The 2-Ingredient Solution For A Cleaner Garbage Disposal

The rising stink from a smelly garbage disposal is a real bummer when all you want to do is get on with making dinner or doing the washing up. If you've been putting off this annoying task because you haven't got any specialty cleaning products on hand, we've got good news. The solution to a cleaner garbage disposal lies with two ingredients you likely have in your pantry at this very moment: vinegar and baking soda.

To get started, sprinkle a ½ cup of baking soda into your garbage disposal and follow it up 1 cup of vinegar. The best vinegar to use for the job is distilled white vinegar because it's colorless and there's no risk of it staining your sink, but other varieties like apple cider vinegar work well, too. In fact, there are several ways to clean your kitchen with apple cider vinegar. 

Once you've poured the vinegar into your disposal unit, it will react with the baking soda and foam up. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before running plenty of water through it, and you should be left with a sparkling garbage disposal that has a neutral smell. Why does this work? As vinegar is naturally acidic and antimicrobial, it breaks down mineral deposits and kills pathogens inside the unit. When it meets the baking soda, it produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that help to loosen and remove food residues.

Vinegar is only half of this power couple; baking soda is a powerful cleaner. As it reacts with the vinegar, baking soda draws grease and any bits of food into the bubbling mass of foam so they can be flushed out more effectively. It's also mildly abrasive, unlike soap, and absorbs odors. The foam helps to unclog the garbage disposal if there are small pieces of food preventing it from working properly, which also reduces the risk of bad smells developing and emanating from your sink area later.

One thing to bear in mind is that the acidic character of vinegar can wear down any rubber parts inside your garbage disposal, like the gasket, so you shouldn't use it every day. It's best for those deep cleaning sessions when you've got your rubber gloves on. Other ways to keep your garbage disposal as stink-free as possible are to run hot water through it to prevent foods getting stuck inside and causing a smell and to grind some lemons in there every month or so to deodorize. The hot water will melt away any fatty deposits that could be causing a partial blockage, and the lemons will finish up the job, cutting through any residual grease and leaving behind a fresh aroma.