pad with dishwashing liquid. After that, give the area under the disposal baffle and all around the drain a thorough scrubbing, ensuring to get into all the creases and grooves. To get the dirt out of the sponge, rinse it multiple times.Clean Up Any Visible Food Particles.
While the splash guard is being removed from the disposal, shine a flashlight inside the disposal to search for any food scraps that may be escaping the grinder. You can use pliers or tongs to reach into the disposal and retrieve the food scraps. Under no circumstances should you attempt to complete this task with your fingers, as the blades, even when stationary, are extremely sharp.Ensure that the Grinding Chamber is Spotless.
Scrub the top of the grinding chamber with the soapy sponge . Once more, make sure to rinse the sponge frequently. Repeat the process until the sponge no longer picks up any muck, and the surfaces of the disposal feel clean. If your disposal only requires a superficial cleaning at this point, you can stop here. Continue on to the next step, however, if you wish to clean a stinky garbage disposal, drain, and trap, or if it's been a while since you've cleaned it and it's been a while since you've cleaned it.Pour In Baking Soda And Vinegar.
Put one cup of vinegar and half a cup of baking soda into the garbage disposal. Turn it on. Allow the mixture to bubble for about a quarter of an hour. The method results in the death of bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli, due to the solution's acidity. You should only use natural cleaning and avoid hazardous chemicals in this situation. The cleanliness of your kitchen sink may be jeopardized if a chemical, in the same way, that germs may fly out of the disposal and contaminate it, comes flying out.Grind Up Ice And Salt
After reinstalling the splash guard and reconnecting the power, put two cups of ice at the disposal. This will help clean the disposal blades and break up any buildup that may have occurred. Ice cubes and salt, preferably rock salt, can be combined to create a vigorous scrub that eliminates unpleasant scents while removing gummy, sticky, or stuck-on food particles. Ice cubes and salt are very effective at removing moldy odors.Scent It With Lemon Peels
Peels from citrus fruits are an excellent alternative that may be used to spruce up the garbage disposal. Prepare the cocktail by chopping a few limes, lemons, oranges, and other citrus fruits and components. Put the whole handful of peels in the grinder and work your way through just a few strips at a time. Enjoy the tangy aromas of the citrus fruits while you wash away the gunk that the peels have accumulated using cold water.
General Usage Tips
Make sure that the garbage disposal is run with water at all times, including before, during, and after the process of grinding food. This will help prevent the buildup of muck and odors. Food particles that haven't completely passed down the disposal or drainpipes might frequently be the source of aromas from the sink. Even though you can't see it, you most likely can smell it.Run ice-cold water through the sink before turning on the garbage disposal to grind food, and continue to do so for approximately seven seconds after you hear the food being ground. After the disposal has processed the food, it can make its way through the pipes thanks to these three stages of water flow. Garbage disposals don't require much maintenance beyond their correct operation and the periodic cleaning of the blades. However, if you are careful about the kinds of foods you put into the disposal, you can extend the life of the disposal beyond the eight to ten years that is considered to be its usual lifespan.
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