Something that keeps off the garbage from messing the corners of your house unfortunately cannot be always clean. Garbage disposals are very convenient and useful. But with usage and time, the garbage disposals become smelly. Sometimes, it is because of some garbage stuck in the pipe or the growth of bacteria from dirt. You might not face this problem frequently but ignoring the little odor for long can make it more and more smelly everyday and eventually you will have to take care of it. At times, the smell is so bad that you can’t bear it. Hence, to avoid troubling yourself and your guests, use the below-mentioned tricks to keep your garbage disposal clean and odor-free and that too with minimum efforts.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Resources Required:
- Ice Cubes
- Baking Soda (1/4 cup)
- Rock Salt (1 cup)
- Lemon (1 pc)
- Scrub Brush
- Rubber Gloves
Instructions:
1. Put on cleaning gloves
Wear cleaning gloves, preferably rubber gloves, before you start the process. Help yourself to stay away from the dirt. Run down any remaining food material and clear the sink.
2. Turn off the garbage disposal
Before using your hands, switch off your garbage disposal and remove the cable from the mains. Just check if there is any piece of plastic or any foreign material stuck inside the disposal. You can also use a pair of tongs to remove any object stuck in the machine. This might be causing the bacteria to grow which is the cause of bad odor. Remove if any.
3. Fill the disposal with ice cubes
Fill your garbage disposal with ice cubes. Add 1/4 cup baking powder and 1 cup of rock salt and run water until the ice cubes are crushed and cleared through the machine. The baking soda is to neutralize the odor and the rock salt will help to wash away any dirt on the metal parts of the machine. This will clean the disposal inside out.
4. Scrub away the dirt
Baking powder cleans the disposal pipe but if some dirt is still visible on the outside, it has to be removed with a little force. Remove the screen and manually scrub away any dirt using a scrub brush. Replace the screen.
5. Use a citrus fruit
Citrus fruits are very effective in fighting the bad odor coming from garbage. Slice a lemon into cubes and run them through the machine. This will give an odor-free freshness to the disposal. Alternatively, you can also use any other citrus fruit that smells best to you.
Frequently Asked Question:
How to keep your garbage disposal clean?
Do not leave food overnight in the garbage disposal. This is the first reason of the odor. Run down 1/4 baking soda in ice and salt through the disposal twice a month to keep it clean. A sliced lemon can keep the odor away. Using it once a week will be sufficient.
Quick Tips:
- Citrus fruit is very effective in removing the odor, preferably lemon. You can frequently use a lemon to make your garbage disposal always smell good.
- Avoid putting starchy food into the disposal. It forms glue that might damage the machine in the long run.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Make sure you turn off the power and remove the cable before removing any stuck plastic.
- Avoid putting your hands in the disposal. Use tongs to remove anything stuck in the garbage disposal. Your safety is more important.
