Your kitchen’s garbage disposal can help you minimize the garbage you send to the landfill and keep your kitchen clean. However, garbage disposals need maintenance to work at their best. Failure to perform routine garbage disposal maintenance can result in damage to your garbage disposal and your kitchen smelling worse. Luckily, the experts at Stewart Plumbing are here to give you advice on keeping your garbage disposal working efficiently.
Here are five tips on efficient garbage disposal maintenance:
Personally chop up larger items
While your garbage disposal’s blades are sharp, sometimes it’s better to do some cutting yourself. Larger items, like carrots, can cause clogs if they go down the disposal as-is. It’s a good idea to chop up such items into smaller pieces before disposing of them. In addition, put larger items down the disposal one at a time to avoid more clogging issues.
Keep your hand out of there
It sounds pretty obvious, but you should never put your hands down the garbage disposal. Even if it’s off and you’re trying to dislodge something, the sudden release of tension can cause the blades to spin around dangerously fast. Tongs or a similar tool are your best bet for dislodging something stuck in the disposal. If you still can’t get it out, call one of our professionals to help you out.
Dispose of biodegradable food only
Despite the name, your garbage disposal isn’t meant to take any type of garbage. The simplest way to tell what should go down there is to determine if it’s a biodegradable food. Anything that isn’t food or any non-biodegradable food should stay out of the disposal. However, keep in mind that there are certain biodegradable foods that should stay out of the disposal. Some of these include:
- Bones and other solid trash
- Celery and other fibrous foods
- Coffee grounds and other foods that make lots of sediment
- Fruit pits
- Excess grease and oils
- Pasta and rice
- Potato peels and other starchy foods
Clean the garbage disposal’s inside
It’s important to remember that the inside of your garbage disposal needs cleaning, too. Fortunately, there are a couple of homemade ways to clean it out. A mix of baking soda and vinegar down the drain can clean quite a bit. In addition, squirting dish soap down the disposal along with a steady stream of cold water is also useful. While cleaning it out, make sure the garbage disposal is running so every part of it can get cleaned.
Run it regularly with cold water
Like many appliances, your garbage disposal can get worn down if it doesn’t get enough use. Frequently using your garbage disposal can prevent rust and corrosion, clear potential obstructions, and ensures all the parts are working correctly. Also, whenever you’re using it, make sure to have the cold water running. By doing this, the cold water helps solidify any grease and oils that have made their way down there and could otherwise clog the trap.
Why choose Stewart Plumbing for my plumbing needs?
With over 25 years of experience helping people around Memphis (including the Graceland estate,) Stewart Plumbing’s experienced plumbers know the best way to repair a faulty garbage disposal and will do so safely. We’re known for offering industry-leading results, high-quality workmanship, and a no-nonsense approach to plumbing. In addition, we back all of our work with the best warranties and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you need help with garbage disposal maintenance, call Stewart Plumbing today!
