If you’re like us, you rely on your garbage disposal for every meal. The garbage disposal is an amazing and helpful tool that makes our kitchen cleaning experience easier! These gadgets work hard and don’t ask for much maintenance in return.
The best way to keep your garbage disposal going for years on end is to use it properly and with care by following these five tips.
How to Properly Maintain Your Garbage Disposal
1. Use Plenty of Water
Water works as a lubricant for your disposal. It is essential that you keep the sink running while the blades are turning and grinding up scraps of food.
Once the mechanisms have done their job, the sound from your drain will change to a softer spinning. This is when you can turn off the disposal, but continue to run the water for about 20 more seconds to ensure minimal food particles are left behind.
Another tip: use cold water! Hot water will melt grease and fats and make your pipes more susceptible to tough clogs later on. Cold water will keep things moving!
2. Clean it Correctly
A lot of homeowners skip this step, but it is important to keep your garbage disposal clean. A cleaning every couple of weeks will free up any sludge that has accumulated that could turn into a clog.
While store shelves are littered with drain cleaners, we don’t recommend using them to clean your drains. These cleaners often have harmful chemicals that we don’t want in our kitchens! Instead, fill your drain with ice cubes and a cup of rock salt and turn on the disposal. Once those have cleared, pour vinegar and baking soda down as well to kill bacteria.
3. Keep These Food Items Out
It may surprise you to know that not all the food items you’ve been disposing of should go down your drains.
Avoid these items:
- Eggshells
- Coffee grounds
- Animal bones
- Potatoes/vegetable peels
- Pasta
- Rice
…and many more!
4. Safety First
Always remember that there are sharp blades in your garbage disposal and their job is to chop up anything that comes their way. Never put your hands down the garbage disposal to fish something out or clean it unless the power is completely disconnected.
Have a talk with your kids about the disposal as well so they understand the importance of sink safety!
5. Don’t Forget About It
Most families likely use their kitchen at least once a day and don’t have to worry about leaving disposal sitting for long amounts of time.
But if your family has fallen into the habit of not using the disposal as often, try to make an effort to run it every once in a while. Even if you have no food to grind up, run it with cold water or ice. This regular use will keep the blades from rusting!
Find yourself with a garbage disposal issue you can’t handle? Give Tip Top Drain Pros & Plumbing Experts a call at (833) 207-0817 or set up an appointment with us online! We’ll get your drains flowing in no time!
