What’s Lurking in Your Garbage Disposal?

Let’s be honest, the garbage disposals are straight up nasty. Food and other gunk that gets dumped down your disposal can cause some seriously icky and potentially dangerous buildup as time goes on.

The Dark Truth About Your Disposal

Think about it: you dump food scraps down a dark hole and then add water. What could possibly go wrong? Umm...A LOT!

Over time your garbage disposal can become a haven for all kinds of nastiness including bacteria and even some forms of fungus!

Even though the disposal is designed to break down food, scraps of food still get stuck inside and when they get wet things get gross. Mold and mildew can get trapped in there. You might even find rotting, decomposed bits of your dinner from weeks ago, we know, yuck! So, if you start to notice a stink coming from your sink that means your garbage disposal is probably in need of some deep cleaning.

And not to gross you out more, but when you use the sink and water splashes back up, you could potentially be spreading the icky germs from inside your disposal onto your hands and clean dishes. That’s why we created our garbage disposal cleaner, to clean your disposal on a regular basis and keep the funk to a minimum. We want to keep your sink clean, hygienic, and safe from any lingering bacteria and germs. Plus, no one wants their kitchen to smell like a compost pile. With regular cleaning, the disposal doesn’t have to be a scariest part of your kitchen.

Helpful Garbage Disposal Hacks

Here are a few things you can do on a regular basis to keep your garbage disposal running at its best. 

First, this appliance is not a trash can. Sure, you can scrape your plates into the sink, but don’t dump huge items down the drain that you can easily toss into the trash.

Food like banana peels, raw chicken, and other large and smelly items should never be put into the disposal. The unit is only made to break down so much, and it could clog your drain and cause the garbage disposal to malfunction.

Whenever you do use it, make sure you run cold water at the same time. Never turn it on without running water or else you could burn out the motor. When the water stops running, keep the disposal running for around 20 seconds to make sure everything is broken down and has been rinsed down the drain.

Only put biodegradable materials down your garbage disposal. Never put items like paper, plastic, or other trash in it or else it might stop working completely.

Avoid dumping things like drain cleaners and bleach down your garbage disposal, especially if you have a septic system. These chemicals can interfere with your septic system and can also cause the components of the disposal to corrode or rust.

If you happen to drop a utensil or other item down the drain, make sure you turn the disposal off and try not to use your hands to retrieve it. The last thing you want is to get injured or to put your fingers on icky items covered in gunk! 

Disposal Cleaning Tips

To avoid a stinky sink and combat the spread of germs, you should clean your garbage disposal on a regular basis. We recommend doing this about once a week.

If you really want to clean the unit thoroughly, use our specialized garbage disposal cleaner, it contains citric acid. This is a safe and effective cleaning agent that does the tough job of breaking down all that nasty gunk.

Another perk of using products with citric acid is that they optimize the pH levels in your disposal and break down easily and safely. It’s completely safe to use, and you’ll be amazed at how well it works to keep kitchen appliances nice and clean. Plus you’ll get a clean fresh smelling sink.

Visit our website to see our full line of incredible cleaning products, and visit our blog for tons more information about how citric acid can keep your home sparkly clean.