7 Garbage Disposal Tips that will Keep your Unit Running Strong

Garbage disposals are very popular in Metro East area homes because of the convenience that they provide when cleaning up your kitchen. However, many people don’t know how to use their disposals properly, which can quickly lead to problems with their units. Today we’re going to provide you with seven garbage disposal tips that will help you avoid problems and keep your unit running strong!

7 garbage disposal tips to keep your unit running great

1. Run cold water before, during and after use. You should run a steady stream of cold water down your disposal for 10-15 seconds before turning it on, and keep the water running until 10-15 seconds after you shut your disposal off. This will help prevent anything from getting stuck in your disposal and ensure that scraps are drained properly.
2. Let your disposal finish grinding before turning it off. Keep your disposal running until you can hear that it has finished grinding the last item that you fed it. This is another way to prevent scraps from getting stuck in your disposal.
3. Don’t overload your disposal with scraps. Overloading your disposal will greatly increase the likelihood of your unit getting clogged or stuck. The proper way to feed scraps to your disposal is to break large pieces into smaller ones and only grind one item at a time.
4. Help clean and sharpen your blades with ice cubes. By grinding a tray of ice cubes about once per month, you can help keep your disposal’s blades sharp and remove any pieces of scrap that are stuck on your unit’s blades or walls.
5. Improve your disposal’s odor with citrus peels. If your disposal begins to smell (which is understandable given the amount of food that we send down it), you can grind a few orange or lemon peels in order to keep it smelling fresh.
6. Avoid grinding problematic foods and scraps. Certain types of scraps are notoriously problematic for garbage disposals. These include greases, oils, fibrous materials (like celery stalks and corn husks), expandable foods (like rice and pasta), large animal bones, egg shells, seafood shells, banana peels and potato peels. Your disposal should come with a manual that will provide you with more information about what you should and shouldn’t feed down your particular unit.
7. NEVER put your hand down the disposal. If something ever gets stuck down your disposal, you should never try to retrieve it with your hand. Your unit might turn on unexpectedly, which could result in serious injuries.

If you have any questions about these garbage disposal tips, or if you’d like a plumbing system serviced or installed in your home, contact Tiger Services, your Glen Carbon plumbing, heating and air conditioning contractor.

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