How to Clean A Garbage Disposal

We've all done it. We've walked into the kitchen and smelled something...weird. But then, as we've walked closer to the sink, noses raised in the air to sniff out the culprit, the weird smell becomes stronger, until it's downright rank: there is a smell of death and decay coming from the disposal! But how do you fix it? There has got to be an easy way to make that smell go away!

FILL SINK WITH WATER & BAKING SODA MIXTURE

The first thing to do is fill your sink up halfway with water. Then add 1/4 cup baking soda to the water and swirl it around to mix the water and baking soda together. Turn on water and run the garbage disposal.

CLEAN RUBBER SPLASH GUARD / BAFFLE

Remove the rubber splash guard from the disposal drain, if you can. Some come out and some don't. Don't force it if it doesn't come out! If you can get it out, you can put it in the dishwasher to clean it. If it doesn't come out, use a sponge to clean it.

ICE CUBES

For extra cleaning, send a cup of ice cubes down the disposal while it's running. The ice cubes will help your disposal churn everything to get it down the drain and help remove some of those more stubborn built-up food particles there.

RUN WATER

Lastly, run the water to flush out anything remaining in the sink or disposal. Now you have a nice, clean disposal!

Repeat these steps as needed to ensure that it's all clear. And then, you can start enjoying a fresh-smelling kitchen once again!

However, if you've completed all of these steps and your drain still smells like death, you might want to call a professional plumber. You may have bigger problems down the line that a professional may need to diagnose.