DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaning Ice Cubes

Did you know that it’s recommended to clean your garbage disposal 1 time per week or at least 2 times per month? Because I did not!

Being consistent with cleaning your garbage disposal is important to maintain a drain line that is free of debris. It will help to prevent clogging in your pipes that can be even more costly.

But the good news is that cleaning your garbage disposal is easy. Here’s a recipe to make your own DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaning Ice Cubes. They have a wonderful scent and are perfect for this weekly task. So let’s make them!

Supplies to Make Garbage Disposal Cleaning Ice Cubes

An Ice Cube Tray
Water
White Vinegar
Rosemary
Lemon Juice or Small Lemon Wedges

That is all you need. The supplies are simple and adjustable to what you have on hand.

For example you could substitute rosemary for a different fragrant herb or leave out the lemon or vinegar if you don’t have one or the other.

How to Make DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaning Ice Cubes

Fill each cube in your ice cube tray about 1/3 full with vinegar. Notice we didn’t give any measurements above? That’s because there can be a lot of variation with the volume that your ice cube tray can hold. And additionally, your recipe does not need to be precise! So just eyeball around 1/3 full with vinegar.

Next fill each cube in your ice cube tray with a tiny sprig of rosemary and tiny cuts of lemon. Remember you want these pieces to be small enough that your garbage disposal can grind them easily. And you only need a tiny piece of each because you will want your DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaning Ice Cubes to be mainly water and vinegar – or liquids.

Last, fill the remaining space in the ice cubes with water. That’s it! Now all you need to do is place the tray in the freezer overnight or until they are completely frozen.

Pro Tip: Make these DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaning Ice Cubes ahead of time and keep them in your freezer to have on hand any time you want to clean your garbage disposal.

How to Use Your DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaning Ice Cubes

When you are ready to clean your garbage disposal, start by removing any dishes and scrubbing your sink. Since the goal is cleaning, it’s best to start with clean dishes and a clean sink.

Scrub the rubber splash guard too. The rubber splash guard builds up with grime as well and if it’s not clean, your garbage disposal will not truly be clean.

I like to scrub a splash guard with a sponge that’s not used for dishes and Comet or any abrasive cleaner. Last, check the garbage disposal for any unwanted items like bottle caps or small spoons. You can never be too careful!

You will want to use around 2 cups of ice cubes with each garbage disposal cleaning. Depending on the size of the cubes, that could be a varied amount. Turn on your sink’s water to cold and place your ice cubes in the base of the sink near the garbage disposal.

Pro Tip: Some people prefer to NOT have water running while you are cleaning the garbage disposal, just using the ice cubes alone. You are welcome to try this and see what you prefer.

Turn your garbage disposal on and keep grinding with the sink’s water flowing until all the ice cubes are ground.

Some people like to add around 1/4 cup of coarse salt to the sink to help clean. But I don’t think it’s necessary when you are already including rosemary, vinegar and lemons!

Using this method clean the blades and can remove food debris that attracts bugs – especially fruit flies and gnats. It’s perfect for spring cleaning and is an affordable way to keep your sink clean! Looking for more spring cleaning ideas? Check out the tutorials below.