Simple Ways To Clean A Smelly Garbage Disposal

young woman covering her nose with her hand and holding a garbage bag

Simple Ways To Clean A Smelly Garbage Disposal

By : Angelina
Garbage disposals are among the most common hiding places for illness-causing bacteria, viruses and germs. These fixtures accumulate dirt, soap scum, raw food, grime, grease and other physical contaminants. Plus, the drains remain moist and dark, making them the ideal breeding spaces for salmonella, E. coli, staph, etc. Therefore, the risk of family members contracting food poisoning increases when the garbage disposal in your kitchen is dirty, and you don’t clean it regularly. Tenants moving out of a rental property can lose their bond due to an unclean kitchen and fixtures. Therefore, you should hire professional end of lease cleaners in Canberra to sanitise your rental property adequately and guarantee you get a complete bond refund. For general cleaning and maintenance of the sink drain in your kitchen, here are simple ways to clean smelly and dirty garage disposal. Have a look.

Bleach The Rubber Stopper

Rubber lids, stoppers and seals are hard to clean and develop a biofilm of bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses and a foul odour. Therefore, it is crucial you clean and disinfectant the rubber stopper of the garbage disposal regularly to keep it from smelling bad.
  • Take out the equipment and wash it with soap and warm water. Scrub the crevices with a firm bristled brush before rinsing with warm water.
  • Saturate the stopper in a 50% bleach and 50% water solution for 10 minutes at least to kill the disease-causing germs.

Using Baking Soda and Vinegar

You can buy a commercial drain cleaner for garbage disposal, but most of these products contain corrosive elements and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chemicals pollute indoor air and cause asthma, allergies and respiratory complications, which is why you should clean with natural ingredients. Here is how you can use cleaning vinegar (6% acidity), baking soda and water to deep clean your garbage disposal.
  • Turn on the disposal and pour hot water to get rid of food bits, grime and gunk.
  • Pour a cup of baking soda and let it dwell for 15-30 minutes
  • Over the powder, pour a cup of cleaning vinegar
  • Wait until the fizzling stops then wash everything with hot water again.
Green end of lease cleaners in Canberra often use natural and organic cleaning agents to deep clean homes without toxic products. Using this method, you can safely sanitise the blades, grind ring, and other disposal components and keep it odour-free. Since vinegar dissolves grime, soap scum, mineral deposits etc., and baking soda deodorises surfaces, both these ingredients are suitable for cleaning garbage disposals and increase their shelf life.

Degrease with Vinegar and Lemon Cubes

When you don’t clean the garbage disposal regularly, it is hard to deep clean due to build-up, hard water deposits and grime. Therefore, you should regularly sanitise the fixture with white vinegar and lemon cubes. Follow these steps to make the cubes and use them.
  • Fill an ice tray with vinegar and place one or two wedges of lemon in each section.
  • Freeze these ingredients overnight
  • Take out two or three cubes and put them in the disposal to remove grime and gunk.
  • Before putting the cubes in the equipment, turn on the water and the disposal.
  • Use the cubes to sanitise and deodorise the disposal every few days.
  • Store the remaining cubes in a ziplock and make more whenever necessary.
The cubes will help sharpen the blades of the disposal and keep it from smelling bad. Clean with the cubes at night after washing the dishes and cleaning the sink to get the best results.

Sanitise With Baking Soda Paste

Baking soda is an excellent cleaning agent that removes rust, grime and smells. It is perfect for naturally sanitising almost any surface, object, or fixture because it’s mildly abrasive, a non-toxic deodoriser, and a potent degreaser. To clean your garbage disposal with baking soda:
  • Mix the powder in a bowl with one-two teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and water.
  • Make a runny paste and apply it liberally on the rubber stopper and the disposal with the help of a drain cleaning brush.
  • Turn on the disposal for a minute and pour the remaining cleaning paste into the equipment to coat the inner components as well.
  • Let the paste dwell for 20 minutes before scrubbing with the brush and wash with hot water. Make sure to turn off the disposal when scrubbing and only turn it on when rinsing.
Baking soda will eliminate any bad smells coming from the equipment and keep it fresh longer. Also, it is readily available and economical, making it a good alternative for many commercial cleaners. Green end of lease cleaners often get organic cleaning products because they are safe and easy to use.

Endnote

Often people neglect cleaning the garbage disposal until it becomes extremely grimy and smelly. A dirty disposal is a serious health hazard because various illness-causing bacteria and pathogens grow in it. Also, tenants can lose their bond if it is heavily soiled and stops working due to inadequate cleaning. Therefore, you should hire professional end of lease cleaners in Canberra to deep clean your kitchen, its fixtures, and other areas of the rental property. For maintaining regular sanitation and prevent bad smells from the equipment, use the simple ways mentioned above to clean smelly garbage disposal.