How To Clean Garbage Disposal

Freshen the Garbage Disposal Sprinkle a half-cup of baking soda into the opening of the garbage disposal. Pour in a cup of white vinegar and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Turn on the garbage disposal and allow hot water to rinse away the baking soda mixture.

How do you deep clean a garbage disposal?

Directions: –

Start removing the visible food particles in your garbage disposal. Get 2 ice cubes and let them run through your garbage disposal to loosen those food particles lingering on the grinders or blades. Ice cubes may also sharpen the blades of your unit. Get a ½ cup baking soda and pour it into your garbage disposal. Get a cup of vinegar and pour it into the machine. The mixture inside your garbage disposal will dissolve and bubble while it expands. If applicable, cover your garbage disposal and the drain of your second sink. Leave the mixture for up to 10 minutes. Fill a big pot with water boil it. When the boiling water is ready, take away the covers of your garbage disposal and sink. Pour the hot water in your garbage disposal and let it run to eliminate the loosened debris. Take away the splash guard and wash it carefully. Scrub the bottom using a used or old toothbrush. If the splash guard is hard to remove, try lifting each flap and brushing its bottom using the toothbrush. This way, you can easily eliminate the dirt buildup and the unpleasant smell. Put the splash guard back to its original position.

You may also run some citrus peels through your garbage disposal to have a refreshing scent in your kitchen. Scented oil is a good alternative for the citrus peels. Put a few drops of aromatic oil in your garbage disposal and leave it on for 2 to 3 hours before rinsing with water.

Are you supposed to clean your garbage disposal?

How to Clean a Garbage Disposal A is like a miracle appliance, saving you time from dealing with food scraps and saving the environment from more leftovers in the landfill. Hidden away under your sink, are perfectly concealed, so it’s easy to forget they’re there.

How often should I clean my garbage disposal?

How To Clean Your Garbage Disposal Medically Reviewed by on April 07, 2022 Trash cans are kind of gross. You keep a container of and plastic wrappers in the kitchen, and it starts to smell. Garbage disposals are supposed to alleviate the smelly trash problem.

1. They grind up the food waste to keep your kitchen from smelling like last week’s dinner.
2. So, what are you supposed to do when your garbage disposal smells? Even though garbage disposals are a technological marvel, you don’t need special tools or cleaners to get them smelling fresh again.
3. When it comes to cleaning almost anything, you have two options: store-bought or homemade cleaners.

Many won’t perfectly clean your garbage disposal. Some can even damage your garbage disposal. Some store-bought cleaners may only freshen your garbage disposal and not truly clean it. Others may be corrosive and can damage parts of your garbage disposal.

• Ice to break the stuck-on food
• Baking soda to
• Bleach to kill germs
• Lemons for freshness

You could use vinegar instead of bleach, but this will change the cleaning steps slightly. The cleaning you do will depend on how often you use your garbage disposal. Consider cleaning it once a week if you use your disposal every day. You don’t need to clean as often if you don’t use your disposal regularly.

You can get by with cleaning your disposal once a month, but regular cleaning can prevent gunk buildup, clogging, and, Clean the splash guard. At the top of your garbage disposal, there’s a rubber shield that keeps food waste from splashing back up. Of course, this means it gets gross. Grab your gloves, water,, and a scrubber.

Pull back the splash guard and scrub underneath the old-fashioned way. If you have a removable shield, you can pull it out to clean it or toss it in the top rack of your dishwasher. Afterward, fill the sink with hot soapy water, turn on your disposal, and let it drain through to wash away any remaining gunk.

1. Turn your garbage disposal and faucet off. Put six ice cubes in the disposal.
2. Pour in 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of bleach. Steps for using vinegar appear later.
4. Drop in three lemon wedges.
5. Add six extra ice cubes.
6. Run the disposal.
7. When the grinding stops, run cold water for 30 seconds.

If you’re using vinegar in place of bleach, follow these instructions instead.

1. Put six ice cubes in your garbage disposal with the disposal and water off.
2. Pour in 1/2 cup of baking soda.
3. Add 1 cup of white vinegar. Let the baking soda and vinegar fizz for 10 minutes.
4. Slowly pour boiling water down the drain.
5. To eliminate the vinegar smell, grind some lemons in your garbage disposal.

