Your garbage disposal works hard to crush up your old food and flush it away, but over time your disposal can become clogged, inefficient, and even smelly. Although plumbing companies play a role in keeping your garbage disposal functioning and the drainage pipes clear, as a homeowner you also have the ability to keep your garbage disposal clean and clog free. Using natural materials found around your house, you can clean out your garbage disposal and the drainage pipes, helping to ensure that your disposal will continue to work for many years.
Ice
Put several handfuls of ice into your garbage disposal, then turn on the unit. Crushing ice in the unit will clean the walls of the garbage disposal, and will help food stuffs like oil and butter to coagulate, making them easier to crush and flush out of the system.
Lemon Juice
Pour lemon juice and boiling water down into the garbage disposal then turn it on. The lemon juice will freshen the inside of the garbage disposal, eliminating unpleasant odors. Lemon juice is also mildly acidic and will eat away at some of the tough dried-on foods lining the interior walls of the unit.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a natural cleaning agent that can remove grease and eat away organic materials. Flush your garbage disposal with vinegar to wipe out unpleasant odors and to help rid the drainage pipes of minor clogs.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can dislodge caked on grease and food, making the interior walls of your garbage disposal slick and clean once again. Pour baking soda into the unit, chase it with several quarts of boiling water and then turn on the disposal. To double the effectiveness of the baking soda, pour vinegar down the unit with the boiling water. Be mindful of the fact that baking soda and vinegar will froth when combined, so be careful not to pour too much vinegar into the garbage disposal all at once.
Coarse Salt
Coarse salt will help clean out the interior of your garbage disposal by eroding the build up of grime that can stick to the disposal's interior. Coarse salt is also a natural cleaning agent that can remove grease and other sticky foodstuffs. Pour course salt into your garbage disposal, then turn it on. Next, slowly pour boiling water into the unit.
Despite your best efforts, your garbage disposal may clog from time to time. When these home remedies fail, a good plumbing company can help. Call a plumbing company like The Drain Doctor with a reputation for excellence.
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