Garbage Disposal Care

Tue Feb 02 2016

Appliances

Unless you're Oscar The Grouch, garbage may not be a go-to conversation starter for you. However, if you are a proud owner of a garbage disposal then you know how wonderful it is to keep yucky smells out of your garbage can (as well as the pests that love them), not dig foods out of the kitchen drain with your fingernails, avoid clogs from foods that get past the S-trap, and spend less time doing chores all while fighting global warming! Garbage disposals really are the ultimate convenience in a kitchen. If you already own a a disposer or are considering purchasing one, follow these basic care tips to get the most life from it.

How To Use You put food in the disposal and turn it on. Right?! It's SO easy. Okay but really before you turn on your disposal you must run cold water. We suggest cold water because naturally it conserves energy (and who doesn't love an environmentally-conscious disposal operator?) and prevents the garbage disposal's parts from overheating. Even more importantly, hot water will melt fats that will later solidify in your water pipes and potentially cause blockage. So you see, cold water is best. Simply keep the cold water running while the disposal runs and voilà! You have just had yourself the perfect disposal session. Take a moment to lean back in your recliner - you've earned it!

What To Put (And Not Put) In You can put food in your disposal. Yep, easy enough. Now that we got the "do's" out of the way, let's look at what you shouldn't put in your disposal.Avoid putting any hard objects in your disposal. Such items can dull the blade or get stuck and jam any rotating parts. Bones, popcorn kernels, shells from seafood, shells from the beach... Anything hard that can't be broken down should be avoided. It is also best to avoid starchy or fibrous foods that can get tangled or cause blockage. Fortunately these foods, including potatoes, eggshells, bananas, corn husks, etc., can just as easily be composted. Plus then you get to be that person at parties who brags about saving the forest critters. To ensure your garbage disposal works smoothly, you should also cut up any large foods into smaller pieces beforehand.

How To Clean Anything that mashes up food is eventually going to need some refreshening, hence the popularity of toothpaste. With your disposal switch safely in the "off" position, you can start by cleaning the inside of the drain. Don't forget to clean behind the splash guard! We suggest throwing in a few pieces of ice every once in awhile. Yes, we did just suggest never placing hard objects in a disposal but ice actually helps knock off any debris stuck on the blades without damaging any of the parts. If your drain develops an unpleasant odor, pour down lemon or vinegar to neutralize and refreshen. Take the work out of this process by preparing these simple Garbage Disposal Tablets by placing cut up limes & lemons into an ice cube tray, fill with vinegar, and freeze. They're almost good enough to eat! But don't, they actually taste quite terrible. I mean, if you think Warheads are bad... You just don't even know.

If It Stops Working If your disposal is not working, first make sure the electrical breaker is on. Next try resetting the unit by pressing the reset button on the bottom side of your disposal. This method just might save you the cost of a plumber. If you suspect your disposal is clogged, NEVER under any circumstances reach your hand inside it to attempt unclogging it. You don't have to have seen Final Destination 2 to know this is a terrible idea. Greg Smith of Root-Rooter suggests using tongs or a long-handled tool (you know, something a little less valuable than a hand) to unclog a garbage disposal. Be sure to check out our selection of top name brand garbage disposers to find the right one for you!

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