Do you feel like your disposal starts to smell before it’s it? That probably means there is food stuck in your garbage disposal. Practice good garbage disposal care and maintenance to avoid food buildup. Run water while you use it. Let your faucet run for a few seconds before turning on your garbage disposal, while you use it, and for a few seconds after.

The running water allows food particles to wash down the drain, rather than building up in the disposal. Occasionally grind some ice. If you’re short on time or baking soda, grinding ice will help break apart food buildup. It won’t disinfect or freshen your garbage disposal, but it can reduce the need to deep clean it.

Many garbage disposals can grind almost anything. Some food waste doesn’t go down so easily, leading to buildup and eventually odors. No fat, grease, or oil should ever go down the drain. congeal in the pipes and cause clogs. Even fatty foods like peanut butter and dairy products can contribute to a grease clog.

1. Avoid starchy foods.
2. Starch leads to clumps.
3. Think about what happens when you mash potatoes.
4. Putting starchy foods like potatoes or grains in your garbage disposal can cause a clog.
5. Stringy foods can tangle and clog.
6. Certain foods are stringy or fibrous, like asparagus, celery, and,
7. Their lack of significant mass can cause them to get tangled up in the garbage disposal rather than processed.

No one likes the smell of rotting asparagus in their kitchen! Coffee grounds and eggshells cause problems in large amounts. These two food wastes are frequent visitors to the garbage disposal. However, they don’t break down quickly. They collect in your garbage disposal, leading to an odor of last month’s breakfast.

1. If you think you have a clog, that’s not the end of your garbage disposal.
2. You’re unlikely to get a clog with proper use and maintenance.
3. Luckily, removing a clog shouldn’t be difficult.
4. Turn off the power to your garbage disposal,
5. The easiest way to do this is to turn off the power from the main circuit panel in your home.

If you can reach the outlet that the disposal is plugged into, you can unplug it instead. Look into the disposal with a flashlight to find the clog. Using a set of tongs, forceps, or pliers, gently remove the clog once you find it. Be careful not to damage the garbage disposal’s impellers (the mechanisms that break down food). © 2022 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. : How To Clean Your Garbage Disposal

Is it safe to pour vinegar down the garbage disposal?

Garbage disposals have become a constant in modern kitchens thanks to their ability to simplify the entire meal clean-up process. Many people, however, still don’t know how to use their garbage disposals efficiently. Here are seven ways you can learn more about your disposal and maximize its performance.

Pasta, potatoes, rice, and beans should never go down the disposal. Even small amounts of these starchy items can quickly become swollen with water and clog up your disposal. Avoid putting these foods down your garbage disposal in order to keep it running smoothly. Your disposal shouldn’t be cleaned with bleach or drain cleaners. These chemicals are too strong for your garbage disposal and can actually cause damage to a garbage disposal’s blades and pipes over time. Baking soda, vinegar, boiling water, and ice are better for your garbage disposal or look for natural cleaning products that won’t harm your disposal system. Lemons and limes are great for cleaning your garbage disposal. After you’ve finished with your usual garbage disposal cleaning routine, place halves of lemon or lime in the disposal and run it. This will not only help to clean the disposal but will also give it a fresh, citrusy scent. For further details about this drain cleaning process, check out these Apartment Therapy instructions. Unless you’re cleaning the disposal, you should never use hot water. If your garbage disposal becomes clogged, don’t reach for the hot water knob. Hot water will only make clogs worse by causing the clogged food to form a paste that is difficult to remove from the disposal. Always opt for using cold water in your disposal unless you’re cleaning your system. If your disposal is taking longer than usual to break food down, it needs repairs. It’s likely that the disposal blades are dull or that there is some kind of electrical issue. A professional can sharpen the blades and ensure that every part of the disposal is still running smoothly. If your disposal is more than a few years old, it probably needs this maintenance. You should replace your disposal if you have to reset it before every use. Garbage disposals have reset buttons for a reason, and it may not be abnormal to have to flip the breaker to get your disposal to work every once in a while, but these instances should be exceptions and not the rule. If you have to reset and flip the breaker switch all the time, then your disposal may not be wired correctly, or it may just be too old to work efficiently. Consult a plumber or electrician to discuss replacement. If your water isn’t running, your garbage disposal shouldn’t be running, either. Always turn on cold water before you turn the disposal on and begin putting items down the drain. Additionally, you should keep the water running for a few minutes after you turn the disposal off – this will rise out any excess food waste left in the disposal.

