How to Unclog Garbage Disposal With Simple Steps

Is your garbage disposal getting clogged again? It does happen to every household, so don’t worry about it.

But you do not need to call your plumber yet.

There are simple ways you can do to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

Before we get to that, we would like to highlight to you what are the common causes of clogging.

Once you know them, it can save you time and effort.

You also avoided the need to engage a professional to do the repair work for you.

Here are the 3 main causes for clogging to happen:

1. Dropping of foreign objects into the garbage disposal chamber. Examples are spoon, fork or small toys.


2. During grinding, a large amount of waste food is being thrown into the disposer in a fast manner.


3. There is not enough running water for the scrap food to flush down the drain in a proper way during operation.

On top of that, it’s also best you know what type of food waste you can feed inside your unit. For this information, you can refer to your kitchen disposal operating manual.

You also should not use any chemical drain cleaner. The chemical components will damage your kitchen disposer. It will corrode those metal and plastic parts inside the unit itself.

There are a number of ways to unclog your garbage disposal. We will go through 3 methods as shown in the “Table of Contents” below.

Table of Contents Click the LINK for the section you wants to view

Method 1 - Visual Inspection and Rotate Grinding Plate

Method 2 - Use a Plunger

Method 3 - Use Baking Soda and White Vinegar

NOTE: No matter what you do, safety is your top priority. Do not insert your hand into the garbage disposal unit at all times, even when the machine is turn off.

Method 1 - Visual Inspection and Rotate Grinding Plate

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1. The first step is to switch off the power supply to your garbage disposal.


2. To do so, you can either: (a) unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet or (b) turn off the breaker in your electrical panel if you have direct wire connection.


3. Take a portable torchlight and shine into your unit. Look at the bottom and see if you can find any foreign objects or material clogging the drain.


4. If you found something, use a long nose pliers or a pair of tongs to remove them from the drain.


5. Turn on the water and unit and check if it is still clogged. If yes, go to the next step.


6. This step is only for models that don’t use a hex wrench to turn the grinding plate. An example is the Waste King garbage disposals. Otherwise jump to step 8.


7. Turn off power to disposal. Take a long wooden spoon or broom and stick the handle end into your sink drain. Push against the impeller and turn in a back and forth motion. Make sure you can turn the grinding plate inside freely. After that, turn on the water and disposal for testing. Have you solved the problem, if not, go to Method 2.


8. Switch off power to garbage disposer. Take out the hex wrench that comes with the package when you purchased your kitchen disposer. You might have left it under the sink cabinet. If you don’t have one, go to your nearest local hardware store and buy one. The other option is to use an Allen wrench instead.


9. Look at the bottom of your unit for a hole located at the center. Position the hex or Allen wrench into the hole. Then turn it back and forth to rotate the grinding plate freely.


10. Turn on water and the unit to test it again. Have you cleared the clog? If not, go to Method 2.

Method 2 - Use a Plunger

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1. This method involves using a plunger to suck out food debris that gets stuck in the unit or pipe.


2. If your dishwasher is connected to your garbage disposal, tighten a clamp on one end of the hose. This is to prevent dirty water flowing back into the dishwasher during plunging.


3. Put the plunger over the sink drain so that it covers the entire opening.


4. Turn on the tap to fill up the sink with some water. Then use both hands to plunge the sink opening. Repeat this action as many times as needed.


5. Upon completion, check if the clogging is clear. If the problem is still not solved, then proceed to Method 3.

Method 3 – Use Baking Soda & White Vinegar

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1. Make sure your garbage disposal is turn off.


2. Get 1 cup of baking soda and pour into the garbage disposal.


3. Then get ½ cup of white vinegar and pour it on top of the baking soda in the sink drain.


4. Leave the mixture to work its “magic” for 5 to 10 minutes.


5. After that, pour boiling water into the disposer and let it remain inside for a few minutes.


6. Finally, turn the unit on and water to drain out the hot water.


7. Have you managed to unclog the garbage disposal? If not, then it’s time to call the plumber for assistance.

If you intend to replace your existing unit, see the recommendation in our kitchen garbage disposal reviews.