How To Unclog Badger Garbage Disposal Jun 2026

It was 11:47 PM on a Tuesday. Sarah stood over her kitchen sink, staring into the dark, watery abyss. The disposal—a hulking, gray InSinkErator Badger 5—had just swallowed a fistful of potato peels and half a bowl of leftover pasta. And then it stopped. Not with a dramatic explosion, but with a low, congested humph . Then, silence. Followed by the faint, rising smell of swamp.

Most Badger clogs are caused by hard objects falling into the chamber (bones, fruit pits, utensils, glass). how to unclog badger garbage disposal

And so began the Sacred Ritual of Unclogging the Badger. It was 11:47 PM on a Tuesday

To unclog your Badger garbage disposal, you'll need the following tools and materials: And then it stopped

But the water still wouldn’t drain. Mark opened the cabinet and found the disposal’s underside. In the center was a small hex-shaped hole. “The manual,” he whispered, “said to use the ¼-inch Allen wrench.” They found it in a junk drawer. He inserted the wrench into the bottom of the Badger and cranked it back and forth. Grind. Clunk. Free. A hidden chunk of bone from last week’s chicken had jammed the impeller plate. The wrench broke it loose.

Sarah knew the rules. No bones. No celery strings. No rice. But tonight, she’d gotten cocky. Now, the sink held three inches of foul, greasy water. Her husband, Mark, peeked over her shoulder. “Did you try the reset button?”

Finally, Mark plugged the Badger back in. He turned on the cold water— always cold water, to solidify any grease so it can be chopped —and flipped the switch.