What You Need to Know About Garbage Disposals

A garbage disposal can be an incredibly useful appliance to have. It makes the disposal of left over food much easier and can also help to keep food and other debris from clogging up your kitchen sink. Of course, you’ll have to take care of it and use it properly for it to function as it should.

Keeping this in mind, the following are a few essential tips for using your garbage disposal:

• Just because it’s meant for the disposal of garbage does not mean that you don’t have to keep it clean. You can keep it clean by simply pouring a little bit of dish soap inside before letting the disposal run for a few minutes while cold water runs through the drain.
• Make sure you run your garbage disposal regularly. Infrequent use can result in rust and corrosion, which will certainly affect its performance.
• Don’t try to shove large amounts of food through the garbage disposal. This is a good way to clog it up. Make sure you cut larger items into smaller pieces if you need to put it through the disposal.
• Never pour grease, fat or oil into the garbage disposal. These will accumulate on the walls of the disposal and can eventually build up into a nasty clog. They can also cause problems with the disposal’s ability to grind properly.
• Avoid putting any fibrous material down the garbage disposal. This includes celery stalks, artichokes and onion skins. The fibers in these items can easily tangle up and jam the motor of the garbage disposal as well as block the drain.
• Once you’re done grinding whatever you’ve put down the disposal, allow water to flow through it for at least 15 seconds. This will help remove any particles that remain on the blades.
• Avoid grinding any animal bones as these will ruin the blades.
• Don’t use drain cleaners to get rid of clogs. Drain cleaners often contain harsh chemicals that are not only bad for the environment, but can also cause damage to the blades and the pipes.
• Every once in a while, put a lemon or orange wedge down the disposal. The oils and juice will clean the disposal’s walls. They will also help to cover up potentially foul odors.
• Every once in a while, throw a few ice cubes down the garbage disposal. This will help to sharpen the blades. You can also freeze vinegar into cubes so that they not only sharpen the blades, but also help kill odor-causing bacteria that may be present in your garbage disposal.
• Don’t dump your coffee grinds down the garbage disposal. While they can help absorb bad odors, they can also clog the drain.
• If there are any particularly bad odors coming from your garbage disposal, pour a little bit of baking soda down the drain. Let it sit there for a few hours before running the water and the disposal.