5 Ways to Clean Your Garbage Disposal: First things first, never put you hand down your garbage disposal. Your disposal should be cleaned bi-weekly and sooner if you detect an odor.

1.) Clean the grinder or blades with 2 cups of ice, 1 cup of rock salt or vinegar. Pour two cups of ice into the garbage disposal, followed by one-cup of salt or vinegar. Then, turn on cold water and let the disposal run for five to 10 seconds. The ice will clean off any debris off the blades, and the salt or vinegar will reduce any strong odors.

2.) Anytime you eat any kind of citrus fruit (lime, lemon, orange, grapefruit) save the peels,  a good way to freshen up your garbage disposal and leave your kitchen smelling great is to grind up a handful of citrus peels. The citric acid in the peels will not only clean the blades but it will also eliminate any odors.

3.) When putting food in your disposal add baking soda right on top, it is known for its odor absorbency.

4.) Mix 1 tablespoon bleach with 1 gallon of water. Pour in the disposal and let set for 10 minutes. Turn on the disposal and process thoroughly with cold water.

5.) Make lemon ice cubes. Slice up chunks of lemons and place them in an ice cube tray and fill with water, then freeze. Use a couple each time you want to clean your garbage disposal.

5.) Clean off any particles from the garbage disposal’s drainage system. It’s like unclogging a bathtub drain, plug the drain with a stopper, fill the entire sink with hot water and a few drips of dish detergent, and then let all the water drain with the disposal running at the same time. Gravity and the weight of water will rinse through the garbage disposal and clear out any debris in the pipe.

We want to know how you clean your garbage disposal and keep it smelling fresh. Let us know in the comment section below.