Your kitchen garbage disposal is one of the most forgotten (aka ignored) parts of the kitchen when it comes to cleaning. Regardless of how it often it is used. For me, it’s one of those easy-to-forget areas because for the most part it’s out of sight, and therefore, out of mind. Until it begins to stink, that is. Today I’m sharing some simple tips on how to clean your kitchen disposal as well as the one quickest and easiest things I do to keep mine clean.
As a brand ambassador for Arm & Hammer, I received products and compensation in exchange for this post. Regardless, all opinions expressed are my own. Today’s post, featuring how to clean your kitchen disposal is sponsored by Arm and Hammer.
Why Clean the Kitchen Disposal
While it is not something anyone looks forward to doing, I can think of four great reasons as to why you need to clean your kitchen disposal on a regular basis.
1. It Helps Prevent Clogs and Slow Draining
First off, cleaning your kitchen disposal on a regular basis goes a long way towards preventing clogs. Over time the gunk that is left over from running food through the disposal builds up. This gunk will eventually cause your sink to drain slowly, and in some cases, it will even stop the sink from draining at all. And, if you have a divided sink, both sides will be affected.
2. Helps Ward Off Nasty Smells
A second reason to clean your kitchen disposal is to prevent nasty smells. Have you ever been washing dishes or rinsing your hands in the kitchen sink when you catch of a whiff of something that smells like a restaurant dumpster? If so, that’s a sure sign that your disposal and drain need a good cleaning. That bad smell is caused by food particles, bacteria, and debris. The dark, moist environment inside the disposal is the ideal breeding ground for smelly bacteria.
3. Prevents Bugs
Nothing attracts insects – especially fruit flies and roaches – like old, smelly food. Fruit flies especially like to hang out and reproduce on the bottom side of the gasket (the black rubber part with flaps that you push food down through). Yuck! When you clean your kitchen disposal you help prevent bugs from coming to visit.
4. Keeps Your Disposal In Good Condition
Another great reason to clean your kitchen disposal is to keep it in top condition. Just like any appliance, in order to keep your disposal in good, working order, you need to care for it. Neglect it, and you’re running the risk of damaging it.
With the occasional deep clean and then a few minutes of regular ‘light’ cleaning, you can control icky odors, prevent pests, and keep your kitchen disposal in good, working order. Here’s how.
How Do You Clean A Kitchen Disposal?
Although most disposals do a good job of cleaning themselves, over time a yucky, smelly, slimy gunk will build up on the areas that don’t get cleaned by the disposal’s grinding action. This includes the rubber baffle at the drain opening and the top of the grinding chamber.
Unfortunately, the only thing that will get rid of or prevent that goop is the occasional deep clean along with some regular, light ‘preventative’ cleaning. Luckily, I’ve found a super easy cleaning hack that keeps my disposal nice and clean and smelling fine!
How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen Disposal
But before I share my super easy, weekly 3-step kitchen disposal cleaning hack, I definitely recommend giving your disposal a thorough deep clean first. Especially if you haven’t done so before.
To do this, you will need to following:
- sponge with an abrasive side
- dishwashing soap
You can then deep clean your disposal in just a few steps.
- Turn Off Power to the Disposal – Do this by either unplugging the disposal from the outlet under the sink, or by turning off the disposal’s breaker in your home’s breaker box. Safety first!
- Clean the Baffle – Put some dish soap on the abrasive sponge and thoroughly scrub the top and bottom of the baffle, making sure to get into all of the folds and creases. Be sure to rinse the sponge frequently to remove all the yucky gunk.
- Clean the Grinding Chamber – Scrub around the top part of the grinding chamber with the soapy sponge, again rinsing the sponge frequently. Keep cleaning until the sponge no longer removes any gunk.
Hack – Cleaning Your Kitchen Disposal in 3 Simple Steps
Once you get the deep clean done, the hard work is over. And, you can keep your disposal clean and working correctly in 1 quick, easy, and affordable way: by using Arm and Hammer Garbage Disposal Cleaner!
Arm and Hammer Garbage Disposal uses the cleaning power of baking soda, and the odor-fighting power of citrus to keep your kitchen disposal clean and smelling fresh. Without the use of harsh cleaning chemicals that can damage the disposal’s working parts.
All it takes is 3 quick and simple steps:
- Prep – Run the disposal and water for one minute.
- Ready – Turn off the disposal and reduce the flow of water to a slow stream.
- Drop – Drop a capsule into the disposal and turn it back on for 15 seconds.
And that’s it! Your kitchen garbage disposal is cleaned.
I like the Arm and Hammer Garbage Disposal Cleaner so much so that it has become part of my regular lineup in my cleaning of my kitchen and home! You can find it on Amazon.
How Often Should I Clean My Disposal?
How often you should clean your kitchen disposal really depends on how often you use it, how much food you put down it, and whether or not you use Arm and Hammer Garbage Disposal Cleaner.
Arm and Hammer Garbage Disposal Cleaner capsules can be used twice a week or more as needed. Since it is just me and my husband, I use them once every 7 to 10 days, and my disposal works great and smells good, too. The citrus scent will fade within a week, but I no longer notice any foul smells. Plus my sink drains quickly, and I’ve had zero problems with clogs.
As for deep cleanings, I’ve reduced those to once every 3 to 4 months.
If you use your disposal heavily and put a good amount of food down it, then I would think that together with the Arm and Hammer Disposal Cleaner, a deep clean once every 2 to 3 months should be plenty.
Where Can I Buy Arm and Hammer Disposal Cleaner?
Arm and Hammer Disposal Cleaner can be found pretty much wherever you buy your other cleaning products. I buy mine online at Amazon.