Does your garbage disposal smell like… well, garbage? Are you wondering how you can clean out that stink without pouring chemicals down your drain? Here are some safe, natural and effective methods you can try!
NOTE: DO NOT EVER PUT YOUR HAND DOWN THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL. Just saying.
VINEGAR CUBES
Clean your garbage disposal naturally – with vinegar cubes! Keep some at the ready: fill an ice tray with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to fill the tray. FREEZE IT! When odors start to make their appearance, simply toss one in and grind it up. To make it smell even nicer, add some bits of lemon when you make your ice cubes. Just tell your family not to use them in their ice tea! (we did that.)
BAKING SODA
I probably haven’t ever written a natural cleaning blog post without including vinegar and / or baking soda. They are the BEST! Pretty much the go to for every natural cleaning thing, ever. Just pour a bit down in your garbage disposal and let it sort of hang out there for a bit, working its baking soda magic. Flush with some water and you’re good to go.
BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR – TOGETHER!!!
OMG how much do I love baking soda and vinegar. Ever since my first erupting volcano project they’ve held a special place in my heart! And now my business is literally built around them. Combining them works sometimes, other times the foamy reaction can get in the way. When cleaning the stink out of your garbage disposal naturally, this is a match made in heaven. You can do this a few ways, and they’re all good fun.
- STRAIGHT UP COMBINE THEM
Toss a half cup of baking soda down the drain and chase it wish a generous glut of vinegar. Watch the bubbles rise! Let it sit for a while and flush it down with water. - USE YOUR VINEGAR CUBES!
If you want to get some grinding action (I always feel more satisfied when I grind something to clean the garbage disposal) then instead of liquid vinegar throw some of your vinegar cubes down the drain after you put the baking soda in there. Grind, baby grind!
ICE AND ROCK SALT
Sorry, this is not a recipe for making ice cream (I’ll have to look one up and post it here!) – but ice and rock salt is an excellent natural way to clean your garbage disposal, getting rid of icky bits stuck between the blades and the sides of the drain. Grab some ice cubes and toss them down the hole. Now throw about a quarter cup of rock salt in there. Grind it up! Hooray!
CITRUS
Lots of folks swear by citrus – cut up rinds and throw them down for a good grind. My disposal seems to get caught up in rinds so I don’t use this method, but it’s worth a try if you are looking to sweeten the stench of your garbage disposal naturally!
Well, have a great time cleaning your garbage disposal the natural way – and when you’re done, call your favorite local maid service in Austin (us!!!) to come scrub out that kitchen sink!
Happy Cleaning!