A garbage disposal is a great kitchen appliance that most people claim they cannot live without. This kitchen appliance is great because it gets rid of unwanted food without smelling up your home. The only time it does start to smell is when you have no cleaned it in a long time or you have just put some old food down the disposal. In order to keep your garbage disposal clean and working just like new, you should know the methods of cleaning it. Besides keeping it clean so that it works well, it is also great to clean it on a regular basis so that it does not start to smell. You may not notice the smell at first, but after repeated use it will become more and more noticeable.
After many uses, your garbage disposal can become quite dirty. In fact, it may even start to grow bacteria and mold which is not good to have in your home, especially your kitchen here the food is. In order to keep your garbage disposal clean and working correctly, our residential plumbers here at Omaha Plumbing recommend that you clean it once a week. Just like you would wash your floors and vacuum, this should be added onto your list of things to clean each week. Here are a few different methods of cleaning your garbage disposal with products you most likely already have in your home.
The first method you will only need some baking soda, white vinegar, and a good amount of hot water. You will first want to pour a half cup of baking soda down your drain on top of the garbage disposal. You will then want to carefully pour a cup of white vinegar on top of that. Then you should plug the sink. If you happen to have a double sink you should try to plug both drains. This mixture will then start to fizz which might make a little noise. Let this work for a few minutes. You will then want to lift the drain plug and pout a teakettle full of hot water onto it to clean it all out.
The second method for cleaning your garbage disposal you will need a gallon of water and some chlorine bleach. You will want to mix one tablespoon of chlorine bleach with the gallon of water. You should then carefully pour this solution into the drain. You should let this solution sit for several minutes. Once you have done this you should run your cold water for a few minutes to clean out the chlorine.
The last method we would recommend just uses a handful of ice cubes and a few slices of a citrus fruit such as lemon, lime, or orange. You will want to put the handful of ice down the drain with a few slices of the fruit with the skin still attached. You should then run your disposal for a few minutes. Not only will this clean your disposal blades, but it will also make your home smell great.
If you need garbage disposal plumbing services call your local plumbing professionals.
