I routinely remove the back rubber thingy that sits in the drain and use an old toothbrush to clean the inside of the disposal and then use the packet of stuff that you put in the disposal, running hot water while it runs. Really does do a great job and isn't messy to do. Often times I will pour baking soda down in the disposal and run hot water and if I have a part of a lemon left over, I will drop it in there and grind it up. I am amazed how many people don't know you can remove the rubber piece - at least in all the disposals I have ever had you could.

thanks for the hint.

I didn't know you could remove it. It would be my luck to pull on it and not be able to put it back. I have the urge to cut it a bit because it is so tight, water drains slowly. If I push the rubber, it runs out fast.

I take with me a sandwich bag when eating out, for leftover lemon slices, from my water, etc. Then I freeze them for cleaning my disposal.

I do exactly what you do, Boston [BTW...I'm a displaced native Bostonian.]....minus the hot water. Most disposal manufacturers surprisingly recommend hot water NOT be used when running the unit. I can't stand the thought of all that slime in my sink but apparently the gunk he was talking about was below the blades/fly wheel area and not easily accessed. Of course...my unit had outlived its usefulness so perhaps that's why I began to have the unpleasant aroma. But...also discovering rotten debris settlement in the outflow drainage line was rather a shock, as well. I'm lucky. My outflow line is clear. I shudder to think what it might have been like had the line been black in color.

Anne

My plumber (a gem) told me once a week do the floowing three steps: 1. Pour half a box of baking soda down the sink drain, 2. Add a quart of vinegar-any kind will do, white or apple cider, let it fizz, then step 3-run some hot hot water down the drain for a few minutes. It woeks without chemicals. Keeps the drain from smelling. I've been doing this for six years, when we last had our kitchen remodeled. We have a cesspool as our plumbing system. we don't have sewers in this area of Long Island. But every time it comes up for a vote, I vote to build sewers.

Unfortunately the new disposals(or at least mine)seem to be made with the rubber gasket permanently fixed in place. In my other house, I took the gasket out and scrubbed it but can't do it to this one. I use an old battery operated toothbrush and scrub around and underneath as much as I can - it seems to do okay but not as efficient or clean as the older ones. Apparently another case of making things "safer" but not as user friendly.

Hi Anne! Thanks, but I haven't had a garbage disposal since the kitchen was remodeled in 2002. Nice try, though. ;-)

Glad you like my kitchen......and glad you solved your sink problem.

When we moved here 4 years ago we installed a disposal that had a permanently attached black gasket. Whoever designed that sure wasn't thinking! Trying to clean it was a PITA. So when it went kaput we bought a new one and I made sure it had a gasket that could be taken out and cleaned. They still have them--just have to look a little.

Thanks, Susan. Hey...I gave it my best shot! ;-)

However, despite the fact that you did away with that particular in sink appliance doesn't rule out the fact that there could be rotted debris resting in the elbow of your sink drain. If your son's handy...have him open the trap the next time you notice an odor. It's worth a look-see.

Anne

I bought this for my bathroom sink. Dollar Tree had them couple years ago and use it often. Comes in two lengths.

Know it won't work for a disposal, but just sharing my find.

{{gwi:1825533}}

My rubber gasket thing doesn't remove, either, and neither did my last one, I think it depends on the brand. I'm not squeamish so I stick my hand down into the unit and use my fingernails to scrape off all the gunk that sticks to the bottom of the rubber. I also fish out things that don't belong down there, things that got past us, like olive pits, cherry pits, etc.

I used to grind up a piece of lime every day, leftover from a drink, but the bottom rotted out of the not-too-old disposal and we think that it might have been because of the citric acid. So now I only grind a piece occasionally. I use ice as an abrasive sometimes.

You can find garbage disposal cleaners in big box grocery stores or your local hardware store. The one I have experience with comes in the form of a small cake (The size of a small bar of soap). To use, run hot water until the flow warms up, throw a cake into the disposal and turn it on. It will froth and fill the disposal with a sudsy foam. Shut off the disposer and water and wait for a period of time (refer to the instructions). Next, flush with hot water and run the disposal. This will clear out a lot of gunk. Perform as needed, maybe once a month, or until you think it needs it again.

I use Plink to clean the garbage disposal. They are marble sized balls and I get them at BB&B. Use a coupon. I also will dump the ice tray into the disposal until it is full and run the disposal to scrub the sides of the disposal. One disposal I had said not to run the disposal with hot water as it will soften the food that you are trying to grind up and make it harder for the disposal to work; use only cold water to grind the garbage. Otherwise, hot water is just fine.

As a retired Plumber I have read all of these posts with great interest, and to tell the truth, I am amazed at how much mis-information ppl have about disposals.

First off, Ann-ct says her disposal has a clear plastic drainage hose...if that is so you should run, don't walk to the nearest phone and call your plumber, then tell him to get his sorry butt over to your house and install it correctly. The plumbing Code is very explicit on how a disposal is to be installed and under no conditions does it allow any hose, clear or otherwise.

