Garbage disposals, do you clean yours, if so how?

[revvinkevin]

They can get smelly from time to time, what do you do about it? Do you clean yours on any regular schedule, do you wait until you notice odors emanating from it, or do you do nothing?

The few times I’ve attempted to clean my garbage disposal, I would either put a tiny amount of water and A LOT of liquid dish soap while running until it foams up, or grind up a whole lemon.

FYI, I am not one to put anything and everything down my garbage disposal, I specifically avoid bones, egg shells, potato skins, etc. Mostly because my mom never did, plus I’ve had plumbing issues in the past so I’m cautious about what goes down the drain.

One day Thomas was here and the subject came up, he was shocked I “didn’t know how” to clean my disposer. He then proceeded to show me as he cleaned mine.

He.....
1. Remove the rubber splash guard
2. Filled the disposer cavity completely with ice
3. Turned the disposer on
4. Gave a healthy squirt of liquid dish soap
5. Trickled a little water until things started churning slowly

We watched as a “slushy foam” (about the consistency of shaving cream) started to expand out the opening, carrying some “Schmitz” with it. He let this continue for 30 or 45 seconds, then started running the water. As the downpipe from the disposer was blocked with ice, the sink started filling with water, but 10-15 seconds later it started draining. After it all drained out, he turned off the disposer, replaced the rubber splashguard and said “THAT’S how you clean a garbage disposal!”

He also said IF there is a lot of “Schmutz“ in the foam, repeat the process.

Thomas also shared how his mother (in Brazil) gets rid of empty beer bottles by putting them in the garbage disposal and grinding them up, almost on a daily basis!!!!!!!!

 

[thomasortega]

Yep, my mom used to do that...DECADES ago.

and our ISE disposer lasted "only" 42 years and was replaced just because it was "old and ugly" and I wanted something sparkling new when i remodeled my apartment. Not even a single issue, we never had a clog, we moved twice and the disposer came with us and everything was always PERFECT.

2 weeks after I replaced my old ISE I realized it was the worst decision ever.

 

[thomasortega]

Soft diets are the perfect recipe to destroy a disposer and create clogs.

Chicken bones are great to keep the disposer happy. It's like a sugar scrub for the disposer and the pipes "skin".

Long neck beer bottles NEVER (now that we know it's not good for the environment)

Gosh, after parties, my mom used to dispose dozens of bottles and they were like nothing for the disposer.

Other thing that is a must but most people ignore LOTS of water. after the disposer is empty, keep the faucet on.... the food is no longer in the disposer, but it's still in the pipes.

and the best rule: The more you use your disposer, the merrier. When the disposer has a bad breath, it's usually because it's not "eating enough".

 

[tomturbomatic]

Let the dishwasher drain into it and it stays clean; turn it on occasionally while the dishwasher is draining detergent water to get rid of any deposits/film or stains on the interior. 

 

[askolover]

I bought a toilet brush at the Dollar Tree and it fits perfectly through the opening. Sprinkle some Comet or Ajax powder on it, shove it down and scrub away.  Pull up on the brush and it will invert the baffles so they can be scrubbed on the underside.  The chlorine kills germs.  Then feed I feed it some ice and wash it down with some hot bleach water.  No smells.

 

[rp2813]

Not all disposals have removable splash guards, and mine is one of them (it came with the house).  GRRRRR!

 

When did this become a thing?  Of course the guard absolutely does need to be removable.  The underside is were the funky stuff accumulates.   What were they thinking?

 

[thomasortega]

"When did this become a thing? Of course the guard absolutely does need to be removable. The underside is were the funky stuff accumulates. What were they thinking?"

Simple answer, you got what you paid for.

Kevin's disposer is one of those state-of-the-art-ultra-mega-blaster-uber-fantastic ISE Evolution Excel whatever Pro Ultra Maxi. The best ISE disposer money can pay. Expensive as a Ferrari but worth every cent.

Even if Kevin puts rocks in it, that darn thing is more silent than my dishwasher. It also has IDK how many grinding stages that is almost like a 1980's food processor TV commercial: It slices, shreds, minces, whips, makes pureé, and even cut julienne.

Theoretically you can put everything in it, from corn cobs to ex-wife/husband to mother-in-laws. If it fits the drain, you can be sure the TOL insinkerator will get rid of it for you.

Here I have an ISE Badger that my landlord bought. It should be called ISE Clogger.

