Garbage disposals are a modern kitchen convenience that can make cleaning up after meals a breeze. With just a flick of a switch, food waste is ground up and sent down the drain, helping to keep your kitchen smelling fresh and your sink clear. However, while garbage disposals are durable, they’re not indestructible. Misuse can lead to clogs, damage, and unpleasant odors.
In this blog, we’ll cover how to properly care for your garbage disposal, what you should never put down it, and some helpful tips to keep it running smoothly for years to come.
How Garbage Disposals Work
Before diving into proper care, it helps to understand how your garbage disposal works. Contrary to popular belief, a garbage disposal doesn’t have sharp blades like a blender. Instead, it uses a set of spinning impellers and a grinding chamber to break down food waste into small particles. These particles are then flushed away by water through your plumbing system.
Because of this design, certain foods and materials can easily jam or damage the disposal, leading to expensive repairs or replacements.
Dos: How to Properly Use and Maintain Your Garbage Disposal
- Run Cold Water While Using the Disposal
Always run cold water before, during, and after using your garbage disposal. Cold water helps solidify any grease or fats, allowing them to be broken up and flushed through the system rather than sticking to the blades or pipes. Let the water run for at least 15 seconds after turning off the disposal to fully flush the system. - Cut Large Pieces into Smaller Chunks
If you have large scraps of food, cut them into smaller, more manageable pieces before sending them down the disposal. This will prevent the motor from being overwhelmed and reduce the risk of clogs. - Use It Regularly
Even if you don’t have much food waste, running the garbage disposal regularly helps keep it in good working condition. It prevents rust, keeps the moving parts active, and ensures that there’s no leftover food or buildup that could cause odors. - Clean the Disposal Monthly
To keep your disposal smelling fresh and operating smoothly, give it a good cleaning once a month. Here are a few easy ways to do it:
Citrus Peels: Drop a few lemon or orange peels into the disposal and run it with cold water. The natural oils in citrus fruits help to deodorize and clean the grinding chamber.
Ice Cubes and Salt: Toss in a handful of ice cubes and coarse salt, then turn on the disposal. This will scrub the interior and remove any food particles stuck to the impellers.
Vinegar and Baking Soda: For a deep clean, pour half a cup of baking soda into the disposal, followed by a cup of vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes to break down any grease, then flush with cold water.
- Use Dish Soap After Use
After running the disposal, put a few drops of dish soap into the sink and run cold water. This helps to clean the inside of the disposal, removing any leftover grease and food particles.
Don’ts: What You Should Never Put Down a Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals are tough, but they can’t handle everything. Certain foods and materials can cause serious damage, blockages, or foul odors. Avoid putting the following items down your garbage disposal:
- Grease, Oil, and Fat
Never pour grease, oil, or fat down your garbage disposal. These materials may seem liquid when hot, but they solidify as they cool, sticking to the inside of your pipes and disposal. Over time, this can lead to stubborn clogs and restricted water flow. - Fibrous or Stringy Foods
Foods like celery, asparagus, corn husks, and artichokes have tough, fibrous strands that can wrap around the impellers and jam the disposal. These materials are difficult to grind and should be composted or thrown in the trash. - Potato Peels and Starchy Foods
Starchy foods, like potato peels, rice, and pasta, can expand when exposed to water and create a gummy, sticky paste inside your disposal. This can quickly lead to clogs, especially in the narrow pipes of your plumbing system. - Eggshells
The membrane inside the eggshell can wrap around the disposal’s impellers, and the ground-up shell can settle in the pipes, contributing to clogs. - Coffee Grounds
While it may seem harmless to pour coffee grounds down the disposal, they tend to accumulate in the drain, forming a thick, sludgy mass that can eventually block the pipes. It’s better to compost coffee grounds or toss them in the trash. - Bones and Hard Items
Garbage disposals are not equipped to handle bones, fruit pits, or other hard items like shells from seafood. These materials can damage the impellers, dull the grinding mechanism, or even break the disposal entirely. - Non-Food Items
Never put non-food items down the disposal. This includes paper, plastic, metal, glass, or any kind of packaging material. These items can damage the motor or cause serious blockages in your plumbing system.
Tips for Long-Term Garbage Disposal Health
Avoid Overloading: Don’t dump large amounts of food into the disposal at once. Feed it gradually to prevent overworking the motor and ensure it grinds everything thoroughly.
Keep It Dry When Not in Use: After cleaning or using the disposal, make sure to drain all water to prevent rust or bacteria growth.
Use Cold Water with Greasy Foods: While it’s best to avoid greasy foods altogether, if you do need to grind something that has a little grease on it, always use cold water to keep it solidified.
Know When to Call for Help: If your garbage disposal starts making unusual noises, leaking, or clogging frequently, it may be time to call a plumber or replace the unit altogether.
Conclusion
Properly caring for your garbage disposal can extend its lifespan, keep your kitchen smelling fresh, and prevent expensive plumbing issues. By following these simple dos and don’ts, you can ensure that your disposal continues to be a helpful tool in your kitchen routine. Remember, it’s not a catch-all for food waste, so when in doubt, throw it out or compost it to avoid damaging your system.
