Garbage Disposal Care Tips

If you're familiar with a garbage disposal, you know that it is a convenient appliance to have in your kitchen. If you've never had a disposal in your kitchen before, you should know that it is much like the rest of your appliances, you'll need to care and maintain it in order to keep it running as it should. See below for some maintenance and care tips for your disposal.

12.27.2017

If you're familiar with a garbage disposal, you know that it is a convenient appliance to have in your kitchen. If you've never had a disposal in your kitchen before, you should know that it is much like the rest of your appliances, you'll need to care and maintain it in order to keep it running as it should. See below for some maintenance and care tips for your disposal.

A disposal can help make cleaning up a breeze after meals, as you can scrape your dishes into the disposal and chop up the food particles, rather than having to scrape the dishes into the garbage. Some things cannot be placed in the disposal though, as it can clog the disposal or even break the blades on your disposal. 

Never place anything too hard into the disposal, such as bones or fruit pits. Don't put anything tough or stringy in the disposal either such as banana peels, corn husks, celery, or potato peels. Also be sure not to place egg shells, coffee grounds, or foods that can swell such as rice or pasta - these can all clog your disposal.

Be sure to run cold water through your disposal. Hot water will melt down foods, which can harden later down in your drainage pipe, which can lead to a clog. Always use cold water when running your disposal. 

In order to keep the disposal running correctly, you need to keep the blades sharp. Sharpen the blades by running ice cubes in the disposal weekly. Adding lemon juice or slices to water and freezing it, then running those cubes through the disposal will help keep the blades sharp and can also help your disposal smelling fresh.

Since you're running food through the disposal, it will eventually begin to get a stinky odor. If the lemon doesn't give it a fresh enough scent, sprinkle some baking soda in the drain and allow it to set for about ten minutes to help soak in the smells, then run cold water down the drain.

If you have a clog in the disposal, you should clear it properly. Don't try to jam anything down the disposal or you may damage the blades. Instead, try first to use baking soda and vinegar to clear up the clog. If that doesn't work, you can use a toilet plunger to try to unclog the disposal.

If the clog doesn't clear you can turn off the power to the disposal, then you may reach into the disposal to remove what is lodged inside. If you aren't able to get to the clog from the drain, you may need to disassemble the disposal to get inside to remove the clog. Read your manufacturer's booklet to be sure how to get inside your disposal.

If your disposal isn't working properly, check to be sure there isn't a clog. Always turn the power off to the disposal before working on it.

If the disposal isn't working at all, check to be sure there is power. Check the breaker, then check the switch for power. If that wasn't the problem, hit the reset button at the bottom of the disposal and test it again.

If the disposal is not chopping up food correctly, check the blades; you may need to either sharpen or replace them.

A garbage disposal is a great small appliance that can make cleaning up much easier. If you are experiencing issues with your disposal or with other plumbing problems call O'Fallon Sewer Service for help. ​

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