5 horrible clogs in 3 years. By horrible, I mean the plumber had to fist-fight with the drain using a snake for over 1 hour to get rid of the clog and he always blamed the disposer + 100 years-old pipes. "I love the Badger because thanks to it I have tons of frequent clients. The best advice I can give is, NO disposer at all if you can't afford a good disposer. The badger can deal with one or other grain of rice and that's it. If you want to dispose food leftovers, peels, bones and even avocado seeds, then you need an "Excel". "

The last time I called him, he saw my number and the way he answered the phone made me laugh for 3 days. "Crockett plumbing, hi Thomas! You still have that cheap insinkerator and your sink is clogged again. How can I help you today?"

 

[tolivac]

NEVER-NEVER-EVER shred glass or bottles in a disposer!!!!!!Not only dangerous-the shredded glass does not float and will clog your plumbing-not to mention wears the shredders in your disposer.Bottles belong in the TRASH CAN or recycling can-NOT the disposer!!!!I replaced my ISE Evolution Excell disposer with an older Maytag I bought from Volsboy--The Maytag is MUCH more superior!!!Faster and shreds finer.The ISE machine would take a long time with its dull bump like "shredders" on its grind ring.ISE older design was really better.Heck in comparison to the new ISE my old Vita Mix 3500 container did better.Had a container I used as a "disposer"Put the waste in it and forward-reverse a few times-pulp!Used other containers for food mixing.

 

[tolivac]

Oh yes--chicken bones do a good job of cleaning disposers-and---egg shells.Both clean the "slime" from the shrdders getting rid of smell and making the shredders grind better.The shreddings from both will float thru the plumbing.even with a septic tank.And wash the bottom of the rubber splashguard in the mouth of your disposer.

 

[kb0nes]

I bought a 2nd splash guard from my disposer and I swap in the clean one and run the other in the dishwasher on every cycle, most odors seem to come from a dirty splash guard. I'd immediately replace a disposer that didn't have a removable guard. I've never seen a Badger that didn't smell due to a non cleanable splash guard.

Like Tom I let the dishwasher clean the lower end of the disposer. Spin it up while the dishwasher wash drains and you never need do more.

The neck and the upper part of the chamber will ocassionally get a brushing with a little dish detergent.

All in all been amazingly happy with the performance and longevity I have got from the stainless chamber ISE's. I don't generally run bones down mine but about anything else is fair game.

 

[thomasortega]

Glass bottles nowadays of course NOT. It's actually unthinkable

Just like riding in a car without a safety belt

Or pouring expired medicine down the toilet

Or draining a swimming poor with residual chlorine.

Decades ago, it was a MUCH different story.

And disposers at that time were also much different.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Somehow I never encountered a smelly drain, I used to see garbage disposal/drain deodorizers all the time, but to this day, luckily never saw the need to actually ever use one...

— Dave

 

[vacerator]

Exactly Dave!

Use it and it doesn't stink. My dad reccomended ice cubes to clean it. I figure I wash pots and pans by hand, then the dishwasher drains hot wash water in it, and it's clean.

 

[revvinkevin]

Running the disposer while the dishwasher drains

Forgot about that. Yes I did that occasionally with the old KA dishwasher, but not since I installed the Bosch. Mostly because I not usually near the kitchen when it drains, as I’ll often start it before going to bed or just before leaving for work in the morning.

 

[eronie]

I power flush mine. Fill sink with hot water turn on disposer pull stopper, sink will drain fast!!
I think this helps to power flush the drain also.

 

[philcobendixduo]

Fresh Disposal/Disposer

I have a lemon tree so I put a lemon down the disposal once a month or so (I don't use it much).
Also, when I change the baking soda in the refrigerator and freezer (those "open" containers that absorb odors), I dump that down the disposal.
My disposal is a Kitchen Aid installed January 1985.
Every time it's turned on, it reverses direction.
It IS getting old and tired, though as sometimes when I turn it on, it just hums so I have to switch it on/off/on a few times before it decides to run.

 

[parunner58]

We have an IS Evolution Disposal, it is about 10 years old. When handwashing pots or pet dishes I pull the splash guard off and wash the gunk off it. I bought a second one and will put the clean one in and wash the other in the DW. We have lemon and orange trees in the back yards and I will do the same cut up one and it cleans and makes the disposal shine and smell good. But most of the time it rarely smells, we use it a few times a day and the DW drains through it. We have a Bosch and it uses the high temp rinse so that always keeps the disposal clean.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Lemons!

Back in the early 70s, a friend and I used to go to the Howard Johnson's on Friday nights for the all you can eat Fish Fry.  We collected lots of lemons and saved them after squeezing them on the fish. We took them home and fed them to the disposal. With hot water running in, it made the whole kitchen smell great!

 

I have always purchased batch feed disposers to avoid that nasty flap; first an ISE then a Maytag when the plumbing in the next place could not accommodate the height of the ISE.