A kitchen is a place which we use for cooking. That’s why we want our kitchen to be very clean.
But many times it happens that even after keeping a lot of cleanliness, you find small moth-like insects around your garbage disposal which look very nasty.
These moth-like small insects are called drain flies.
They are mostly found in your kitchen sinks, garbage disposals, septic tanks, and bathrooms.
In this article, we will talk about how to get rid of drain flies in the garbage disposal.
But before that let’s know a little about drain flies, what do they look like? Where do they come from? What do they eat and what are the dangers they pose to us?
Apart from the garbage disposal, if you are also seeing drain flies in your bathrooms. Then you can read this article: How To Get Rid Of Drain Flies in Bathroom? [4 Fast Ways]
What do Drain Flies Look Like?
You can easily identify the drain flies. It appears in gray or tan color. Their size is as tiny as an eighth of an inch. Their wings are transparent which are covered with black hairs.
As with other flies’ structures, they also have one antenna, two transparent wings, and 6 legs.
You can’t see their larvae because they are buried in the slime inside drains so you only see adult drain flies.
Where Do Drain Flies Come From?
Drain flies always thrive in places where organic matter is found.
These tiny flies reach your kitchen sinks, garbage disposals, or bathrooms through large drains that connect to your home’s drains.
When organic matter starts accumulating in the drain of your house, it attracts the drain flies.
If you keep cleaning the drains of your house from time to time, then this problem does not happen.
What Do Drain Flies Feed On?
Many people question how drain flies keep themselves alive and what they eat?
When the drains of the house are not cleaned for a long time, slime collects in them. This slime contains a lot of bacteria that we cannot see with the naked eye. Drain flies eat these bacteria and keep themselves alive.
Are Drain Flies Harmful?
It has been found in many researches that drain fly does not have any bad effect on the health of humans.
But since they thrive in sewage and sewage sludge, they do carry many disease-causing bacteria on their bodies.
And especially when it is in the kitchen and sits on any food item or utensils, then there is a lot of risk of infection from it.
Now let’s talk about how to get rid of drain flies in garbage disposal without hiring any professional?
How To Get Rid Of Drain Flies in Garbage Disposal?
Drain flies thrive in garbage disposal when it is not cleaned for a long time and slime accumulates in it.
It is not necessary that it is always the fault of the garbage disposal. It is also possible that the drain flies are in the sink pipe.
Here I will tell you 2 ways with the help of which you can get rid of drain flies in garbage disposal very easily and instantly.
Use Of Drano Dual Force Foamer Clog Remover:
It is not that easy to clean the garbage disposal by hand or with natural methods.
This is because sometimes oil or grease gets accumulated deep inside the garbage disposal. And even after cleaning, the remnants of the sludge remain.
Drano is a foam liquid that is popular as a garbage disposal cleaner, and thousands of people have shared their positive reviews on Amazon.
Its specialty is that when you apply it, it expands into the drain pipes very well, attacks the clogs-causing buildup, and cleans it effectively.
It not only cleans your garbage disposal but also removes odor from it and leaves a fresh smell. It also doesn’t harm your drain pipes or septic systems.
Note: Be sure to read the instructions on the product label before using it. Also, turn off your garbage disposal before cleaning.
Use Of Natural Method:
However, it takes a lot of effort to clean the garbage disposal with natural methods. And sometimes it is not even completely clean. But the method of baking soda and vinegar works to a great extent when the clogging is not much.
Now I will tell you step by step how to clean your garbage disposal with natural method.
Step 1: First, unplug the garbage disposal and turn it off. Keep in mind that it is not connected to electricity from anywhere during cleaning.
Unclogging garbage disposal is not worth terrible injuries. Do not clean it immediately after turning it off, let it cool down first.
Step 2: Now the first thing you have to do is check the garbage disposal with the help of a flashlight to see what exactly is blocking it.
Step 3: When you find any clogging objects in it, use a tong to pull them out. Slowly remove all loose clogging objects.
Step 4: Now you have to take half a cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar.
Both of these work to naturally clean the oil, grease, and slime accumulated in your garbage disposal.
Step 5: Now slowly pour the baking soda into the garbage disposal, then add vinegar to it as well. Let it settle down for 20 minutes and then wash it off with the help of hot water.
Both of these methods clean your garbage disposal very effectively and once all the mess is removed, the drain flies will also disappear.
How To Protect Garbage Disposal From Drain Flies?
Drain flies are attracted to your garbage disposal only if they find organic matter there that helps them reproduce and supplies food.
Organic matter accumulates in your garbage disposal or drains pipes as clogs. This happens when you put items in that garbage disposal can not handle.
Now you must be wondering what are the items that cause a clog in the garbage disposal?
Here I am giving a list of those items which you should not put in the garbage disposal.
- Banana peels
- Corn husks/silk
- lettuce
- asparagus
- Celery
- Pasta
- Ice cubes
- Pits
- Bones
- Corncobs
- Seeds
- Beans, Potato Peels, Oil, Grease, Coffee grounds and Eggshells.
All these items mentioned above create clogs not only in the garbage disposal but also in the drain pipes, which attracts drain flies.
You should also keep in mind that do not put a lot of garbage in the garbage disposal at once. You also must clean your garbage disposal two to three times a month.
FAQs:
Question 1: Can Vinegar and Baking Soda Help Get Rid of Drain Flies in Garbage Disposal?
Answer: It depends on how much of the garbage disposal and sink pipe is clogged. If they are too clogged, I would recommend that you use Drano Dual Force Foamer, it cleans your garbage disposal and drains pipes with ease.
Question 2: How many times a month should the garbage disposal be cleaned to avoid drain flies?
Answer: You should clean your garbage disposal at least twice a month. This not only keeps the drain flies away but also makes the water flow well.
Question 3: Can drain flies lay eggs in the garbage disposal?
Answer: Yes, drain flies can lay eggs in the garbage disposal and you can’t even see them. Because they are covered in slime and drain fly can lay up to 30 to 100 eggs at a time.
Question 4: Do drain flies cause harm to Humans?
By the way, the drain fly does not cause any kind of harm, and neither does it bite.
But since it thrives in drains, many times disease-causing bacteria stick to their body, which can spread infection.
Question 5: Do drain flies go away on their own?
Answer: Most of the time the drain flies go away on their own but sometimes when their infestation is high, they do not give up easily.
Question 6: In which season do drain flies thrive the most?
Answer: Although drain flies can survive all season, a humid climate is ideal for breeding.
Conclusion:
I hope you now understand how to get rid of drain flies in the garbage disposal.
If you keep cleaning the garbage disposal regularly, then there is no risk of infestation of drain flies. But if they are not cleaned for a long time, then along with drain flies, other types of insects can also grow your garbage disposal.
Although you can clean garbage disposal with natural methods too, sometimes natural methods like vinegar and baking soda can not go deep inside and remove the accumulated oil or grease.
That’s why I recommend using Drano Dual Force Clog Remover. It not only effectively cleans your garbage disposal but also removes bad odor.
I hope you liked the article. If you have any questions then you can send us through the comment box. We will try to answer your question as soon as possible.