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Lemons and chemical drain cleaners like Drano aren’t the only way to clean a garbage disposal properly. Liquid dish soap, hot tap water and about a cup of ice cubes are enough to clear out the grime and odors that build up inside the unit.
Water rinses through a disposal every time it runs, so the machine stays relatively clean on its own. Still, greasy film and bits of food tend to cling to the inside over time, and they’re a common source of kitchen smells.
How do dish soap, hot water and ice clean a garbage disposal without lemons or Drano?
Grease is the toughest part of the buildup, and dish soap and hot water tackle it together. Soap contains surfactants, compounds that pull oil and dirt off surfaces so water can wash them away.
Any liquid dish soap will do, with or without fragrance. Stick with a liquid formula, though, since a large amount of powdered dishwasher detergent could cause a backup.
Ice handles the scrubbing. As the disposal breaks the cubes apart, the ice scours the grinding parts and pries loose food stuck to them.
A regular ice cleaning also protects the machine’s internal parts and keeps it running longer, Genelle Cochran said in comments to Wirecutter. Cochran is director of garbage disposal product management at GE Appliances.
How do you clean your garbage disposal properly, step by step?
The whole routine takes about five minutes. Keep the disposal switched off whenever anything goes into the drain.
- Empty the sink. Take out dishes, sponges and anything else in the basin. With the disposal off, look into the drain for hard scraps such as chicken bones or nuts. The unit isn’t built to grind these, and they can also cause a lingering smell. Remove them and throw them in the trash.
- Start the hot water and add soap. Aim the faucet straight into the drain. Once the water runs hot, squeeze a few drops of dish soap into the opening.
- Run the disposal for about three minutes. Keep the water running the whole time. If your soap is on the diluted side, add another drop or two along the way. Then turn off both the faucet and the disposal.
- Add the ice. With the disposal off, drop about a cup of ice cubes into the drain.
- Grind the ice. Keep your hands well away from the opening, switch the disposal on and let it run until the crunching stops.
- Rinse one last time. Leave the disposal on and run hot water for about 30 seconds more, then turn it off.
If an odor lingers after one round, repeat the process. Strong smells sometimes take two passes.