Next, contrary to popular belief, there are no "cutters" in a disposal. When you look down the throat of the disposal you can see a flat plate in the bottom and there are two oblong shaped pieces of metal attached to that plate that most ppl think are cutters, but they are not cutters, in fact, they have no sharp edges. Those two pieces are slingers and their function is to sling the material against the inner wall of the disposal by centrifigal force as the grinding wheel rotates.

If you look close you will see that the plate in the bottom is round and around the outside edge it appears to have vertical holes drilled down between the plate and the inner wall of the disposal body. Any material entering the disposal is pulled down in that crevice between the spinning wheel and the disposal body and it is shredded by the sharp edges on the sides of those vertical holes. The shredded material is then slung out through the disposal discharge port and into your drain line.

The manufacturers recommended way to clean a disposal is to fill it with ice cubes, then turn the cold water on and run the motor until the ice is gone.

To minimize odor a disposal should be run for at least 30 seconds after it has finished grinding the material you have fed into it, and the cold water should continue to run full force until you turn the disposal off. In this manner the spinning grinder wheel will forcefully clean the cutting edges and flush the remaining debris out of the disposal.

To sanitize it and further prevent odor about once a week you should fill the sink 1/2 full of cold water and add a cup of laundry bleach, then turn the disposal on and let the bleach water flow through it.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you ever put your hand in the disposal any lower than the bottom of the rubber flappers on the input opening. If a disposal should happen to jam and you reach in and clear the jam it could start turning and it could rip your hand off before you could pull it out.

If you happen to have a jam and the machine stops look under the sink. Your disposal should be electrically connected by means of a cord with a standard electrical plug on the end and plugged into a dedicated outlet which is connected to your switch.

Begin by pulling the plug to make sure the unit cannot start while your attempting to clear the jam.

On the bottom in the center of the motor housing you will see a recessed socket that has a recessed hex hole. That hole is on the bottom end of the motor shaft and if you insert a disposal wrench into that hole you can manually rock the motor shaft back and forth, which in turn will rotate the cutter wheel back and forth to clear the jam.

Here is an illustration I made to help you understand my text.....

NOTE: The disposal wrenches come packed in a new disposal kit and they generally have a vinyl plastic pocket with a peel & stick backing. When you install a disposal you are supposed to peel the backing and stick that little vinyl pocket on the side of the disposal body, then insert the wrench in the pocket where it will be handy if you need it, but more often than not they either get tossed in the kitchen junk drawer and it is anybodies guess where it is if you need it, or even worse yet, the installer just figures its one of those useless little extras that are always left over from a DIY project and they throw it away. Fortunately you can get a replacement disposal wrench at any hardware store for about $1. If you don't have a disposal wrench handy, that hole is a standard size and will accept a standard Allen Hex Key wrench. (ask your plumber and he/she probably has a half dozen of them loose in their toolbox or truck. Most will just give you one) If you don't have the little pouch for the wrench just use a little bit of tape and tape the wrench to the electrical cord.

After you clear the jam use a flashlight and look down in the throat of the disposal to see if you can find what caused the jam. If you can see it, use a pair of needle nose pliers to reach it out. ( I have a fishermans hook remover that has a pistol grip on one end and a small set of jaws on the other end. It is about a foot long and when you reach in you can squeeze the pistol grip and the jaws close grabbing whatever caused the jam.

After you have the disposal moving freely again, plug it in, turn the water on and turn the disposal on. It should run fine, but if it does not run it may have popped the built in overload protector. Look on the bottom of the disposal once again and you will find a small red "reset buttton" that will be popped out. Press the button and you will feel it click into place. The overload is now reset and you can test it again. This time it should work fine.

NOW LADIES- here is the tough part that almost all DIY'ers overlook.......sit down at the kitchen table with your favorite beverage, coffee, tea, etc and take out a small piece of paper and a pen. Now write a bill for a service call for $25 or $30. Now mark the bill paid, then take the money out of the household budget and go shopping...LOL

OK Lazy...I have the schematic right in front of me for my new Insinkerator Badger 5 and the clear plastic drainage line that I referred to above is the "discharge tube mount" which apparently is the line connected to my dishwasher. It is a drain line...of sorts...and I don't know how else to technically describe it. I'm assuming that the waste from the dishwasher goes into the disposal through this clear hose...and is then disbursed out through the discharge tube into the drain trap. Yes?

Although my talents are diverse...plumbing isn't one of them....but I'm learning. ;-)

Anne

Thanks lazypup for the explanation and great graphics. Will definitely not put my hand back in the diposer again!
I use a baby bottle brush (from a dollar store) to clean the inside of my rubber gasket.
Kathy G in MI

Ok Anne,,,your fine,,,I was envisioning a plastic hose on the output side of the disposal...

I have made another illustration to show the correct way to connect a disposal on both a single and double sink.

I also noted how the dishwasher line is to be installed.

Now, while we are on the subject of dishwashers, the dishwasher could also be the source of the odor.

