Cleaning a Food Disposer

SMGRAY

Location: sicklerville, NJ
Member

Member Rating: (4/10)

Interesting but pallitive at best. I would think that we would be more interested in how to clean a clogged disposer. Many of them do have a way to manually turn them to help free up a stuck bone but what if it just does not drain? Disconnect the disposer, remove it from the plumbing and take it apart? Maybe that is not where the clog is but rather a bit further down the drain pipe. Try the old plumber's helper (I keep one just for sinks). Turn on the water, turn on the disposer and give it a few good plunges - that usually frees up whatever is stuck and saves a good hours worth of labor.

davisjanitors

Location: gary, IN
Member

Member Rating: (10/10)

A FOOD DISPOSER SOULD BE CLEANED OUT EVERYDAY IT IS USED OR IT WILL HAVE A ODER

WSTARBUCK

Location: copperas cove, TX
Life Member

Member Rating: (10/10)

I like to load mine about half full of orange or limon peel then turn it on.(with water on also). it not only cleans but leaves a plesent smell when finished.

WSTARBUCK

Location: copperas cove, TX
Life Member

Member Rating: (10/10)

I like to load mine about half full of orange or limon peel then turn it on.(with water on also). it not only cleans but leaves a plesent smell when finished.

KLK

Location: pompano beach, FL
Member

Member Rating: (10/10)

BUBBLES!

yorelra1

Location: marietta, GA
Life Member

Member Rating: (5/10)

A disposer should NOT be loaded up before turning on. The Cold water should first be turned on, then the unit "fed" with the waste material. NEVER put fiberous material, like Boston Fern cuttings, in the unit. They will not chop up and may cause a clogged drain. Turning the unit on with the sink full of water WILL NOT harm the unit as long as the water is not hot. Something as simple as putting left over popped corn in is disaster waiting to happen. Unpopped kernels are hard enough to jam the unit, and difficult to remove. The most common problem I find is coins.

porteno

Location: raleigh, NC
Life Member

Member Rating: (1/10)

To unclog a disposer from bones, spoon,nails etc. it is very simple go to a hard where store and purchase a disposer tool, wish lock like a hex wrench,on the botton of the dispenser is a location were is a place to fit the wrench and turn by hand

porteno

Location: raleigh, NC
Life Member

Member Rating: (0/10)

To unclog a disposer from bones, spoon,nails etc. it is very simple go to a hard where store and purchase a disposer tool, wish lock like a hex wrench,on the botton of the dispenser is a location were is a place to fit the wrench and turn by hand

EAGLENUTBG

Location: broomall, PA
Member

Member Rating: (8/10)

IT MAY BE EASIER TO CLEAR A JAMMED DISPOSER BY PUTTING A LONG FLAT BLADE SCREWDRIVER IN THE SINK OPENING AND WEDGING IT UP AGAINST THE CUTTER BLADE. BY PUTTING PRESSURE ON THIS AREA AND APPLYING A ROTATIONAL FORCE I CAN USUALLY FREE UP THE JAMMED SHREDDER PLATE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DISPOSER.

rshores

Location: round rock, TX
Member

Member Rating: (8/10)

One thing to keep in mind when using a plunger with your disposal unit - if your sink has 2 drains, commonly the sink without the disposal will be the one that has the main drain pipe connected. It's important to stop up the second sink before plunging the disposal, allowing the stuck matter to thin itself out and flush down the correct way, rather than up into the second sink, possibly spraying carrot peels all over your kitchen. I learned this the hard way.

rshores

Location: round rock, TX
Member

Member Rating: (8/10)

One thing to keep in mind when using a plunger with your disposal unit - if your sink has 2 drains, commonly the sink without the disposal will be the one that has the main drain pipe connected. It's important to stop up the second sink before plunging the disposal, allowing the stuck matter to thin itself out and flush down the correct way, rather than up into the second sink, possibly spraying carrot peels all over your kitchen. I learned this the hard way.

MrJim

Location: streamwood, IL
Registered Guest

Member Rating: (6/10)

Using a disposal cleaning brush along with all the other suggestions will be very effective. The only thing to remember is when removing the brush from the disposal you should cover it with a damp rag to prevent getting sprayed with waste.

