The Trick To A Perfectly Clean Garbage Disposal Is In Your Bathroom

Cleaning the garbage disposal is not for the faint of heart. Sure, you can opt for the old lemon trick, which involves dropping a slice of the fruit into the drain and grinding it up. It smells fresh and is good as new, right? Think again. While this approach can help to disinfect the base of the unit, the rubber flaps of the splash guard remain untouched and, in other words, filthy. Fortunately, there is an easy cleaning hack to disinfect and revitalize your garbage disposal using a household item found in your bathroom: a toothbrush.

The mighty toothbrush — great for ridding grime from our teeth, and now, the garbage disposal too. Its long handle, narrow head, and flexible bristles make it an ideal cleaning tool for tackling tiny nooks and crannies. You can conquer every inch of your disposal unit from top to bottom, leaving no surface untouched, including that often-forgotten splash guard. So, say goodbye to gunk with a twist; it is time to clean your garbage disposal with a toothbrush assist!

Safety should be your guiding light before you embark on this garbage disposal cleaning hack. To avoid any unwanted chaos, remember to prioritize disconnecting the power. Unplug the unit completely, ensuring that it is switched off in its entirety. Trust us, you don't want to create a different type of mess while trying to tidy up the disposal.

Once you've ensured the power is off, it is time to put that trusty toothbrush to work. Grab an old toothbrush, give it a quick rinse, and apply a small amount of grease-cutting cleaner or dish soap to the bristles. With caution, carefully remove the entire splash guard from the disposal unit. Working in sections, let the toothbrush scrub away any stubborn slime, leaving nothing but freshness behind. Rinse everything with water and securely place the splash guard back on once complete. As a bonus, let your toothbrush explore the hard-to-reach places of the entire unit, including the shaft.

If you don't want to — or are unable to — remove the entire splash guard, you can still use this hack. Simply clean the flaps one at a time, lifting each up so you can scrub under and around it with the toothbrush, rinsing with water as you go. Whether you remove the splash guard or not, remember to not reach your hands into the drain and around the blades. Safety always comes first.