Restaurants and other places that specialize in food and delicacies tend to have constant human traffic during the day. Oil and grease are a byproduct of most cooking processes. Plus, the leftovers also find their way inside the commercial garbage disposal. As effective as it is in breaking down leftover food and waste, cleaning is also important to prevent frequent commercial garbage disposal repairs. Let’s discuss in detail how you can look after your commercial garbage disposal to keep it running trouble-free.
Turn Off The Power
The first step of cleaning commercial garbage disposal is turning the power off. You should make sure it is properly unplugged from the main power source. Do not take any chances as commercial garbage disposals use a sufficient amount of electricity, which can lead to electrocution.
Furthermore, ensure that no cords are connected to the outlet and also turn off the power from the breaker box. This step is important for preventing accidents.
Remove Trapped Particles
The next step involves assessing the commercial garbage disposal using a flashlight down the drain. This will help identify any trapped food particles or items inside. It might be that bones or something else might be clogging the grinding chamber.
Your garbage disposal getting clogged can happen anytime, no matter how careful you are. The only thing is that you need to be prepared. So, if you suspect something is clogged inside the unit, you will need to remove it using a pair of tongs or long-nosed pliers.
You can also use your hands to remove anything if they are able to reach it. However, when using hands for cleaning, make sure you wear gloves. The reason is that the blades of the garbage disposal are quite sharp and you can end up seriously injuring yourself.
Clean The Interior Disposal
The interior disposal requires thorough scrubbing. Use a dish soap for the purpose. Rinse the sponge continuously, until you find no more gunk inside. In addition to that, you can also use an old toothbrush, a long-handled brush, and a narrow head scrub but you will need to dispose of it later on.
Once you have successfully broken down the grime, use warm soapy water for cleaning the brushed head. And once the brushing is done, reconnect the garbage disposal to the power and flush the drain using some dish soap. Then, grab some cups of ice and put them in the garbage disposal. Then, add one cup of rock salt.
As the ice cubes and salt grind in the chamber, run warm water over them. The ice cubes and rock salt will help break down scrape buildup inside the grinding chamber.
Keep The Garbage Disposal Smelling Fresh
Finally, you should try keeping your garbage disposal smelling fresh so that your staff does not find it unpleasant working in the kitchen. Even though there are multiple ways, first, try using baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda does a great job against bacterial build-up.
But if you mix it with vinegar, it becomes a power-packed combo that destroys all the gunk that has buildup over the months. Simply, mix half a cup of baking soda and vinegar in a container to add them directly to the drain line. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Turn on the disposal. The hot water in it will clean drain lines and clear them from the cleaning solution as well.
Another way of keeping your garbage disposal smelling fresh is using citrus peels that help fight against odors once you are done cleaning your garbage disposal.
All you need to do is chop some lemons, oranges, and other citrus ingredients and place a handful of peels in the grinder. Do not put all the strips inside at once, instead use a handful.
Conclusion
Cleaning your commercial garbage disposal should not be a problem. Make sure that you regularly clean it to prevent blockages, especially during busy days. The last thing you would want is a kitchen with extremely bad odor surrounding the restaurant and making the customers walk away for life. However, if the machine stops responding or breaks downs, call in a commercial appliances repair Fairfax expert to fix it.