Use these tips in your own kitchen to prolong the life of your disposal. If you have questions or concerns about your garbage disposal, contact HB Home to set up an appointment with a professional. We serve homes in Central PA and Baltimore (Baltimore County, Carroll County, and Howard County).

Is it OK to pour bleach down a garbage disposal?

Things to Never Put Down a Garbage Disposal & Maintenance Tips – The most important rule of thumb is to avoid putting anything in the garbage disposal that is not biodegradable food. A garbage disposal is not a trash can, it’s for food scraps only. Non food items can damage both blades and the motor. When in doubt, throw it out!

Don’t grind glass, plastic, metal or even paper. Don’t grind anything combustible. Don’t grind cigarette butts Don’t pour grease, oil or fat into your garbage disposal or drain. Grease will slowly accumulate and impede your garbage disposal’s grinding ability as well as clog drains. Don’t use hot water when grinding food waste. Hot water will cause grease to liquefy and accumulate, causing drains to clog. Don’t grind extremely fibrous material like corn husks, celery stalks, onion skins, and artichokes. Fibers from these materials can tangle and cause a clogged garbage disposal. Fibrous materials can jam the garbage disposal motor and block drains, Don’t turn off the motor or water until grinding is completed. When grinding is complete, turn off the the garbage disposal first. Let water continue to run for at least 15 seconds, flushing out any remaining particles. Then turn off water. Don’t put too many potato peels down the garbage disposal. The starches in the potatoes will turn into a thick paste and may cause blades to stick. Don’t put large amounts of food down the garbage disposal. Feed food into the garbage disposal a little at a time with the cold water running; this will help the food scraps flow down freely through the drain pipes and plumbing. Don’t put expandable foods into your garbage disposal. Foods like pasta and rice expand when you add water in a pot; they do the same thing once inside your pipes or garbage disposal and are the cause of many jams and clogs. Don’t grind large animal bones (beef, pork etc.). Avoid putting coffee grounds down the garbage disposal. They won’t harm the garbage disposal and they’ll actually help eliminate odors. However, they can accumulate in drains and pipes, causing clogs. Best to avoid. Don’t use harsh chemicals like bleach or drain cleaners. They can damage blades and pipes. Borax is a natural sink cleaner and sanitizer that effectively works on odor-causing mold and mildew that accumulates in garbage disposals. (See more below).

Tips & Insights:

Can you pour boiling water down garbage disposal?

Extending the Life of Your Garbage Disposal Your garbage disposal is a lifesaver. It is a remarkably quick and convenient way to dispose of food waste. In fact, many garbage disposals can withstand years of daily use without a beat. But how do you keep the not-so-silent hero of your kitchen healthy? If properly monitored and maintained, your garbage disposal can dodge the serious problems for years to come.

Continue reading for best practices and tips for extending the life of your garbage disposal. Run Cold Water During Use The cool shock from cold water will cause the food that is in your drain to harden. This is ideal, since hardened food is much easier for your garbage disposal to grind up. Many people get in the habit of running hot water down their drain, however we advise against using hot water for your garbage disposal as the high temperature can melt your food waste.

Melted food waste will adhere to the pipes of your sink and garbage disposal, which in turn can cause a clog or a more serious issue. Watch What Goes Down the Drain Certain materials should never come in contact with your garbage disposal. Obviously, metals and plastics should be thrown away instead of shredded down the drain.

Metal objects Plastic objects Fats Oils Grease Fibrous vegetables (like celery) Bones Wooden objects Glass objects

Add Some Citrus Now, time for something that we encourage putting in your garbage disposal: citrus fruits! Whenever you peel a lemon, lime, or orange, toss that peel down the drain of your sink and let your garbage disposal work its magic. The peel will help to eliminate some of the food waste that is stuck to the blades and interior of the garbage disposal.

Additionally, the fresh scent will suppress any odors coming from the garbage disposal. Occasionally Use Boiling Water Remember when we said that hot water is not the best option for garbage disposal use? That remains true. However, if you are trying to wash away any excess food stuck in your system, a pot of boiling water down the drain once a month will do the job.

