IS IT TIME TO CLEAN THE KITCHEN SINK GASKET?

Until the other day, I wasn’t sure I knew what a gasket was, other than that it rhymed with basket.

It turns out, a gasket is like a basket for the kitchen sink.

It is the gateway to the inner workings of the kitchen sink’s plumbing.

While figuring out dinner, I noticed the gasket on our garbage disposal.

That was my first clue that something was not right.

It’s like when you see a mouse.

You want to believe what you saw was a shadow, but you know.

And that is how I learned the role of the kitchen sink’s gasket.

It is the gatekeeper to the garbage disposal.

All random food items must pass through the gasket (rhymes with basket).

Over time, it can get grimye and icky! And once you notice it you cannot unsee it. So I was on a mission to clean the sink gasket.

STEPS TO CLEAN THE SINK GASKET

With a squirt of Dawn dish soap, vinegar, and a scrubber brush, I scrubbed the edges of the silicone gasket.

It did nothing. It needed more than a scrub.

It needed a soak.

Borrowing from my husband’s habit of letting dishes soak overnight, I filled the sink with a mixture of water, Dawn dish soap, and a splash of vinegar. I made sure the entire apgasket was covered with the soapy solution to soak overnight.

Eight hours later,there was very little sign of success.

I knew what had to be done.

And it’s best to do it on an empty stomach.

I had to go all in, like Julia Childs when she pulled the innards out of a chicken.

I pried the tight seal of the gasket to loosen its grip until it pulled away from the edges of the sink drain.

It turns out an empty Cool Whip container is the perfect size for a gasket to soak.

I repeated the cleaning steps from the night before.

This time, however, the gasket was in a Cool Whip container, soaking in the cleaning solution to loosen the grime.

Sidenote: This serves as a reminder to recycle random plastic bowls, as it turns out an empty Cool Whip tub was the perfect size and depth to soak this rubber seal.

While waiting for my go-to cleaning squad to do its job, I took a peek into the sink.

Now that I had full access to my garbage disposal’s inner workings, I decided to clean it.

HOW TO CLEAN A GARBAGE DISPOSAL

My friend Michelle had just shared her method for cleaning the garbage disposal. Michelle is the friend who has a tip for everything!

STEPS TO CLEAN A KITCHEN SINK DISPOSAL

The sink does not look so scary with the gasket removed.

To clean the sink tossed a cup of ice down the drain.

Since the gasket was soaking, I covered the sink with a towel, just in case an ice cube jumped out.

Leave it to me to end with a black eye from a hyperactive ice cube.

Finish the sink cleanup with a few slices of citrus fruits and take one more whirl with the disposal.

In a pinch, lemon juice works.
After I soaked the gasket, I ran it through the dishwasher (top rack).

Finally, if you prefer, you can skip the cleaning process and order a replacement gasket at Home Depot.

For under $10 you can buy a new, clean gasket at Home Depot.
TIP: Just make sure to take a photo of your garbage disposal for the model and size.
You do not need to replace your disposal, just the silicon cover.
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