Your garbage disposal is probably your most used major kitchen appliance. If it’s the most used, it might also be the most abused! If you aren’t paying attention to the basic rules of garbage disposal maintenance and care you may be faced with a garbage disposal emergency soon. Read on to learn some basic guidelines for garbage disposal care that can prevent major emergencies.
When in Doubt Throw it Out!
You may think that your handy disposal is game to handle just about any food or household waste, but that’s just not true. There are lots of things that can go down your disposal, but there are also quite a few that can and will damage your disposal. Here’s just a small list of things that should NEVER go down your disposal:
- Bones & Fruit Pits- if you’ve bitten into a bone or fruit pit you know how hard it is! Don’t subject your poor disposal blades to the same treatment!
- Fat & Grease- Though your leftover fat and grease may seem harmless, but it builds up and becomes a major issue on your disposal blades.
- Starchy foods- It may seem very easy to dump your pasta water and leftovers down your drain, but the gluten can cover the blades in your garbage disposal and create a sticky film that will dull the blades on your disposal.
Keep it Fresh?
There are lot of do-it-yourself tips for how to keep your garbage disposal functioning perfectly, unfortunately not all of them should be followed! If you’ve ever thought that grinding up gravel or fruit pits to “sharpen” your garbage disposal blades, then stop. The best way to sharpen your disposal blades is to have them professionally serviced. However, if you’re looking to freshen-up your garbage disposal then you can use the following tips:
- Sprinkle some ice cubes with baking soda.
- Use citrus juice or vinegar
- Run the disposal with hot water and kosher/rock salt.
The above options will help clear/clean out your garbage disposal without causing damage to the blades.
If you need garbage disposal repair or replacement call the experts from On Call Plumbing at 661-201-6016.