Keep this hardworking part of your sink clean.
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One of the most common sources of odor in your kitchen is the garbage disposal. This home appliance is full of nooks and crannies where leftover bits of food and kitchen waste can become lodged, prompting all sorts of unpleasant smells. Fortunately, cleaning your garbage disposal is easier than it seems—and can be done using common household items, like vinegar, baking soda, and lemons.
How Often to Clean Your Garbage Disposal
While it may seem like your garbage disposal cleans itself, considering how much soapy water runs down your drain, it’s still important to clean it about once a month, says Jill Koch, expert organizer and cleaner with Jill Comes Clean. This is because small food particles often get stuck and can become a breeding ground for bacteria.
I’ve noticed that skipping this monthly cleaning can lead to a funky smell that lingers, especially if you’re grinding up pungent foods like onions or garlic. A study from the Journal of Environmental Health suggests that kitchen drains, including garbage disposals, can harbor up to 10,000 bacteria per square inch if not cleaned regularly. To keep things fresh, I like to set a calendar reminder for the first of each month—it’s a quick task that makes a big difference. If your kitchen gets heavy use, you might want to clean every three weeks instead.
What Not to Use When Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal
Avoid using harsh ingredients when cleaning your garbage disposal. “Be careful with some chemical cleaners; using them in the disposal can corrode the metal,” says Koch, adding that more often than not, DIY recipes are best.
I learned this the hard way when I once used a store-bought drain cleaner that left my disposal making a weird grinding noise—turns out, it was starting to eat away at the internal parts! Harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia-based cleaners can also release toxic fumes when mixed with food residue. Instead, sticking to natural cleaners like vinegar and baking soda is not only safer but also cheaper. A quick cost check: a bottle of white vinegar costs about $2, while a box of baking soda is around $1, compared to $5–$10 for chemical drain cleaners.
Materials Needed
Make sure you have these materials on hand when cleaning your garbage disposal.
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Lemon peels
- Water
- Oxygen bleach
- Ice
- Salt
Most of these items are probably already in your kitchen, which makes this a budget-friendly project. If you don’t have oxygen bleach, it’s worth picking some up—it’s a powerful deodorizer and costs about $4 for a small container. I keep a stash of lemon peels in the fridge from when I make lemonade or use fresh lemon juice for cooking; they’re perfect for this. Pro tip: freeze your lemon peels in a baggie so they’re ready when you need them, and they’ll still work great in the disposal.
How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal
Cleaning your garbage disposal should be a simple, cost-efficient project since most of the ingredients you need are likely already in your pantry, says Richard Coleman, the president of Coleman’s A/C Heating & Appliance Repair.
- Turn off your garbage disposal’s electrical source.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1 cup of vinegar. Let it bubble for about a minute.
- Flush the drain with hot water.
This method works because the baking soda and vinegar create a fizzy reaction that helps loosen stuck-on gunk. I’ve found that using hot water straight from a kettle (not boiling, to avoid damaging pipes) gives the best results—it really flushes everything out. If you want to make sure you’re getting every bit of grime, try shining a flashlight down the drain after cleaning to check for any lingering debris. For an extra boost, I sometimes add a few drops of dish soap to the mix for its grease-cutting power.
How to Deodorize Your Garbage Disposal
If your garbage disposal still emits an odor after cleaning with baking soda and vinegar, try one of these deodorizing methods.
Oxygen Bleach
Some food particles and odors can be more stubborn, which is why deeper cleans are often necessary, says Alicia Sokolowski, the president and co-CEO of AspenClean. Using oxygen bleach will help deodorize the garbage disposal.
- Turn off your garbage disposal’s electrical source.
- Pour 1/2 cup of powder bleach down the disposal, followed by 1/2 cup of hot water.
- Flush with hot water again.
Oxygen bleach is great because it’s less harsh than chlorine bleach and breaks down into water and oxygen, so it’s eco-friendly. I’ve noticed it’s especially effective for that lingering “wet dog” smell some disposals get. If you’re worried about overuse, stick to using oxygen bleach every other month to avoid buildup. A quick tip: make sure the disposal is completely dry before adding the powder to maximize its effectiveness.
Lemon Peels
Lemons are a great household cleaner and can be used to freshen your garbage disposal throughout the week, says Coleman.
- Turn off your garbage disposal’s electrical source.
- Peel a few lemons, or use rinds from lemons you have already juiced.
- Place them in the garbage disposal and grind them up.
- Rinse with hot water.
The citrus oils in lemon peels naturally cut through grease and leave a fresh scent. I love tossing in a few peels after cooking fish—it’s like an instant kitchen refresh. Research shows that citrus-based cleaners can reduce bacteria by up to 90% due to their natural antimicrobial properties. If lemons are pricey where you live, orange or lime peels work just as well and are often cheaper, especially if you buy in bulk at a farmers’ market.
How to Clear Clogs
If you have any stubborn clogs, try using ice cubes and salt to clear them. “This combination helps scrub the blades (they are actually more like grinding teeth than blades) and will break up any stuck-on food and debris,” says Koch.
- Pour 1 cup of ice into the disposal and drizzle in some dish soap; add in 1/2 cup of salt.
- Run cold water on top, then turn on the disposal. Let it run until it sounds like the ice has cleared.
This trick is a lifesaver when you hear that sluggish grinding sound. The ice sharpens the grinding mechanism while the salt acts like a scouring pad. I once had a clog from potato peels that wouldn’t budge until I tried this method—it was cleared in under a minute. For tough clogs, you might need to repeat the process twice. If it’s still not clearing, check the disposal’s manual for a reset button or call a pro to avoid damaging the unit.
How to Maintain Your Garbage Disposal
If you want to keep your garbage disposal cleaner for longer, adjust the temperature of your tap water, says Sokolowski. For the best results, only run the appliance while using cold water, since cooler temperatures help solidify most kitchen waste—making it easier for the disposal to grind it up and pass it through the mechanism.
Run the Disposal Regularly
Running the garbage disposal regularly—even if there’s nothing to grind—removes any lingering particles. Run cold water and turn on the disposal every couple of days to keep things fresh.
Avoid Certain Foods
There are certain foods you should avoid putting down the garbage disposal. Fibrous vegetables like celery or corn husks, along with eggshells and starchy items like rice, are better off in the trash. These materials can create clogs, wrap around the disposal’s blades, and reduce efficiency over time.
I’ve found that cold water really does make a difference—hot water can melt fats, which then stick to the pipes and cause buildup. A plumber once told me that grease-related clogs are responsible for about 30% of garbage disposal issues. To keep things running smoothly, I also make it a habit to run the disposal with a strong stream of cold water for 10 seconds after every use. As for foods, I learned to stop tossing eggshells down there after they caused a jam that took forever to clear. Composting those scraps instead has saved me a lot of hassle.
