As for many other appliances, we only get to clean a garbage disposal when it starts smelling funky or when we start seeing fruit bugs flying in your kitchen. These are attracted to bacteria produced by rotten sweet food. There are different qualities of garbage disposals. Higher end models that are used properly usually clean themselves. Use the following tips if you want to keep your kitchen smelling fresh. We’ve also pointed out a few tips to maintain the drain and to control the fruit flies.
Use Citrus to Eliminate Stinky Odors
Citrus is known to be a cleaning agent. Using lemon, limes, oranges or grapefruits will not only clean your garbage disposal but will also give your kitchen a fresh smell. The citric acid from the citrus peels kills bacteria while generating a fresh smell. You will notice an improvement right away. After clearing the drain, throw a few pieces of citrus peels in your garbage disposal and turn it on running cold water.
Regularly Clean the Garbage Disposal
Pretty much all models of garbage disposals are made of a metal cylinder integrated with rotating impellers. In recent units, you can also find some grinders either on the sides or at the bottom. The grinders actually grind the food you are disposing into little pieces. Over time they can actually become a thick sludge and it can block in the drain. Make sure you always turn on the water while you use the garbage disposal if you want to avoid problems. Small items, pits, bones and chunks can get caught in the drain. There are many things that shouldn’t go down your garbage disposal but they are thrown in there by mistake. A few common examples are: shells, pits, large bones, glass, metal and rubber objects. Very often, if these If they are stuck in the garbage disposal, you’ll have to remove them manually. You should always be careful!
Clear that Drain Line
To purge your drain line, you have to plug your drain and fill your sink with a few inches of water. Remove the drain plug while turning on the garbage disposal at the same time. This should be done regularly to avoid future problems.
When in doubt, Rosedale Services can always help. If you need more information on how to maintain a garbage disposal or if you ever encounter a technical problem with your garbage disposal or any of your appliances, please give us a call and we will send a certified appliance repair technician to your home.