Keep in mind, the heat does cause the food that is in your garbage disposal to melt, which can cause clogs. It is imperative that you do not pour boiling water down your drain more than recommended. Keep It Running Many people will shut off the garbage disposal after they hear a change in sound, generally indicating that the food is gone.

• This method will leave bits and pieces of your food waste in the disposal, which after time can cause a clog.
• To avoid this issue, we recommend running the disposal for an extra two minutes with cool, running water.
• This ensures that all pieces of food waste are eliminated down the drain.
• As an added aspect of protection, pump a small amount of dish soap into the disposal.

The grease-fighting powers of the dish soap will both clean the disposal and finish the job by sweeping away any stubborn pieces of food waste. For more tips on how to maintain the plumbing in your home, or to speak with a professional about your garbage disposal issues, call The WireNut today! : Extending the Life of Your Garbage Disposal

Is water supposed to sit in garbage disposal?

Cold Running Water –

• It is recommended to use cool or cold water when the garburator is running.
• You should keep the water on for ten seconds before and after using a garbage disposal to help carry waste down the drain.
• Without running water, it might lead to a clog or give off a bad odour if scraps get stuck to the bottom of the garburator.
• It is also important to note that cold water will help carry any unexpected fat down the drain pipes, preventing you from any future headaches.

What are the do’s and don’ts of a garbage disposal?

DON’Ts – Don’t put fats, oil and grease down the drain or in the garbage disposal. These materials (known as FOG) solidify in the sewer and cause blockages and sewer overflows. Materials like bacon grease, oil, and other fats should be poured into an empty metal can and allowed to cool and solidify.

1. Then you can dispose of the can in the trash.
2. If there is a small amount of oil or grease in the pan, you can wipe the pan out with a paper towel to remove the grease before washing.
3. Find out more about FOG and how to prevent backups.
4. Don’t put hazardous materials, such as paint, unneeded medicine, motor oil, pesticides, solvents, and other cleaners, down the garbage disposal.

Don’t put hard or fibrous materials, such as seeds, corn cobs, bones, egg shells, or flower stems down your garbage disposal. These items can damage your disposal. They should be composted or thrown in the trash.

Do ice cubes clean garbage disposal?

DO clean your garbage disposal with ice cubes. – It’s dangerous to stick your hand down next to those blades to clean them. Fortunately, there’s a much easier way. Simply run a few ice cubes through the garbage disposal. The action of grinding up the ice cleans the blades and helps to dislodge any bits of food that have gotten stuck in the components.

What mixture to clean garbage disposal?

To deep clean your disposal, use cups of ice, white vinegar and rock salt. Fill your garbage disposal with ice cubes. Adding a cup of vinegar and salt to give it that extra cleaning oomph will dislodge all the gunky residue. Run the disposal with warm water so the ice is ground into a slushy mixture.

Can I put a dishwasher tablet in the garbage disposal?

Dishwasher Cleaner – Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner Review Media Platforms Design Team

• With the holiday

season fast approaching, your kitchen is going to be in overdrive. You’ve probably already cleaned the stove and cleared out the fridge, but your deserves a cleaning as well. After many uses, trapped food and mineral buildup can cause odors and prevent your dishwasher from running effectively and efficiently.

To help keep your dishwasher in tip-top shape, give your dishwasher a cleaning with ($6). With 2 easy steps, you’ll have a fresher dishwasher. Simply remove any dishes (no need to remove the racks) and place one tablet in the main detergent tray and one in the bottom of the dishwasher. Then run the dishwasher on the heavy-duty cycle with hot water to release the tablets’ oxygenated bubbles and dislodge food residue and mineral deposits.

The tablets can also be used in the garbage disposal.

1. Now that your dishwasher is ready to go, here are ways to keep your dinnerware in great shape for
2. the holidays.

If your china or holiday dishes haven’t been used since last year, run them through a rinse only cycle (link to GH right & wrong ways to load a dishwasher) to freshen them.

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Don’t spend countless hours polishing your silver; here is the, After dinner try to wash sterling silverware as soon as possible. Food left on the silver can permanently stain and damage the pieces.

Check out our past cleaning products of the month:,,, : Dishwasher Cleaner – Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner Review

How do you deodorize a garbage disposal?