Nowell

Location: rosamond, CA
Life Member

Member Rating: (6/10)

I have used a product called, Plunk your sink, that I've picked up at a Hardwere store, It not only, cleans your disposal, of odors, it keeps your disposal, running great!! Use it with a little hot water!

Enigmily

Registered Guest

Member Rating: (7/10)

Yeah, just don't do what I did. I heard a clanking in my disposal, like a popcorn kernel or something was in it. so I turned the disposal off, and waiting for the clanking noise to stop. When it stopped, I jammed my hand down in there to clear it... only to realize the grinder had NOT stopped moving completely yet. Almost lost the tip of my finger. You can bet I wont do that again. I love the idea about the lemon or orange peel... I'm going to try that for mine (and no, i wont be feeding it in with my fingers).

yorelra1

Location: marietta, GA
Life Member

Member Rating: (6/10)

Putting any sort of 'tool' into the mouth of a disposer, except one that is made for the job, is asking for trouble, now or later. Always, as another contributor said, water first, then feed the waste material to the unit. Mixing baking soda with water in the sink with the disposer, and with the sink plug in place, let the sink partially drain then turn on the disposer to complete the job and always use cold to warm water not hot. The unit has a thermal switch which could trip if the disposer gets too hot. By the way disposers are sold with a hex key that fits into a receptacle on the underside of the unit. Make sure you have one or go buy one.

robert spence

Location: allendale, MI
Life Member

Member Rating: (5/10)

turn the power off then clean it with some kind of cleaning pad

bobalou

Location: port orchard, WA
Life Member

Member Rating: (1/10)

odor--not oder!!

bobalou

Location: port orchard, WA
Life Member

Member Rating: (1/10)

odor--not oder!!

YAVNER

Location: dallas, TX
Life Member

Member Rating: (2/10)

Can't anybody spell? Oh, and if something is sitting on the middle, riding the disposer but won't move over and get ground up, a few ice cubes plunked down there while it---and the water---is running will take care of that. (Can't believe I somehow ended up in a disposer chat thread...)

npgriff

Location: omaha, NE
Life Member

Member Rating: (1/10)

What is a hard where store?

abbaby

Location: raleigh, NC
Registered Guest

Member Rating: (3/10)

Interesting comments. About plunging the disposer...One must not forget to plug the other side of the sink as suggested by rshores, but one must also be very careful when plunging if you have a dishwasher drain hose connected directly to the disposer. You may unknowingly push some material back into the dishwasher drain and plug it up. The results of which would not be pretty.

scooterdown

Location: geneva, IL
Registered Guest

Member Rating: (0/10)

Who is Mark Peterson? What is his title? Never use anything other then COLD water if the unit is running. Keeps grease and fats coagulated so not to line the griding chamber or the pipes. Water other the cold will melt grease and fats.Over time will cause slow drainning or clogged pipes. Chicken bones are the only ones I recomend. Any thing else could be trouble. Had one S.A. telling people to use broke bottle glass to sharpen. the blades.

scooterdown

Location: geneva, IL
Registered Guest

Member Rating: (0/10)

Who is Mark Peterson? What is his title? Never use anything other then COLD water if the unit is running. Keeps grease and fats coagulated so not to line the griding chamber or the pipes. Water other the cold will melt grease and fats.Over time will cause slow drainning or clogged pipes. Chicken bones are the only ones I recomend. Any thing else could be trouble. Had one S.A. telling people to use broke bottle glass to sharpen the blades. The blades are not sharp in the first place...................

scooterdown

Location: geneva, IL
Registered Guest

Member Rating: (0/10)

Who is Mark Peterson? What is his title? Never use anything other then COLD water if the unit is running. Keeps grease and fats coagulated so not to line the griding chamber or the pipes. Water other the cold will melt grease and fats.Over time will cause slow drainning or clogged pipes. Chicken bones are the only ones I recomend. Any thing else could be trouble. Had one S.A. telling people to use broke bottle glass to sharpen the blades. The blades are not sharp in the first place...................

scurbelo

Location: bronx, NY
Member

Member Rating: (5/10)

I would suggest upkeep of the disposal should include ice cubes and lemons for the acid. But if you really want to get to the bare bones disconect the power and get a brush!