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Ways to Better Care for a Garbage Disposal

A properly functioning garbage disposal is a household convenience often taken for granted until it stops working. This hardworking kitchen device grinds up food scraps to help them travel down the drain and sewer lines without causing clogs. But without proper care of the garbage disposal or good habits when using it, it can quickly become a source of unpleasant odors, costly repairs, clogged sewer lines, and major headaches. 

If households want to prevent future issues with their garbage disposals and avoid clogs, knowing how to use the garbage disposal properly is essential. This guide will share simple yet effective tips that can help keep the garbage disposal working and the kitchen running smoothly. 

Be Careful What Gets Put Down Garbage Disposals 

A garbage disposal is designed to handle certain small food scraps, but many homeowners inadvertently damage their units or cause drain and sewer line clogs by disposing of the wrong items. Many things shouldn’t go down garbage disposals, including: 

• Fibrous vegetables and foods like celery, corn husks, asparagus, and more
• Foods that retain water, such as rice, pasta, oatmeal, and more
• Coffee grounds 
• Eggshells
• Potato peels
• Grease, oils, and fats 
• Hard food scraps, like pits, bones, seafood shells, and nuts
• Non-food items

What people can safely put down the garbage disposal includes fruit and vegetable scraps, besides the exceptions like potato peels and fibrous veggies, and cooked meat scraps, excluding bones. When in doubt about whether something can go down the disposal, it’s better to be cautious and dispose of it in the garbage can instead.

Run Cold Water and Ice Through the Garbage Disposal

Running cold water while using the disposal plays a crucial role in maintaining a garbage disposal's performance and longevity. Unlike hot water, which can cause grease and oils to liquefy and later solidify in the pipes, causing clogs, cold water helps solidify these substances that find their way down the drain so they can be broken down and flushed through the system more effectively. Running cold water before, during, and for around 30 seconds after using the disposal also helps ensure proper cleaning of the grinding chamber, helping prevent food particles from sticking to the blades and walls of the unit.

Ice cubes can also serve as an easy way to help keep the garbage disposal unit clean and free of odors. When fed through the running disposal, the shards of ice help remove stuck food debris and buildup from the grinding components while also sharpening the blades. The combination of ice and cold water creates a mixture that can reach areas of the disposal that might otherwise be missed during regular use. For optimal results, drop a handful of ice cubes into the disposal once a month while running cold water, and let the disposal operate until the ice is completely ground up. 

Don’t Put Too Much Down the Garbage Disposal 

When using the garbage disposal, it's crucial to be mindful of the size of food scraps and how much is being put down the disposal at any given time. Overloading the disposal with too much food waste at once or too big of food waste can strain the motor and cause jams or sewer line clogs. The disposal works best when processing smaller amounts of food gradually, allowing each batch to be thoroughly ground before adding more.

For optimal performance, break down larger food scraps into smaller, more manageable pieces before feeding them into the disposal. A good rule of thumb is to keep food pieces no larger than one inch in size and add them slowly while running cold water. This measured approach not only protects the disposal but also ensures that the ground-up waste can flow smoothly through the pipes without creating blockages. Remember that a garbage disposal is designed to handle small amounts of food waste as a convenience, not as a primary means of waste disposal.

About Quahog Plumbing

Quahog Plumbing has over 15 years of experience serving Somerset, MA, and the surrounding areas. They offer rapid service, flat-rate pricing, and the latest technology. Call them for kitchen plumbing and garbage disposal services in Somerset, MA.