Most kitchens have a secret source of odor that no amount of surface cleaning or air freshening can mask: the garbage disposal. While designed for convenience, disposals often become the dirtiest (and smelliest) part of the kitchen. If you’re looking up how to clean your garbage disposal, you’re already on the right track.
Food particles, grease, and gunk can build up quickly in disposals, leading to lingering smells. Fortunately, cleaning a garbage disposal doesn’t have to be messy or complicated. With the right products and a regular routine, you can keep things smelling clean and running smoothly.
Why Garbage Disposals Get Dirty
Disposals aren’t self-cleaning. Even with regular use, food fragments can cling to internal parts where water alone can’t reach. Over time, this leads to:
- Odor buildup, especially if fats or proteins are involved
- Reduced performance, from trapped waste affecting the grinding mechanism
- Splash guard slime, where grease and particles stick to the underside of the rubber flaps
If you’re wondering how to clean a garbage disposal effectively, the key is reaching all of these areas, including the ones you can’t see.
Garbage Disposal Cleaning Methods: What Works, What Doesn’t
People often try a variety of tricks in the name of cleaning garbage disposal units: citrus peels, baking soda, vinegar, ice cubes. These DIY garbage disposal cleaner methods can help somewhat, but they have limitations. Lemon peels may smell nice, but they don’t clean the splash guard or remove grease buildup. Baking soda can fizz, but it doesn’t degrease.
That’s where purpose-built cleaners come in. Products like Glisten® Garbage Disposer Cleaner use powerful foaming action to break down hidden grime, deodorize the drain, and leave the unit refreshed. Glisten provides more than a quick fix — it’s a comprehensive solution.
Why Choose a Foaming Disposal Cleaner?
A foaming garbage disposal cleaner offers a few key advantages over traditional methods:
- Reach: Foam expands to fill the grinding chamber, splash guard, and pipe entry point
- Power: It removes grease, buildup, and odor-causing residues
- Convenience: No need to scrub, disassemble parts, or run multiple cycles
These features make it the best way to clean garbage disposal systems, especially for a no-mess solution.
How to Clean The Garbage Disposal With Glisten
If you’re asking, “How do I clean my garbage disposal quickly and thoroughly?” the process with Glisten is refreshingly simple:
- Run hot water through the disposal for one minute
- Reduce the flow to a thin stream
- Drop in a packet of Glisten
- Turn on the garbage disposal
- Let the foam expand and clean for 1–2 minutes, then rinse
This method tackles all the areas that matter without requiring you to touch any grime directly. Plus, it’s a highly effective approach that fits into any cleaning routine.
How Often Should You Clean a Garbage Disposal?
How often you clean a garbage disposal depends on how much you use it. Here are general guidelines:
- Daily use: Clean once per week with a foaming product
- Occasional use: Clean every 2–3 weeks
- Frequent cooking with oils/grease: Consider cleaning more often.
For in-between maintenance, use Plink® Garbage Disposer Freshener. It helps neutralize odors and maintain freshness between deep cleans with Glisten.
How to Extend the Life of Your Disposal
Along with routine cleaning, these tips can help your garbage disposal run better for longer:
- Run cold water while grinding to help fats stay solid and flush more effectively
- Avoid fibrous or starchy foods, which can tangle or clog the mechanism (e.g., celery, potato peels)
- Never pour grease or oil into the disposal
Regular use of Glisten not only cleans but also helps maintain your disposal’s performance over time. Using these best practices and a foaming garbage disposal cleaner is the best way to keep your sink clean.
What to Remember
Knowing how to clean a garbage disposal is key to maintaining a fresh, functional kitchen. Here’s the bottom line:
- Manual methods can help, but don’t reliably clean hard-to-clean parts
- Foaming cleaners like Glisten are designed for this task and reach areas that other methods miss
- Cleaning regularly keeps your kitchen smelling fresh and your unit performing at its best
So the next time your sink smells off, remember: clean your garbage disposal- not just the surfaces around it — with a product designed to do the job right. With the right products and a few minutes a week, your kitchen will stay fresh and your disposal will last longer.
For additional product details, visit summitbrands.com or look for Glisten at a retailer near you.