How to Keep Your Garbage Disposal Clean and Odor Free

September 10, 2024

Life without a garbage disposal would be, hmm, Messier? A little less convenient?

Okay, sure. But come on, just how spoiled have we all become? Never mind that for now. Let’s just agree on this: while living without a garbage disposal would not represent the end of civilization as we know it, it would be something of an inconvenience. So for those of us who have one, it makes sense – as with anything else you own – to take the best possible care of it so you have fewer problems to contend with down the road.

So, from our house to yours, here are some time-tested methods for keeping your garbage clean, not to mention odor and repair free:

• Clean the inside of your disposal – It’s super easy. Just grab a few ice cubes and put them, along with a cup of vinegar, into the disposal. The turn it on for about 5 minutes. The result will be cleaner sides where food can and does stick. If not cleaned periodically, it can’t help but stink after a while.
• Clean the drain line – Whatever can stink inside a garbage disposal can do the same thing once it moves into and down the drain line. That’s why we recommend pouring ground coffee down your disposal periodically. Yes, it really is just that simple.
• Create a pleasant smelling disposal – It’s one thing to get rid of things that can cause unpleasant odors, and quite another to create a pleasant smelling garbage disposal for a more pleasant smelling kitchen. How? By cutting a lemon or orange into small pieces and grinding them up. The peel’s strong fragrance will freshen things up, inside and outside your disposal.
• Keep things out that can cause damage – There are two things in your house that are often used as trash bins that shouldn’t be: your toilet bowl and garbage disposal. Both have very specific and limited purposes, and for good reasons. So to prevent damage to the inside of your disposal, including the blades, never place bones, meat fats, fibrous foods, unpopped kernels of corn, and non-food products inside of it.

If you’re reading this blog and thinking “it’s too late to prevent damage now,” then here’s something that will work wonders: just pick up the phone and call Conway Services. That’s right because when all else fails, Conway is here to make things right again with high-quality garbage disposal service, repair work and, when needed, installing a replacement unit.