Garbage disposals do a great job of getting rid of food waste, without adding it to landfills. That can help prevent unwanted odors or flies from hovering around your trash can. Though it doesn’t need a lot of maintenance, there are some things you can do to help it function well as long as possible. In this article, we’ll go over 4 of the easiest tips to keep your garbage disposal running at peak performance.
Use Cold Water And Keep It Running: The owner’s manual for your garbage disposal says, “First turn on the cold water and then turn on the disposal.” Having water running while the disposal works helps to push the stuff around. Using cold water instead of hot water helps cool the motor down. It also keeps fats, oils, and grease more solid so they drain easier.
Send Down Citrus Peels, Small Bones, Fruit Pits, And Ice: Having your garbage disposal grind up harder chunks scours the grinding chamber. That can help break things off the sidewalls inside so that they can grind up all the way and go down the drain. Citrus peels can help cut down on unpleasant smells and freshen up the unit. Some people recommend avoiding bones, depending on the quality of your garbage disposal.
Don’t Send Down Fats, Oils, or Grease: Another quote from the owner’s manual says, “Don’t pour grease or fat down your disposal or any drain. It can build up in all the pipes and cause drain blockages. Put grease in a jar, can, or dispose of it in the trash.” The biggest cause of blocked drains in the kitchen is grease caked on the inside of the pipes until it closes off.
Don’t Fill the Disposal with a Lot of Food All at Once: When you’re canning a ton of salsa, it can be easy to dump all the peels down the drain. But doing that is hard on your garbage disposal. It’s much better to feed things in gradually. Otherwise, the disposal will have to work harder, and the motor might overheat.
