Clean the garbage disposal
Food buildup in the chamber is what makes it smell.
Who: You can do it yourself.
How often: Monthly (Whirlpool); InSinkErator says just use it often. For: the garbage disposal.
Safety first
- Never put fingers or hands inside; use tongs or pliers.
- Switch it off before clearing a jam, removing an object or pressing reset (GE: unplug it or turn off the breaker).
- Cold water while grinding, never hot.
- No caustic drain cleaners, grease, shells or glass.
- Don’t run it without the sink baffle.
How to do it
- Switch it off. Pull out the sink baffle and scrub its underside; dish soap and a brush on the upper chamber; baffle back in.
- Stopper in, and fill the sink half full of warm water with 1/4 cup of baking soda; turn the disposal on and pull the stopper.
- A medium stream of cold water, and grind ice cubes with lemon or lime wedges. GE’s alternative: 1/2 cup of baking soda, then 1 cup of vinegar, wait 10-15 minutes, and flush.
- Run cold water for several seconds after grinding.
If it hums or stops (a jam)
- Power and water off.
- Put the hex wrench in the center hole underneath and work it back and forth until it turns a full revolution.
- Remove the object with tongs.
- Let the motor cool 3-5 minutes, then press the red reset button.
- Still dead: check the breaker.
Normal
- Loud on bones, pits and ice.
Needs attention
- It hums or stops: a jam.
- An odor: buildup on the baffle.
- Leaks at the fittings.
Call a plumber if
- The motor is still dead after the reset and the breaker.
- Warranty work: only an authorized representative.
Keep track of it
Add your home to My homes: each piece of equipment gets this on its own schedule, with “Mark done” and reminders you can turn on.
Sources
Your owner’s manual comes first: where it says something different for your model, follow it.
Still stuck?
Email us at hello@tradewrench.com. Tell us which page you were on and what you were trying to do.