Can Lemon Peels Actually Clean Your Garbage Disposal?

After squeezing all that delicious, tangy juice out of a fresh lemon, what do you do with the leftover peel? There are a lot of ways to repurpose these rinds, from popping them in the freezer to use for zest to infusing them into homemade cleaning products. Lemon peels also have a reputation as a natural way to clean your garbage disposal if you put them down your drain.

For many people, this is a go-to solution for getting rid of leftover citrus. It's supposed to help sharpen the blades while keeping your sink smelling fresh. But, as it turns out, this is accidental misinformation that got passed down through the generations. According to some plumbers, lemon peels are one of the items that should never go down your kitchen's garbage disposal. 

Citrus peels do not sharpen the blades in a disposal. They actually do the opposite. Citrus rinds are so thick and fibrous that they end up dulling the blades. Over time, they can wrap around them or get stuck in the pipes and eventually clog your drain completely. Citrus might help keep your sink smelling fresh, but disposing of rinds like this typically does more harm than good. Luckily, there is a simple alternative.

If you're looking for a garbage disposal cleaner that will actually sharpen the blades, there is one very accessible replacement for lemon peels: ice chips. These readily-available cleaners can keep a disposal's blades sharp while clearing out stubborn stuck-on food or debris, so it's a two-for-one deal. (Not to mention they're completely free.) If you've already done this trick and are just looking to clean the blades, sprinkling baking soda down the drain is another easy way to clear out the disposal. Add about a cup of white vinegar to the mix, and it will foam and cleanse your garbage disposal.

For those missing out on the fresh citrus smell in your sink, you can always pour a little lemon juice down the sink in lieu of rinds, but that still leaves you with lemon peels. Don't worry, though; there's a slew of other ways to use them. For starters, you can grate or peel the zest to add flavor and brightness to future meals. Simply store the zest in the freezer for later use. You can also use the rest of the peel in a recipe for jam or chicken soup, or even save them to make the ultimate Jell-O shots. Those are just a few ideas out of the thousands, so don't be afraid to branch out and get creative — just keep those lemon peels out of the garbage disposal, and you'll be fine.