Why You Should Consider Putting Dishwasher Detergent Down Your Garbage Disposal

Even though placing bits of food down the garbage disposal is an easy process, cleaning this area and preventing odors is not. Most of the food particles wash away, but a few may remain behind. Fortunately, there's an easy solution: running dishwasher detergent through the garbage disposal can help it remain cleaner. Detergent will effectively remove particles and lift staining — just like it does for your dishes in the dishwasher — while delivering a fresh smell. It's safe to use for this purpose as well.

If you want to keep it smelling fresh, you should clean your garbage disposal often. Consider using these freshening techniques daily if you use it regularly and a few times per week when you use it less often.

To use this daily hack, allow hot water to run into the sink. Add some dishwashing detergent to begin creating suds before turning on the garbage disposal. You can use either liquid or powder dishwashing detergent for this hack. This should loosen food particles and greasy areas, improving the odor almost immediately. You then can turn off the garbage disposal and use a tiny scrub brush to go over the blades and the rubber protective cover, eliminating any remaining particles and greasy spots. Avoid using a tablet or a pod that's made to go into the detergent container inside the dishwasher, as these items could damage the blades or place extra stress on the motor.

If you only want to clean the garbage disposal weekly or after putting quite a bit of sticky food into it that is causing an odor, you can do a deep cleaning of this appliance. This hack is going to be loud, so try to avoid doing it when you or your family members are using the phone or are trying to study for school.

Start by dumping a large number of ice cubes into the garbage disposal. Chunks of ice are safe to use with the metal blades and they should not cause the motor to undergo any extra stress. Then add some dishwasher detergent. This can be in a liquid form, or you can use it in a powder form, although you should dissolve it in water before pouring it over the ice. You then can turn on the water and start the garbage disposal. As the chunks of ice fly across the blades, they should knock food particles loose. The dishwasher detergent scrubs the blades and the garbage disposal, removing food and greasy spots.

For an even deeper cleaning after using the ice cubes and detergent, pour some baking soda into the garbage disposal and add white vinegar. It will fizz and bubble up. Let it sit for several minutes before washing it away with water. This removes odors and greasy spots.

If you've noticed your sink getting a bit pungent, but you don't have liquid or powder dishwashing detergent available, there are plenty of other easy ways to clean your garbage disposal.

For those looking to create a pleasant odor through the entire kitchen, placing citrus peels down the sink before turning it on helps to clean the unit while generating a citrus smell. You can use peels from lemons or oranges for the best results. Some people may even cut a lemon or orange into small segments and place these down the garbage disposal while the water is running. If the citrus fruit is a little older or is getting mushy and you no longer want to eat it, this is a great way to dispose of it.

Another popular choice is using Borax inside the dirty or smelly garbage disposal. Borax is also useful for removing clogs inside the garbage disposal. Borax is a powdery, white substance that is considered a salt. You can pour it into the garbage disposal and let it sit for up to 30 minutes before running hot water into the sink and turning on the unit to flush it away. Because Borax has some health risks if inadvertently ingested, you may prefer to use baking soda and vinegar to provide almost the same cleaning benefits. However, baking soda and vinegar don't work as well on tough clogs as Borax.