They also make stuff called Disposal Care that is very effective too.

My hubby won't let me have one beause we have a septic system and it's suppose to mess with them. My plumber also says the same thing.

Garbage disposals are murder on septic systems.  Bleach, too.  Use bleach sparingly in septic systems.  Kills the bacteria that breaks down the solid waste.

The vinegar is the best thing to kill bacteria.  Did you know that it has been proven to be just as effective as bleach at killing bacteria?  It true.  Heloise always believed it and her daughter finally got a lab to prove it.  Again, use sparingly in septic systems.

Another use for vinegar, totally unrelated.  If your child has swimmer's ear or an ear infection, use topical hydrogen peroxide until it stops "fizzing", then a few drops of vinegar to kill bacteria.  A few drops of vinegar after swimming, if swimmers ear. I was always prone to ear infections as a child and local "holistic" woman gave this 'recipe' to my mother.  I never had another ear infection.  I had forgotten about it until my kids began developing ear infections.  Both were asymptomatic so I never realized it until they began spiking high fevers.  Antibiotics all around!  My Mom reminded me of Moira's cure and my kids have not had an ear infection in 12 years.  They never had another antibiotic.

Any other holistic cures or natural preventative measures?  I always find this subject fascinating.  

Did I just hijack you, Nessa?

Great post!

I use vinegar in my rinse cycle on all my whites. I actually like the smell of vinegar. What's that say about me??????

Thanks for the tips.

The baking soda/vinegar solution also works to unclog slow drains :)

Oops - forgot to mention that vinegar has anti-bacterial properties.  I use it diluted to clean bird and ferret cages.  No toxic fumes.

Soap and Bleach!  Fill the entire sink with hot soapy water and add a little bleach and let the drain open and turn it on!  

If that doesn't work, then consider replacing it!

The title of this post keeps making me think it's a setup for some terrible joke, like . . .

"What is the best way to clean a garbage disposal?"

"Vacuum the Doritos crumbs off of his chest"

Uh oh - now I have to give demerits to myself . . .

LOL - That was a pretty good one, Carey.

GOOD ONE CAREY!!!!

Help is on its way...

http://www.askthebuilder.com/566_Garbage_Disposal_Smell.shtml

Septic safe garbage disposals

http://www.insinkerator.com/isejsp/product/product.jsp?id=205&template=hhd

Vaceposals

Thank you Vanceposal..I will check into the septic safe one..

Carey, that would be why you have assimilate so well!

Vance, I'm sorry to say, I was disappointed with the links.   They were so informational but sadly lacking in humor.  Your slacking.

Just the other night I found the best way to clean the garbage disposal, I bought a new one and had a friend install it.  Isn't great to live in America. Everyone have a great evening.

Dennis Jonas  83616.com

Cathy:)

I did try to find garbage disposal humor,,'s that's a hard one to find,

BUTT I came across some great toilet bowl humor ha ha ha Anybody have a stopped up Potty?

Vance:)

I have a 13 year old boy who arises and greets me with bathroom humor every day.  Just for yuks.  And it doesn't come from his mouth....if ya know what I mean.

LOL Cathy . . . there went the last of my maternal instincts, right down the drain! GD ON!

I'm one of those freaks that pretty much puts nothing down a garbage disposal. And at the first sign of trouble, replace it.

Just sharing on a NEVER NEVER NEVER tip for garbage disposals...don't ever put celery stalks or anything that has a lot of fiber material in it- the strings - like in the celery - get caught in it.  I had a bad experience years ago when I was young...and was chopping celery for a relish tray for a family get together - put the remains from 3 big celery bunches down the disposal and when I went to turn the disposal on the whole thing clogged up and the water shot straight up to the ceiling.  When the plumber came...THEN he told me you never put that stuff down the disposal.  Also egg shells seem to make it clog up - they are so thin that they seem to get caught under the blades...have had an unfortunate experience in that regard as well... but technology is great! :)  Love it love it love it!

LOL. Love the image of the clocked drain and the spraying water.  I bet that went over well.  Point taken.. won't do that.  How about we just ban celery all together?  It doesn't go well with mayo cupcakes..

not clocked... clogged...  here in Va. we say clocked...

Thank you for that, Cindy. Celery is bad, also any kind of peelings are bad and rice is also bad. LOL!  Bad bad bad!

Every time I have a garbage disposal problem my plumber says the same thing.  Stop dumping food down there!  If you want to protect your pipes (the food always seems to clog up pipes about 20 - 30 ft from the disposal.)  Scrape you dishes in the trash then rinse off the remaining food on the garbage disposal side.  

And WHY do we have a garbage disposal? :)

That's so funny  - no food down the disposal.  I think I expect too much sometimes - if you have a product that's supposed to do something...isn't it supposed to do it?  Case in point...this weekend, I put too many FATTY hamburgers on the gas grill.  The grill went up in flames...too much fat. I had to put the fire out with the hose.   My husband then lectured me on the fact that you can't put too much food with fat in it on the grill at the same time (It's a gas grill - a pretty good one  - at least it was.)  Apparently, the FIRE burned off the ceramic coating on the grill grate things and now it's all rusted.  I thought...grill...hamburgers...isn't it supposed to handle that?  Like I said, I think I expect too much...