You can use a store-bought cleaner as well as a few easy hacks to clean your garbage disposal.
Amazon
What we like
Tough on grime
Deodorizes
Foaming
Something to note
Scented
The Active garbage disposal cleaning tablets, which have a 4.3-star average rating from 4,596 reviews on Amazon, are effective on grime caused by food buildup. They help eliminate odors coming from the disposal and they’re safe for your septic system, according to the brand. The tablets are around the size of a sandwich cookie and all you have to do is drop them into the disposal and run hot water over it. They start to bubble up and foam, so you can instantly see them start to clean the inside of the disposal. They also emit and leave behind a pleasant citrus scent.
Will Cotter, the owner of cleaning company FreshSpace Cleaning, recommends the brand Glisten. These sink disposal tablets come in the form of a small yellow capsule, similar in size and shape to a marble. All you have to do is run hot water over your sink, away from the drain, and drop the tablet into the garbage disposal. While these don’t foam like the ones from Active, they are effective at cleaning the disposal and it leaves behind a fresh lemon scent. The scent is long lasting and you can smell it each time you run hot water over the disposal, according to the brand. The tablets, which have a 4.5-star average rating from 13,218 reviews on Amazon, are also safe on septic systems and drain pipes, according to the brand.
While Glisten’s tablets above come in small capsules, these packets come in the form of a cleaning powder that you pour into the garbage disposal. Labeled as a bleach alternative by the brand, these lemon-scented packets have a 4.5-star average rating from 46,444 reviews on Amazon. Similar to Active’s cleaning tablets, they use foam to help clean the disposal. The unique thing about them is that you place the entire (unopened) packet into the garbage disposal and run hot water over it to allow it to clean the disposal. The packet and cleaning solution start to dissolve and create a blue foam.
Cotter also recommends the brand Affresh for cleaning your garbage disposal. The Affresh garbage disposal cleaning tablets, which have a 4.6-star average rating from 18,015 reviews on Amazon, come in the form of a small white tablet that looks similar to Alka-seltzer tablets. To use them, all you have to do is run hot water over the sink, add the tablets and turn on the garbage disposal for around 15 seconds. They act as an abrasive cleaner to help clean away food and grime buildup.
If you prefer to use a liquid garbage disposal cleaner instead of a foaming tablet, this one from Mrs. Meyers could be a good option. Available in either a lemon or lavender scent, the liquid cleaner helps get rid of buildup of grime from food residue while leaving a fresh scent. You simply pour the liquid into the drain and run hot water over it to start the cleaning process.
Clean any dishes that are in the sink. This will help create a clear path for the water to run into the drain of the garbage disposal. Use dish soap, water and a scrub brush to clean on, around and under the rubber flap that’s on top of the garbage disposal. Rinse with water.
Lightly run hot water from your sink and move the faucet spout so that it’s running over a corner of the sink and not directly over the garbage disposal. Turn on the garbage disposal (unless the instructions say otherwise).
Drop or pour in a garbage disposal cleaning tablet or liquid cleaner of your choice, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Depending on how dirty the garbage disposal is, you may have to use more than one tablet.
Continue running water over the garbage disposal as it runs until the foam fades away.
Plug the sink and fill with hot soapy water. Once full, turn on the garbage disposal and let drain as it runs.
Once drained, let it run with plain hot water for a few seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should clean your garbage disposal with a store-bought cleaner, such as Glisten, at least once a month, according to Cotter. “Use a store-bought cleaner at least once a month and do the ice cube hack weekly,” he says.
Yes, you can use ice cubes — along with lemon and dish soap — to help clean your garbage disposal, according to both Cotter and Dulude. “It’s legit although [it] still doesn’t replace deep cleaning,” says Cotter. “Ice will help knock off food bits and grime that stick to the blades, lemon is for the scent, and soap will dissolve greasy residue. Sure, it will remove surface grime but I’ll still use Glisten for thorough cleans.”
You should also be careful about what foods you let fall into the disposal, according to Cotter and Dulude. “Anything fibrous like celery, asparagus, or corn husks can tangle around the blades,” says Cotter. “Also, starchy foods are big no’s simply because they expand and become sticky when wet. Bones, fruit pits and seeds are too tough for the blades.” Additionally, be sure to not let foods such as onion skins and grease go down the disposal because they can get stuck and start to rot, causing strong odors, according to Cotter.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I regularly write about cleaning topics, such as the best way to clean hardwood floors, how to clean grout and the best dishwasher detergent tablets. I spoke with two cleaning experts and business owners for this story.
