PSA: clean garbage disposal with ice cubes trick (1 Viewer)

[offdee]

Anybody ever done this?

I came across it and gave it a try.....and damn, it works.  And damn, it's gross to see how dirty the disposal really is.

- Take out your automatic ice maker box from your freezer and just dump the whole contents into your sink

- Push ice cubes down into your drain to pack it where you can't push anymore in

- Turn on COLD water at HALF PRESSURE

- Start garbage disposal

- Just let it go and after about 20 seconds or so you'll start to see some brown water coming up from drain. 

- Stare at it in disgust

- After a while pack the rest of the cubes down into the drain and it may do another round of brown sludge.

- Just let it go (keep both water and disposal running) until it kind of clears itself...you'll know when that happens (kind of sucks everything in quickly to show the all clear)

 

[BobbyLayne]

Add a little baking soda & vinegar to get some foaming action + help with the smell. My sisters like to throw in a few slices of lemon or lemon juice for the latter.

 

[belljr]

or just cut a lemon in half and put it down the disposal

 

[ChiefD]

We quit using our garbage disposal about 8 years ago. All of our veggie waste goes into our compost pile. Anything else into the garbage. My house is 53 years old so it has cast iron drain pipes, and they really weren't designed for food waste. 

 

[offdee]

or just cut a lemon in half and put it down the disposal

Nope, not the same thing.

Just try the steps I posted in original post and you'll see.

 

[offdee]

We quit using our garbage disposal about 8 years ago. All of our veggie waste goes into our compost pile. Anything else into the garbage. My house is 53 years old so it has cast iron drain pipes, and they really weren't designed for food waste. 

Thanks for your service. :salute:

 

[belljr]

Nope, not the same thing.

Just try the steps I posted in original post and you'll see.

ive been doing the lemon and occasional baking soda for years   It never smells so i may or may not have sludge but dont really care that much 

 

[offdee]

ive been doing the lemon and occasional baking soda for years   It never smells so i may or may not have sludge but dont really care that much 

Weird stance.  All that it costs you to do it is some ice cubes and 2 mins of your time.  If nothing else just to see it in person.  Long run saves you some lemons and backing soda.

 

[belljr]

Weird stance.  All that it costs you to do it is some ice cubes and 2 mins of your time.  If nothing else just to see it in person.  Long run saves you some lemons and backing soda.

lol - i'm not taking a stance.....  I'm glad your cleaning method works

 

[offdee]

lol - i'm not taking a stance.....  I'm glad your cleaning method works

Guess you just don't want to waste the ice.

 

[belljr]

Guess you just don't want to waste the ice. my time 

 

[offdee]

  You'll spend more time buying and cutting up lemons.

 

[ProstheticRGK]

  You'll spend more time buying and cutting up lemons.

Did you take a new job as Head of PR for the powerful ice lobby? You seem really invested in this lifehack.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Personally, I need both the ice & the lemons for my alcohol consumption.

 

[-arcK-]

  You'll spend more time buying and cutting up lemons.

Or maybe he just throws in any used citrus fruits when the opportunity arises? We use lemon and lime juice all the time, and the husks are always thrown in the disposal.

 

[JaxBill]

now, now

You're both right (and wrong)

 

[BobbyLayne]

@offdee

Sometimes the people who need the most help won’t take it.



Wait, actually that’s a quote from A River Runs Through It. The point remains.

You did your best. If people want to live substandard, empty lives full of bacteria, fungus, mold & mildew - nothing we can do about that.

Fun factoid: garbage disposals were illegal in NYC for about 25 years (early 70s to late 90s) over concerns about the city’s old pipes. Though legal now, many apartment buildings still don’t allow them.

 

[beer 30]

I do it although infrequently. You all with smelly disposals, what the hell you doing over there? I've never had an issue with that.

 

[offdee]

Did you take a new job as Head of PR for the powerful ice lobby? You seem really invested in this lifehack.

They offered unlimited PTO. Had to take it.

 

[stbugs]

I do it although infrequently. You all with smelly disposals, what the hell you doing over there? I've never had an issue with that.

Me either but I’ve been doing ice in the disposal for years. I don’t try to shove so much in that it backs up (have seen that happen), just every so often if I have extra ice. My wife and kids like lemons so we do grind those here and there so that might be why there isn’t much smell. I also try to throw away most big stuff like chicken trimmings or egg shells or my kids eating a whole box of strawberries in one sitting and leaving dozens of strawberry tops in the sink.

 

[joffer]

yeah do it once a month.  some day I’m going to send a sample of the brown sludge to the lab

 

[belljr]

If you pee in the drain once a week the ammonia takes care of everything

 

[Toby2ElectricBugaloo]

Ice cubes are also the best way to reheat rice. 

Little chunks of frozen water: what can't they do?

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Just tried this and all the ice backed up and somehow all the jostling around knocked my plumbing loose and leaked water everywhere (slip joint setup may need to be adjusted)

 

[offdee]

Just tried this and all the ice backed up and somehow all the jostling around knocked my plumbing loose and leaked water everywhere (slip joint setup may need to be adjusted)

Oh come on! 