Underneath the floor pan of your dishwasher there is a sump that holds the water before it goes into the dishwasher pump. There is also an electric heating element in that sump that boosts the water temperature up a bit.

Years ago the sump was open and visible and everyone used to complain about water standing in the bottom of the dishwasher. That standing water is required by the dishwasher because it keeps the motor seal wet and when the heating element is on it protects the seal from getting overheated and drying out.

To lessen the number of complaints about that water the manufacturers have now installed a floor plate above the sump so you cannot see the water, but it is there....LOL

If the dishwasher is not used regularly that water can sour and cause a foul smell. If you don't care to use a dishwasher you should still run it through one cycle about once a week to change the water and pour about a 1/4cup of bleach in the dishwasher to sanitize the water.

Also remember that a dishwasher has a small cutter in the pump called a mecerator. The purpose of that macerator it to chop up any large pieces of food stuffs before they go into the drain line. If your dishwasher discharges into a disposal you should run the disposal about 30 seconds after running your last load of dishes to make sure that any food particles from the dishwasher are cleared out of the disposal.

Here is another illustration I just made for you....

Wow, lazypup, that's a great explanation! Do you mind if I print it out for future reference? I've got to say though, a service these days is closer to $100, at least in my neck of the woods.

I am placing those illustrations in the public domain so you may feel free to copy it. The only thing ask is that you don't sell it or use it to enhance a DIY book...LOL

Thanks for the tip about the dishwasher, Lazy. That's invaluable. I do run it about once a week...or every 5 days. More often if I fill it sooner. I've never noticed an aroma in it but I will take your advice about the bleach. I should mention that my sink aroma is completely gone now that the old disposal has been replaced so I'm attributing the fowl aroma to the refuse that had collected in the poorly operating old disposal.

However...one last question if you will be so kind. My dishwasher drain line does have the high loop from the base of the dishwasher up but experience has taught me that the descending loop into the disposal must not be too deep or I get the refuse buildup in that hose. Why does this hose need this configuration?

I did notice that the plumber added a few inches to the drain line elbow area. I'll have to investigate it further. Although I watched the entire installation...he wasn't the most talkative service person I've ever had in my home. ;-) Usually, I manage to get a substantial education from service people. This gent wasn't as helpful.

Thanks for your help.

Anne

Before I went through the plumbing apprenticeship I, like most homeowners, had the false notion that as long as it don't leak the plumbing is fine, but when I learned the real responsibility of plumbers it was a total eye opener.

Most homeowners are aware of the dangers of a mechanical, gas or electrical failure, but have you ever considered the repurcussions of improper plumbing? If your house is not framed correctly it could fall down and if the electrician or gas installer makes a mistake it could cause your house to burn down but notice, in all those instances only one house is at risk.

If your plumber makes a mistake it could result in sanitary drainage getting into the potable water supply and that could effect the health of the entire community at large. For that reason the plumbing codes are not building codes per se, but rather, they are health codes and in most communities the local plumbing inspector is a sworn enforcement officer for the health department. In fact, in my community the plumbing inspector wears a badge & firearm and he has the full authority to arrest both the homeowner & the plumber for major violations that could effect public health.

Now to answer your question about the "high loop". By arranging the line with a high loop it creates an air gap at the top of the loop so that contaminated sanitary water entering the disposal cannot be syphoned down into the dishwasher where it would be sprayed on your dishes & food handling equipment.

used to do ice cubes to help the disposal, too...also! make sure the clear plastic tube is long enough...learned that at ask this old house...

Well...upon further study of your details above and inspection of the plumbing work done regarding the installation of the new disposal...I must say this less than talkative plumber was worth every penny I paid him. I had quietly mentioned while leading the parade towards my kitchen that the sink area had some minor drainage "issues" in addition to needing the new disposal. I heard him quietly say..."I'll fix that."...but never realized what he'd done until you, Lazy, posted all your marvelous art work.

The 1/4 bends...from the disposal to the drainage pipe...were much too close to one another. He added about 3" between the two pieces. Viola! Life and water flow are much happier in my kitchen sink these days. Now...what really ruffles my feathers is that I've owned this townhouse for almost 24 years...and I bought it new. I know the craftsmen [?] that put it together...despite its escalated price tag...left something to be desired upon close inspection...but this error was just plain stupid and unnecessary.

Above and beyond the plumbing error you noted...affecting an entire water supply...incorrect plumbing might kill an occupant if it's not vented correctly and the traps aren't properly installed. Yes?

Thanks for the education, Lazy.

Anne

hey lazypup ~ are you still around? We have a sink *aroma* too ~ so I had my hubby read this thread & he thinks you may have shed some light on our problem.

He printed out your illustrations and then took pictures of what he THINKS you are talking about ~~ anyway, he wants to ask you for your opinion, so we'll post over on the plumbing forum instead of hijacking this one.

Thank you, lazypup! Very good of you to post.

Lefleur1...I studied your photo and put a complete answer to your post in the plumbing forum.