1. Use Natural Remedies –

Baking Soda and White Vinegar: One of the greenest ways of freshening your garbage disposal is to pour ¼ cup of baking soda in it, then add a cup of white vinegar. The bubbling reaction naturally kills bacteria and germs that cause odor. Let it bubble for a few minutes and then run some water through the disposal. This method also cleans away mineral deposits that can be harboring smelly germs. Borax: This is a powerful mineral that cleans and destroys odor. Use a half cup of borax in your garbage disposal once a week to keep in smelling fresh. Salt and Ice: When used together, salt and ice clean all the gunk out of the disposal that is responsible for the awful odors. It also cleans the disposal blades well. Mouthwash: Many people do not know that the original mouthwash started out as an antiseptic treatment to sterilize surgery tools. If mouthwash can kill germs that cause bad breath, it will work just as well in the garbage disposal. Just rinse your disposal with a cup of mouthwash whenever it needs to be refreshed.

How do you clean a garbage disposal without vinegar?

5. Borax – One of the best garbage disposal cleaners may already be under your sink. Borax is a natural laundry booster used in many household cleaning products. To clean your garbage disposal, simply sprinkle a few tablespoons of Borax into the unit, then run cold water for about 30 seconds.

Can vinegar clog sink?

In Summary – So, is it safe to say that you should avoid using a baking soda and vinegar mixture to clear up clogged drains? The answer is yes. While the baking soda and vinegar solution is effective in breaking down a clog, it will also cause your drain to become more damaged.

The baking soda’s abrasive nature will wear down your drain over time. This is why you should avoid using baking soda and vinegar solution for cleaning out your drain. Are you looking to eliminate plumbing problems and clogged drains for good? Look no further than our complete ‘Shroom drain protection line! We have award-winning solutions for every drain in your home.

More Articles from The Shroom Company Do-It-Yourself Solutions for a Slow Flushing Toilet The Best Bathroom Gadgets for Stress-Free Routines 5 Common Plumbing Problems and How To Avoid Them Your Daily and Weekly Cleaning Routine: Supplies and Tips Disclosure: Links in this article are affiliate links to Amazon products.

Why put salt in garbage disposal?

Find out whether the popular garbage disposal cleaning hack from TikTok actually works—and get some expert tips on how to do it better. Published on May 22, 2020 If you notice an unpleasant aroma coming from your otherwise clean kitchen, there’s a good chance your garbage disposal is to blame.

• This tough-to-clean area can harbor unseen food scraps, grease, mold, and bacteria, creating an unpleasant odor that can be difficult to eliminate.
• However, a kitchen cleaning hack that has recently gone viral on TikTok suggests you only need a few ice cubes and a bit of hot water to clean a garbage disposal.

-Oxford-/Getty Images These garbage disposal hack videos, such as this one posted by @dm3lt, show users pushing ice cubes down the kitchen sink drain, turning on the disposal, and running hot water down the sink. This often results in dark, dirty water surging up from the drain, which many assume is the odor-causing grime being lifted from the dirty disposal and drain.

• But is that really what’s happening here? Mark Dawson, chief operating officer at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, warns this hack might not be as effective as you think.
• While ice cubes have always been noted as a source for cleaning a disposal, that doesn’t necessarily mean the viral hack is doing what homeowners expect: removing the unpleasant smell,” he says.

Ice cubes can help sharpen the disposal blades and remove food scraps stuck underneath them, but without adding a deodorizing agent, such as lemon, the odor could persist. Dawson also notes that using too many ice cubes could cause bigger issues. “With the amount of ice stuffed down the disposal in the video, homeowners can simply be clogging their drain line, which results in the black water backing up into the sink,” he says.

1. The hot water step is another potentially problematic element of this cleaning method.
2. You should only run your garbage disposal with the tap on cold, as hot water can break down oils and fats trapped in the drain and result in a clog.
3. Pouring grease and oils down the drain should always be avoided, but should a small amount inevitably end up in your drain, cold water will keep the fat solid and allow it to pass through your pipes more easily,” Dawson says.

To clean your garbage disposal the proper way, combine ice with salt, which helps scrub the blades clean, and lemon to neutralize odors and create a fresh scent. Fill the disposal with ice cubes, a sprinkle of coarse salt such as rock or sea salt, and a few lemon wedges.

How do you clean a garbage disposal without baking soda?