 

[dkp993]

Did you take a new job as Head of PR for the powerful ice lobby? You seem really invested in this lifehack.

They offered unlimited PTO. Had to take it.

I got on the wrong side of the ice lobbyist once, they caught me telling someone they didn’t need ice in a refrigerated drink.  Never again! Warm soda and no iced tea for a month.  No thank you!  

 

[belljr]

Dan I'll clear your pipes if you know what I mean, I'll even clean your disposal too if you know what I mean

 

[HellToupee]

Just tried this and all the ice backed up and somehow all the jostling around knocked my plumbing loose and leaked water everywhere (slip joint setup may need to be adjusted)

I was trying to figure out what could go wrong and here it is 

 

[Dan Lambskin]

I was trying to figure out what could go wrong and here it is 

dishwasher seems to be making an odd noise now too

 

[offdee]

dishwasher seems to be making an odd noise now too

 check your foundation for cracking. 

 

[NutterButter]

Does the brown sludge payoff come after the 2nd round b/c I just got a tiny bit at the end?   Did get a nice funky smell though.   Went ice with a healthy dose of lemon juice.  

 

[belljr]

IT'S ALL PIPES

 

[offdee]

Does the brown sludge payoff come after the 2nd round b/c I just got a tiny bit at the end?   Did get a nice funky smell though.   Went ice with a healthy dose of lemon juice.  

Did you pack the disposal before starting water or disposal?  Did you use cold water at only half pressure?

If you've never cleaned your disposal before, the payoff should come around the 20-30 second mark after starting water/disposal.

 

[NutterButter]

Did you pack the disposal before starting water or disposal?  Did you use cold water at only half pressure?

If you've never cleaned your disposal before, the payoff should come around the 20-30 second mark after starting water/disposal.

I followed all your instructions.  I've never cleaned it and its been about 6 years for this one.   About the 20 second mark after all the ice got chewed up is when I saw a little brown liquid come up but not very much.    I might not be a heavy user though.  Any big stuff goes into the trash.  I just use it so that I don't have to have that nasty strainer in the sink so its mostly small stuff.   

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Personally, I need both the ice & the lemons for my alcohol consumption.

Next they'll be telling us to dump a bottle of vodka and a bottle of tonic down the drain to really get things clean.

 

[grateful zed]

why not just put a whole lemon in?

 

[otb_lifer]

ghiaccio in più

 

[offdee]

why not just put a whole lemon in?

Gdamnit you guys!  I'm asking you to use free frozen water and 2 mins of your time.    Geezus H.

 

[offdee]

why not just put a whole lemon in?

And this isn't an issue with smell.  Mine didn't smell at all.  I just saw this trick and was curious so I decided to try it.     Looked like someone took a huge diarrhea dump in my sink for a couple minutes.

Lemons will just mask the smell.  This actually cleans the brown sludge out of the disposal and pipes.  I'm guessing something to do with the pressure caused by the cold, water and lack of air....it pushes all the sludge to the surface and then almost vacuums it all back down when that air seal is broken.

 

[belljr]

And this isn't an issue with smell.  Mine didn't smell at all.  I just saw this trick and was curious so I decided to try it.     Looked like someone took a huge diarrhea dump in my sink for a couple minutes.

Lemons will just mask the smell.  This actually cleans the brown sludge out of the disposal and pipes.  I'm guessing something to do with the pressure caused by the cold, water and lack of air....it pushes all the sludge to the surface and then almost vacuums it all back down when that air seal is broken.

such a sour ####

 

[Harry Frogfish]

Makes no sense.  How would ice work better than say, Liquid Drano or some ####.  Unless you're trying to actually break the disposal blades.

 

[offdee]

Makes no sense.  How would ice work better than say, Liquid Drano or some ####.  Unless you're trying to actually break the disposal blades.

Break the disposal blades?  They tell you to actually put ice down the disposal to help sharpen the blades.

 

[Harry Frogfish]

Break the disposal blades?  They tell you to actually put ice down the disposal to help sharpen the blades.

Oh, cool, but how does ice raise the sludge up for all to see?

 

[belljr]

Oh, cool, but how does ice raise the sludge up for all to see?

Science

 

[offdee]

Oh, cool, but how does ice raise the sludge up for all to see?

No idea.  Like I said....my guess is a mixture of the cold, water and pressure it creates.    Try it for yourself and see!

 

[urbanhack]

dishwasher seems to be making an odd noise now too

sue for punitive damages.

 

[dkp993]

IT'S ALL PIPES

Please just don’t start advocating peeing down the disposal.  

 

[belljr]

If you pee in the drain once a week the ammonia takes care of everything

IT'S ALL PIPES

Please just don’t start advocating peeing down the disposal.  

um

 

[Snoopy]

Please just don’t start advocating peeing down the disposal.  

 Homer Simpson: [sings] I get knocked down, I get knocked down again, you're never gonna knock me down... I take a whiskey drink, I take a chocolate drink, and when I have to pee, I use the kitchen sink! I sing the song that reminds me I'm a urinating guy. (quotes.net)

 

[mr. furley]

IT'S ALL PIPES

@Pipes