Garbage disposals are handy machines that have made cleaning leftovers a breeze in the kitchen. With so many models in the market now, the technology of these machines is always bettering. However, although garbage disposals help clean our kitchen, they don’t receive quite the same amount of cleaning attention themselves. That’s probably because most homeowners tend to forget to maintain their garbage disposals on a regular basis and only consider cleaning it when it becomes smelly. Another reason why garbage disposal cleaning is often left neglected is because they have always had an image of being a dangerous machine. That’s true – it can cause injury if you’re not careful enough but that doesn’t mean that you don’t clean it at all.
The good news is that garbage disposal cleaning is fairly simple. You don’t need any fancy tools or expensive cleaning agents for the job. With some careful attention and household cleaners, you can get your garbage disposal fresh and odor-less in no time!
If left unattended for a long time, dirty garbage disposals can eliminate an offensive smell that could diffuse across your kitchen. What’s more, you might notice the machine becoming less effective in function as well.
To properly clean the garbage disposal, you’ll need to know how to wash its body and its rubber flange as well. Before you begin, keep in mind that the electric supply to the machine is cut off to avoid any injuries. Garbage disposals are also equipped with sharp blades so it’s important to be careful when cleaning the sharp parts.
Cleaning the Body of the Garbage Disposal
To clean the inside and out of your garbage disposal machine, all you’ll need are two cups of ice, a cup of rock salt and some lemons cut in half. The ice and salt help to scrub the inside of the machine while the lemon acts as a deodorizing agent.
Start with filling the drain with two cups of ice and begin pouring the rock salt over them. Turn the water tap. Cold water is the water you should be using. Keep the tap on until all the ice has melted and rinsed into the drain pipe. Simultaneously, run the disposal as well so it sucks in all the ice and rock salt.
Next, drop quarters of the lemon you’ve cut into the disposal one by one. Turn the machine off once all the lemon has been taken up by the garbage disposal. Do let cold water run through the disposal for about a minute before turning the machine off.
Cleaning the Rubber Flange or the Splash Guard
Another important element to cleaning your garbage disposal is washing the splash guard on a monthly basis. This is important because the splash guard or the rubber flange is constantly exposed to your food debris and needs to be cleaned frequently to maintain its function. Cleaning the rubber flange is easy. You’ll need to have your gloves on, a toothbrush at hand and dishwashing liquid.
Take a bowl and pour in hot water and dishwashing liquid in it to form a solution. With your gloves on, lift the rubber flange up one at a time and with the help of an old toothbrush scrub the guard with the soapy mixture you’ve prepared in the bowl. It’s important that you wash and rinse the brush every time you scrub so that you’re actually cleaning and not simply spreading the dirt around.
Scrub both sides of the splash guard and rinse them with plain warm water.
Maintaining your Garbage Disposal
We’ve talked about how to clean a dirty garbage disposal but equally important is to know how to maintain the cleanliness of this machine on an everyday basis. This will save you from deep cleaning for a long time and you’ll have a garbage disposal that works effectively. You can maintain the cleanliness of your garbage disposal with dishwashing liquid every day.
Simply squirt in some drops of the dishwashing liquid into your garbage disposal and run the machine with the cold water on. Run the cold water for about a minute and then turn the disposal off. You’d want to run the cold water for another half a minute before turning it off as well.
You should also be aware of the items that you can’t dispose in your home garbage disposal. Some of these include banana peels, egg shells, pastas, coffee grounds, fish bones or any other bones etc. Do go over the manufacturer’s instructions to know exactly what you can’t throw in your garbage disposal machine.
Cleaning a garbage disposal is fairly easy if you don’t leave it ignored for a long time. If you’re looking for an expert to do it for you and help you with other house cleaning chores, look no further. Dashing Maids provides professional house cleaning services in the Denver metro area. We are but a phone call away and our team of professional cleaners will ensure your house is spotless.
