Garbage Disposal Maintenance Tips That Can Help You Avoid a Call to Your Local Repair Company

The convenience of a garbage disposal often makes kitchen duties a little easier. Food that would usually fill your garbage can and produce unpleasant odors are efficiently eliminated by the sharp blades of your disposal. In order to prevent the need for appliance repair, a garbage disposal requires maintenance. Luckily, caring for your disposal does not demand a large amount of effort. Performing the following maintenance tips will keep your appliance running properly for many years to come.

The Dos and Don’ts of Garbage Disposal Maintenance

• Always monitor the types of foods you are putting down your disposal. While a garbage disposal is built to grind tough food particles and debris, keeping certain items away from your appliance helps maintain its performance. Fibrous foods, such as, banana peels, onion skins, celery, and potato skins are best thrown in the garbage because of their tendency to become caught in your disposal’s blades, or their ability to create a clog. If you choose to put these items in your garbage disposal, do so in small amounts while running cold water.
• Large bones and fruit pits should not be put into the disposal. These items can dull or break your disposal’s blades. While you would think rice and noodles would not damage your appliance, the truth is, they have a tendency to cause clogs. When placing them in your disposal, do it slowly and in small quantities with cold water coming from your faucet.
• Avoid pouring cooking oil, cooking grease or raw animal fat into your garbage disposal. All of these items can cause clogs and form a coat of grease on your disposal’s blades, which may diminish their effectiveness and emit a foul odor.
• When you are running your garbage disposal, cold water should be used to flush debris down the pipes. It is vital for you to leave the water running long enough to ensure all particles are cleared out of the system. Do not use hot water for this process. Hot water can cause certain types of food to melt and form a sludge. The sludge may cause build-up in your pipes by sticking to their walls.
• Filling your garbage disposal with ice cubes and turning it on until the ice is crushed, sharpens and cleans your appliance’s blades. Performing this task once a month helps your disposal function at its highest capacity.
• Keeping your garbage disposal odor free can be tough, but running it regularly and using enough water can prevent unwanted smells. If you already have an odor problem, pouring 2 cups of lemon juice into your disposal and allowing it to sit for 5 minutes before running the unit and flushing it out with water should get rid of the smell. Avoid pouring bleach or drain cleaners into the unit to rid it of any unpleasant odors.

The proper maintenance can keep your garbage disposal running for years. Unfortunately, no matter how well an appliance is maintained there is still a chance it will break down. If you’re garbage disposal’s performance is not meeting your standards, please contact us, and we’ll send one of our trusted technicians to inspect and fix the problem.