When it comes to kitchen clean-up, the humble garbage disposal is one of our hardest-working appliances. However, garbage disposals are prone to problems, particularly odors, and keeping them clean without damaging the blades and other components can be a challenge.

Tips for cleaning a garbage disposal are abundant on the internet, including a popular hack: grinding lemons in the disposal blades to freshen a smelly drain. But does lemon actually work to clean a garbage disposal? The answer is yes and no. While lemon has uses, as with other garbage disposal cleaning hacks, there are drawbacks to using it to clean a garbage disposal.

How Lemon Works to Deodorize a Garbage Disposal

When people say, “Use lemon to clean a garbage disposal,” what they really mean is, “Use lemon to deodorize a garbage disposal.” The distinction lies in the difference between cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing. While related, each refers to something different. Cleaning is the act of removing dirt and germs from a surface, whereas disinfecting kills germs. Deodorizing refers to the elimination of odors and odor-causing bacteria. 

Enter: The lemon

Lemons contain citric acid, which has antibacterial and antiseptic properties, and the oil found in lemon peels acts as a degreaser. The combination of lemon’s antibacterial acids and its degreasing power makes it effective at combating two of the most common problems that plague garbage disposals: odors and clogs caused by greasy or oily buildup in the drain.

Sending a bit of lemon down the drain and grinding it in the garbage disposal will remove odors and grease by helping to release stuck-on food and other debris from the grinder blades. However, it is best used as a preventative or maintenance measure to keep odors and buildup at bay.

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The Right Way to Use Lemon to Deodorize a Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals are not trash cans, and they can be easily damaged by improper use, so it's important to use a lemon the right way. As a general rule, bear in mind that garbage disposals are meant to handle soft food waste. 

Pits, even small ones like lemon pits, are among the things that should never go in a garbage disposal. Experts also recommend avoiding putting fruit pulp or skins in the garbage disposal to prevent clogs and damage to the blades. When using lemon to deodorize a garbage disposal, it is important to send only small slices of lemon down the drain, ensuring they do not contain pits.

BHG cleaning editor Halee Miller Van Ryswyk shared this trick she uses as part of her sink cleaning routine, “Any time I cut up lemons for a drink or meal, I cut one into wedges and send them down the garbage disposal with some ice cubes, and sometimes a bit of coarse salt. This helps loosen up anything smelly that might be stuck to the blades. Be sure to keep the water running until all of the lemons and ice are through the disposal.”

How to Deep Clean and Deodorize a Garbage Disposal

While lemon can be used to keep a garbage disposal free of odors and can help wick buildup off the blades, when strong odors develop, deeper cleaning is called for.

A garbage-disposal cleaning tablet is a good way to deep-clean a disposal. Other methods for deep cleaning a garbage disposal include using baking soda and vinegar, mouthwash, or a mild chlorine bleach solution. Using ice is another popular method for cleaning a garbage disposal, but experts warn that overloading a drain with ice can clog the drain line, causing backups, and point out that ice, on its own, does not have deodorizing or odor-eliminating properties.

If, after deep cleaning the garbage disposal, an odor persists, it is a sign that your drain line needs maintenance. To clean the drain line, remove the drain cover and scrub the interior of the pipe with a flexible pipe brush and a solution of equal parts chlorine bleach and water.