If you start to smell an odd scent coming from the vicinity of your kitchen, there are a lot of places to check. It could be the garbage, or perhaps something that’s overstayed its welcome in your fridge. However, one of the worst problems is when the smell is actually from your garbage disposal.
This can be a tricky area to clean, and no one wants to reach their hands down into the drain. However, there are plenty of ways that you can clean the garbage disposal area with minimal effort. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
Turning off the garbage disposal
Sometimes, if you need to clear something out of the garbage disposal, it will actually require you to reach down there with tongs or something of the sort. In this case, it’s always best to make sure that your garbage disposal is completely turned off. Those blades can be sharp, and very dangerous. In order to turn it off, you have several options. Some models allow you to turn it off using a small switch on the unit itself. Others allow you to unplug it from its power source, thus ensuring that it won’t turn on unexpectedly. And in some cases, it’s best to turn off the circuit breaker where the garbage disposal is. In any case, turning off the motor first is an essential step if you have to reach anything at all down there. Make sure that you test it by trying to turn on the garbage disposal before reaching anything down in there.
Cleaning the blades and freshening the drain
Fortunately, most of the time you really don’t need to reach down into the drain in order to effectively clean the area. Certain items, when you send them down in garbage disposal, can scrub the blades and scour the area in order to reduce buildup. Try them out!
- Ice will be easily chopped up by your blades, and in the process, it will remove debris. You can also add some rock salt to this mixture to get the smaller bits and pieces.
- Citrus peels are also a good way to scrub the blades, and they’ll also add a welcome citrus odor to the area. So, next time you squeeze a lemon for its juice, drop the rinds down the sink.
- Egg shells are also something that can be useful to send down the garbage disposal. Their natural abrasion can scrub and sharpen blades.
- Baking soda and vinegar is another helpful technique. Pour some baking soda down the drain, and then add a little vinegar. The mixture will foam, and help to break down any scum or debris that is lingering in the garbage disposal. After 5-10 minutes of letting it sit, rinse it all down.
