Imagine having a conversation with your significant other that goes something like this:
“Hey, whaddya feel like doing tonight?”
“Well, I’ve narrowed it down to three possibilities, but I’m going to let you choose since they all sound like fun to me.”.
“Okay, shoot!”
“Alright, option 1, we take in a Cavs game…we haven’t been for a while. Option 2, go check out that new Italian restaurant. Or option 3 – you know me, always saving the best for last – we can stay home and Clean Your Garbage Disposal !!”
That conversation has never taken place in any Northern Ohio home, and never will. And yet cleaning your garbage disposal can be a whole lot simpler and more tolerable than you might think. Which is the whole point of this blog.
So, let’s have a look at how smooth-sailing disposal cleaning can be, one step at a time.
Step 1 –
Disconnect power to the unit. Garbage disposal blades can run as fast as 2,000 revolutions per minute. That’s a chance you don’t want to take.
Step 2 –
Place about a dozen ice cubes with a half-cup of rock salt into your garbage disposal. Restore power and start running cold water in your kitchen sink. Let the water run for about a minute—until you no longer hear ice or salt crunching. Check the blades with a flashlight to make sure you removed all the “gunk.” If not, repeat.
Step 3.
Time to play with bubbles – sorta. Dump about half a box of baking soda into and around the disposal, making sure to coat the rubber flaps and surrounding gasket. Pour about a cup of white vinegar into a glass—don’t pour it down the disposal just yet. Dip an OLD toothbrush into the vinegar and use it to thoroughly scrub the outer areas of your disposal.
Once thoroughly scrubbed, sprinkle the area again with baking soda for good measure and slowly pour the vinegar down the drain to kill odor-causing bacteria. Let it fizz for about 15 minutes. At this point, you can pour or run hot water down the drain for a final rinse.
Step 4 –
Slice up some lemon peels into small size pieces. Oranges will do, as well. Peels in hand, start up the disposal and toss them inside to ensure the unit is fully deodorized.
Does that sound like fun to you? No, we didn’t think so. But the process works. Especially when you engage in Step 2 every couple of weeks.
Beyond keeping it clean, someone needs to keep your garbage disposal working or, when it’s time, replace it. That would be us – Norhio Plumbing. Count on us for all your home plumbing needs, just as hundreds of area homeowners already do.
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