I hear you on the potato peels—those things are a nightmare once they get wet and sticky. I’ve had to snake out my own disposal more than once after someone got carried away peeling spuds over the sink. The citrus peel trick is a classic, though I’ve noticed if you use too much, especially with thick orange rinds, it can jam things up. Lemon seems safer.
I’m curious if anyone’s ever tried baking soda and vinegar for maintenance? I do it every couple months—pour in some baking soda, then vinegar, let it fizz for a bit before flushing with hot water. Seems to keep the gunk down and helps with odor, but I’m not sure if it’s actually doing much for the blades themselves. Anyone have thoughts on whether that’s just an old wives’ tale or actually useful?
I’ve tried the baking soda and vinegar thing a couple times, mostly because my mom swears by it. It definitely helps with the smell, but I’m not convinced it does much for the actual grinding parts. I read somewhere that the fizzing is more about breaking up gunk than sharpening or cleaning the blades themselves. Has anyone ever actually taken apart their disposal to see if it makes a difference? I’m half tempted, but also kind of worried I’ll mess something up.
I totally get the temptation to take it apart—I've been there! I actually did open mine up once after years of using baking soda and vinegar, and honestly, it was still pretty grimy inside. The fizz is great for the stink, but those metal parts really need a deep clean or maybe even some ice cubes to knock stuff loose. Just my two cents... I wouldn't mess with the wiring, though.
The fizz is great for the stink, but those metal parts really need a deep clean or maybe even some ice cubes to knock stuff loose.
I’ve heard about the ice cube trick but always wondered—does it actually help with the gunk, or just make a lot of noise? Also, how do you keep from accidentally damaging the blades or motor with stuff like that? I’m always worried I’ll make it worse...
ICE CUBES IN THE DISPOSAL: DOES IT REALLY WORK?
- Ice cubes actually do help knock loose some of the built-up grime, especially around the impellers (no real "blades" in most disposals, just those swinging arms).
- They’re not going to damage anything if you’re using plain ice—disposals are designed to handle hard stuff like small bones. That said, avoid tossing in anything harder than that.
- It does get loud, but that's normal and usually just means it's doing its job. If it sounds like rocks for more than a minute, shut it off and check for stuck pieces.
- I usually add a handful of rock salt with the ice. The extra abrasion scrapes off even more gunk.
- One thing to watch out for: if your disposal is old or already making weird noises, maybe skip this trick and try a safer method first.
Ever tried citrus peels? Curious if anyone mixes that with the ice cube routine or if that's overkill...
