How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal

“Most odors that come out of the garbage disposal are coming from food buildup on the splash guard,” says Alyssa Wiegand, product manager at Moen. That's the removable black rubber panel that sits atop your sink's drain hole. You can scrub it with warm water and baking soda or simply toss it in the top rack of a dishwasher.

Food residue can also gum up the walls of the garbage disposal. A few common household ingredients can take care of that.

“Ice cubes help break up any food stuck to the disposal, while baking soda and bleach kill germs, and lemon provides a bit of freshness,” says Eric Schultz, director of product management at InSinkErator.

If you use your disposal daily, it's a good idea to follow these steps once a week to clean it:

Step 1:With the disposal and faucet turned off, put six ice cubes in the chamber followed by 1 tablespoon of baking soda, three thin lemon slices, and 1 teaspoon of bleach. Top it all off with six more ice cubes.

Step 2:Turn the disposal on without running water until you hear the grinding stop.

Step 3:With the motor still running, flush with cold water for 30 seconds.