Refresh your favorite in-sink kitchen appliance! Follow these easy step-by-step instructions to safely remove old food waste and eliminate odors from your garbage disposal.

1: Remove large items.

Safety first! Before you begin, turn off the circuit breaker for the power to your garbage disposal to ensure there is no chance the unit could turn on. Then, using tongs or pliers, remove any large food debris and any non-disposable items that may be stuck inside. Once you've removed the debris, your tools and anything else from inside the disposal, turn the circuit breaker back on.

2: Clean the grinding elements using ice and rock salt.

Fill the disposal with about two cups of ice cubes, then pour about a cup of rock salt over the ice. Run cold water and turn on the garbage disposal for 5-10 seconds. If you don't have rock salt, you can substitute a cup of vinegar.

3: Clear the drain line.

Plug your drain and fill the sink with 2-4 inches of water. Then remove the drain plug and turn on the garbage disposal. All of the collected water should be pulled through the drain line, purging it of sludge and debris.

4: Freshen up using citrus peels.

After you've cleared and cleaned your garbage disposal, put a handful of chopped citrus peels (oranges, lemons, limes or grapefruit) into it, run the cold water and turn on the disposal. The citric acid will help to deodorize your disposal and leave it smelling fresh and clean.

Think your garbage disposal needs more than just a cleaning? Don't want to tackle this job yourself? Contact us, we're here to help.