Cleaning your garbage disposal both keeps your kitchen from smelling like week-old leftovers and keeps the sink drain working its best. The garbage disposal environment is most often dark and wet, prime breeding grounds for odor-causing bacteria which can lead to a stinky drain.

The age-old DIY method of cleaning the garbage disposal with baking soda and vinegar is ultimately ineffective. The fizzy reaction looks like it's doing something, but since baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid, the combination only produces water and trace amounts of salt. This isn't strong enough to get rid of food debris in a kitchen sink, and since neither ingredient is a surfactant, it will do little to help carry away loose oil and grease.

Additionally, over time greasy food buildup can develop on areas outside the grinding range of your disposal, such as the rubber baffle at the drain opening and the sloped surface atop the grinding chamber. Clean your garbage disposal with ice cubes and Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner Lemon Scent once a month to keep it free of clogs and foul odors.

Directions for Cleaning a Garbage Disposal:

1. Clear the drain.
   • Turn on your water and turn on the garbage disposal to clear the drain line then turn it off.
   • Plug the sink drain, and fill the sink with 2-4 inches of water.
   • Remove the drain plug and turn on the garbage disposal, which will pull the collected water through the drain line. This will help ensure that all food particles are fully flushed down the drain.
2. Add Simple Green.
   • Pour two cups of ice into your garbage disposal, then turn on the disposal.
   • While the garbage disposal is grinding the ice, immediately pour 2 cups of full strength Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner Lemon Scent into the drain. The ice will help dislodge physical residue as Simple Green eliminates grease, grime and oils from the surface.
3. Scrub. Turn off the disposal and use a non-metallic scrub brush to scrub any visible buildup around the drain and rubber baffle.
4. Rinse. Rinse thoroughly with hot water.