BETTER GARBAGE DISPOSAL CARE TIPS
A garbage disposal can be a great addition to your
kitchen. If it is not taken care of correctly, though, the blades can dull or
rust over time, and the overall effectiveness of the disposal will drop
significantly. With proper care and maintenance, you can add years to the
effective life of your garbage disposal. Perhaps more importantly, the care
that you put into your disposal now will pay off in the long term by helping to
prevent costly repairs and the premature replacement of your disposal unit.
PROPER GARBAGE DISPOSAL USE
One of the best things that you can do for your
garbage disposal is to learn how to use it properly. This may seem like a
no-brainer as most garbage disposals simply require you to put your scraps in
and flip a switch; in reality, though, there is a bit more to it than that. If you
are sending the wrong items down your disposal you can dull the blades, clog
it, or even damage your unit, which can lead to costly repairs.
Ideally, you should use your garbage disposal to
dispose of softer food items and things like ice that will melt anyway. Avoid
disposing of bones, shells, fibrous vegetables such as celery or asparagus,
hard seeds or pits, and nuts. You should also watch out for overly starchy food
items like potato skins, as well as items that can continue to soak up water or
become kind of a gloppy mess like cooked pasta or coffee grounds. Fats and oils
should also be avoided, though that is in part because of what they can do to
your plumbing.
One other tip to keep in mind when using your garbage
disposal: Run cold water before and after using the disposal to make sure that
food is properly moistened and washed away. This not only helps the garbage
disposal to work properly, but it will also help prevent food buildup that can
lead to bad smells in your kitchen.
CARING FOR YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL
In addition to keeping an eye on what goes down your
garbage disposal, putting some time into periodic maintenance will go a long
way toward avoiding significant problems with your unit. Before doing any work
with your garbage disposal that requires you to be anywhere near the blades,
make sure that the disposal is unplugged so that it cannot accidentally come on
while you are working on it. This is one of the most important things you can
know about working at your disposal!
Some garbage disposal maintenance is simple to do. If
you do not use your disposal very often, make a point of running some water and
turning the disposal on every 2-3 days. This ensures that the blades and other
components will not start to rust because of sitting there unused in a moist
environment for too long and keeps certain components from drying out. You
should also give a whiff to check for unpleasant smells around the sink every
few days. If you do start to smell something, either cut up some lemon or
orange peels and feed them to the disposal or mix some ice cubes with rock salt
and baking soda and use that. Either solution should take care of your odour
problems.
If the disposal is not working or seems to be struggling, cut off the power and shine a light down the sink so you can see if anything is tangled around the blades or otherwise obstructing them. Using pliers, a wrench, or specialized tools that might have come with your disposal (and NEVER your hands), untangle, or otherwise remove any debris before plugging the unit back in, then see if that took care of the problem.
(Originally published HERE)
MORE RESOURCES:
