phew.... Chill Out Disposal!

[aRMY83]

Oh there's nothing like a glass of tea over ICE during those summer months! Did I say ICE? Well here is a tip for those darn disposals that needs to chill out with a bit of cleaning.

• IMPORTANT! Make sure the disposal is turned off either by it's wall switch receptacle or at the main electric panel!
  
• Grab a tray or large handful of ICE and slowly stuff it down the disposal, then.... turn on system and grind the ICE up like a snow cone and while running, allow some slow running (warm) water to flow in.
  
• Allow all the ICE to flush and now you should have one clean, chilled out disposal if done correctly.
  

Good luck!

[Tumbleweed]

Are you reading my mind? Just yesterday I was thinking my disposal was a bit smelly. I took a long handled scrub brush and did my normal cleaning but it still smelled and probably because the brush really isn't stiff enough to do a good cleaning and can't get under the impellers.

When I read your post I remembered reading about using ice and totally forgot. I think I also heard you can use rock salt but that makes me nervous. Seems salt could pit out the impellers but I may be wrong. I suppose if you really ran a lot of water to flush it all out it wouldn't.

Anyway, thanks so much for refreshing my memory...I had racked my brain trying to remember what to do and every time I got on the computer I had already forgotten I wanted to look that up.

I don't have ice in the house and I don't have an ice maker in my fridge so will have to run out and get some ice. But I'm definitely doing this in the next few days.

Thanks for this post. And now I'll go sip my cup of coffee. Sorry, not an ice tea drinker here.

[aRMY83]

A mind reader I'm not, but now you got myself on that one. Anyways, glad to have posted it here and hope it works for you and others. Keeping in mind tho, not always it's that disposal needing cleaned, but also that darn dishwasher that will send those nasty odors right up through the disposal.

Once a month I use a cup of distilled white vinegar and place it in the top rack (dishwasher empty) making sure that it is set at the heating cycle and run a complete wash through it. Not only does this clean it, but helps cut back on any odors. Listed is a great link for cleaning quick and easy:

Dishwasher Cleaning Quickly and Easily

[Tumbleweed]

I'm pretty certain my smelly sink is not from the dishwasher because it smells the same pretty much all the time, however, I have never used distilled white vinegar to give the dishwasher a good cleaning. I have ran it without anything in it just to give it a good wash-out. I'm not sure why I never thought of using vinegar as I use it for so many other things.

I'm curious as to why running it with the heating cycle is important. Just so it will dry pretty? lol

[aRMY83]

Aug 25, 2010 10:33:11 GMT -6 Tumbleweed said:

I'm curious as to why running it with the heating cycle is important. Just so it will dry pretty? lol

Water temperature

Scroll down to "Water temperature" and check this out. I can understand the reasoning of 'hot' even if not cleaning the dishwasher but just running a regular wash. Helps remove debris, grease and so much more that even the naked eye can't see.

p.s. and yes, "so it will dry pretty" lol lol and again, lol