How to clean a garbage disposal

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I have a few tips to keep your garbage disposal clean and smelling good.

One solution is to run the unit longer with cold water running at full pressure. When you use the disposal to grind up food scraps, it is chopped into a mush that can stick to the sides of the garbage disposal. If you don't allow the unit to run long enough, this food gets caught  and starts to decay, causing odor. Over time it can create a build up that is difficult to remove.

When you are doing dishes, plug the drain above the garbage disposal and let it fill with water and soap. When you drain the sink, turn on the unit so the soap can loosen built up debris.

You should grind ice cubes a couple times a month in the disposal to clean off the blades and remove debris. A great tip is to freeze some white vinegar in your ice cube trays and grind them up in the unit. This will clean and deodorize the disposer.

Grinding up small chicken and fish bones will also create a scouring action that cleans off the blades and the inside walls of the unit.

Grinding lemon and orange peels will also remove some odors and the acid in the fruit kills some odor causing bacteria.

If you use baking soda to remove odors in your refrigerator, you should dump the container into the garbage disposal, add a cup of white vinegar and turn on the unit for a few seconds. Turn it off as it starts to fizz up and let it set for 30 minutes. This is an excellent all natural way to clean and deodorize.

Vinegar makes a great cleaner

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For household cleaning, plain white vinegar does a good job as an all natural safe cleaner and deodorizer. You can use it on almost any surface and it is very economical.

White vinegar used in a 100% solution will do an excellent job in bathrooms and kitchens. It will break down most stains, including soap scum, grime and most strains of mold and mildew. Put the vinegar in a spray bottle and spray on all the surfaces you want to clean and let it set for 15 minutes. You can also soak dirty shower heads in vinegar.

For pet stains, first blot up the stain with water. Then using a 50-50 mix of water and vinegar, blot the stain. Allow it to sit and then blot it again. If there is a stain, you can mix a little baking soda and mist with your vinegar solution. The chemical reaction will help lift most stains. If you are concerned about your carpet color, test the vinegar solution in an inconspicuous spot.
A water and vinegar solution is safe on most surfaces, you have to avoid stone like marble and travertine.

For the microwave, put a 50% water and vinegar solution in a microwave bowl and heat for 5 minutes. The steam will loosen and clean the inside of the microwave.
For cleaning laminate floors, mix a spray bottle with 25% vinegar and water. Mist your floor and let it set for a few minutes. This mixture will break down almost anything you can track in on your floors. It will also clean without leaving water spots.

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