3. Ice cubes and salt – Have you seen the Tiktok videos of how to clean a garbage disposal with ice? Of course you have but does it work? Gummy, sticky, or stuck-on food particles — and their moldy odors — are no match for the power of ice cubes and salt (ideally rock salt), which work together as a powerful, odor-fighting scrub.

How do you freshen a garbage disposal with lemon?

Cut a lemon or lime in half. With the water on and the garbage disposal running, add the fruit halves, one at a time, to the disposal. The fruit will help clean and deodorize your drain.

Why are coffee grounds bad for garbage disposal?

5 things to avoid putting down the garbage disposal ‘Tis the season for gatherings centered on good food and good company. And with all the focus on meal prep during the holidays, your garbage disposal is sure to be working overtime — making it prone to breaking down at the worst possible moment.

• Save yourself the hassle of a clogged drain, and the average $211 it could take to fix it, by keeping these five common items out of the garbage disposal: 1.
• Bones and shells Your garbage disposal is tough, but grinding things like turkey bones, chicken wings, and clam and oyster shells can dull or break the blades and jam the unit, causing the motor to burn out.

While one or two occasional stray bones won’t hurt, it’s best to throw all bones and shells in the trash.2. Celery and other fibrous vegetables The fibrous strands found in vegetables like celery, asparagus, kale and pumpkins can get tangled around your garbage disposal’s blades, jamming the motor and causing drain clogs.

These present less of a problem when they’re chopped up, but it’s generally a good idea to throw all fibrous vegetables — and things like stringy corn husks and banana peels — into the garbage or compost pile.3. Potato peels The skins from the potatoes you’ve peeled for your famous garlic mash can create a sticky, starchy paste in the disposal that causes the blades to stick.

What’s more, thin skins can make it past the disposal altogether, catching and clogging the drain. A few peels are OK here and there, but a heap will nearly certainly build up.4. Coffee grounds Coffee grounds won’t hurt your disposal, per se. They’ll actually go down easy and even smell good doing it.

But once they get further, they can accumulate like they would in a coffee filter, creating an obstruction in the pipes. Coffee grounds are best disposed of in the compost pile or the trash. Better yet, pour them into the soil of your garden or indoor pots to give your plants a boost.5. Grease Avoid putting oil and grease down your garbage disposal, as they can solidify in the pipes and create an obstruction.

Additionally, grease can decay in your pipes, causing a foul odor — and greasy foods can distribute a film over blades, making them less effective. Tips to keep your disposal running smoothly: — Cut large items into smaller pieces and resist the urge to overstuff your garbage disposal.

1. Run cold water when using the disposal.
2. This will solidify and grind any grease before it’s allowed to clog your pipes.
3. For good measure, continue running the water a few seconds after turning the disposal off.
4. Clean your disposal occasionally using disposal cleaning drops, a few citrus peels or ice cubes made of vinegar.

Avoid using drain cleaners or bleach in your garbage disposal. And if you do encounter a problem? A lot of the issues you’ll run into with a garbage disposal can be easily fixed. If you flip the switch and hear silence, for example, there’s a good chance your garbage disposal has overheated.

In this case, pushing the red reset button on the side of the unit under the sink may do the trick. If the unit is making noise but not working, it may be jammed. Try turning off circuit breakers to the unit and removing the bottom housing to dislodge the blockage from underneath. (Never stick your hand into the grinding chamber.) If neither of these issues seems to be the problem, it’s best to call a professional to assess the situation.

: 5 things to avoid putting down the garbage disposal

How do I get rid of bacteria in my garbage disposal?

Step 2: Baking soda and vinegar – Pour about 1/2 cup baking soda (more or less) into the disposal. Follow with 1 cup white vinegar and get ready for a show. Allow this non-toxic combo to fizz and bubble for at least 15 minutes. During this time the acidity of the solution will kill bacteria, even salmonella, and E. coli.

How do you clean a garbage disposal without taking it apart?

3. Baking soda and vinegar – Clean your garbage disposal with baking soda and vinegar for a pristine appliance.

Sprinkle about a half-cup of baking soda into the disposal, followed by a cup of white or apple cider vinegar. Let the mixture bubble up and sit for five to ten minutes. Turn on the disposal and run cold water to distribute the mixture and flush it through the unit.