How to Clean Garbage Disposal Units and Get Rid of the Smell
Ice, a spoonful of baking soda and a few lemon slices, ground with cold water running, clean most garbage disposals in about five minutes. If you are learning how to clean garbage disposal units because the sink smells sour, the cause is usually food and grease stuck on the grinding parts and the rubber splash guard. Both spots are easy to reach once the power is off, and you only need things already in your kitchen. This guide covers how to clean garbage disposal parts safely, from a quick weekly refresh to a deep clean for a really bad smell.
Safety First: Cut the Power
The first rule of how to clean garbage disposal units safely is to never put your hand inside, even when the switch is off. Unplug the unit under the sink, or switch off its circuit breaker, before you clean anything you can touch. Use tongs or needle-nose pliers to pull out bones, bottle caps or anything else that should not be in there.
Grab rubber gloves, an old toothbrush, a cup of ice, baking soda and a lemon. You might also want white vinegar, coarse salt and dish soap. Nothing here costs much, which is part of what makes how to clean garbage disposal problems such a cheap fix.
Clean the Splash Guard First
The rubber flaps at the top of the drain, called the splash guard or baffle, are often the real source of the stink. Lift each flap with gloved fingers and scrub both sides with an old toothbrush, warm water and a drop of dish soap. Rinse with a little water and you may notice the smell is already gone.
Some models make this part even easier. InSinkErator says every disposal in its Evolution Series has a baffle that pulls out, so you can wash it in the sink. Skipping this step is the most common mistake people make in how to clean garbage disposal units, because the grime sits where the water never reaches.
How to Clean Garbage Disposal Units With Ice, Baking Soda and Lemon
Consumer Reports shared a method from Eric Schultz of InSinkErator that works well as a weekly routine. Keep the faucet and the disposal off while you load it.
- Drop six ice cubes into the disposal.
- Add one tablespoon of baking soda and three thin lemon slices.
- Top it with six more ice cubes.
- Turn on the cold water, then the disposal, and run both until the grinding stops.
- Let the cold water run for another 30 seconds to flush the drain.
The ice knocks food off the grinding parts, the baking soda scrubs and the lemon leaves a fresh scent. The original method also adds one teaspoon of bleach to kill odor-causing bacteria. Skip vinegar on any day you use bleach, because the two give off chlorine gas. Our guide on is it safe to mix bleach and vinegar explains why.
Baking Soda and Vinegar for a Deeper Clean
When the smell comes back quickly, the steps for how to clean garbage disposal buildup need a longer soak. Pour half a cup of baking soda into the drain, then add one cup of white vinegar. Let it fizz and sit for 10 to 15 minutes, which loosens film on the walls of the chamber.
Turn on the cold water and run the disposal for a minute to flush everything out. Repeat the soak once more if the odor lingers after the first round. This method uses no bleach at all, so it is a gentler choice for homes with small children.
Use Cold Water, Not Hot
Water temperature matters more than most people expect in how to clean garbage disposal units well. Always run cold water while the disposal is on. Cold water keeps fat solid, so the grinder chops it into pieces that wash away. Hot water melts grease, which then coats the pipes further down and hardens into a clog.
Hot water is fine for rinsing the sink after the disposal is off. If your drain is already slow, see our guide on how to unclog a bathroom sink, since many of the same plunger and drain tricks apply in the kitchen.
Myths and Things to Avoid
A popular claim says ice sharpens the blades. InSinkErator points out that its disposals do not have blades at all, only impellers that fling food against a grind ring. Ice still helps clean those parts, which is why it shows up in almost every guide on how to clean garbage disposal units.
Keep celery, coffee grounds, eggshells, grease and cooking oil out of the drain, since they cause most clogs and smells. Grind citrus peels only now and then, because too much acid over time may wear on some parts. Never pour chemical drain cleaners into a disposal unless the label says it is safe.
How Often to Clean It
The right schedule for how to clean garbage disposal units depends on how often you use yours. If you run the disposal every day, Consumer Reports suggests the ice method once a week. A quick splash guard scrub every week or two keeps the smell from building up in between. Light users can stretch it to every two weeks.
Running cold water for a few seconds after each use is the easiest habit to keep. For more kitchen jobs like this, browse our kitchen cleaning guides.
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FAQs
Why does my garbage disposal still smell after cleaning?
Check the underside of the splash guard and the drain trap, where grease and food often hide. If the smell still returns, a partial clog further down the pipe is the likely cause.
Can I put bleach down my garbage disposal?
A small amount, such as one teaspoon with ice, is part of the method InSinkErator shared with Consumer Reports. Never mix it with vinegar or other cleaners, and rinse well with cold water.
Is it safe to grind lemon peels in a disposal?
Yes, small pieces of citrus peel are fine and freshen the smell. Use them now and then rather than daily, and feed them in slowly with cold water running.
Should I use a commercial garbage disposal cleaner?
They work, but Eric Schultz of InSinkErator has said you do not need to spend money on them. Ice, baking soda and lemon do the same job for pennies, which is why most advice on how to clean garbage disposal units skips them.
Final Thoughts
A clean splash guard, a weekly round of ice and baking soda and cold water every time you run it keep most disposals fresh. Once you know how to clean garbage disposal parts this way, the sour kitchen smell rarely comes back.
