The garbage disposal unit in your kitchen is one of the most useful tools in your home. It helps you to get rid of leftover food scraps. It also prevents your drain from clogging up. However, garbage disposal units are also quite prone to breaking and clogging as well. Repairing your kitchen waste disposal can be expensive and time-consuming, which is why it’s always better to be safe than sorry. In this article, we’ll talk about the do’s and don’ts for how to use and clean your garbage disposal so that it lasts longer and works more effectively. With that said, let’s get into it.
DO’S:
Clean the inside of the disposal
Many people think that it’s difficult to clean the inside of the disposal unit. While this can be true, the cleaning process is a lot more convenient than you would think. All you have to do is pour in a small amount of dish soap, followed by a cup or two of cold water. Then, let it run for a couple of minutes.
Use cold water
When rinsing off the disposal, you should always use cold water as it will help the lipids to solidify. Those solid pieces will then be chopped up along with the rest of the waste inside of the disposal unit. If you use hot water, the lipid will melt and coat the inside of the unit, making it more difficult to clean later on.
Leave out large chunks of food
If you’re going to throw food waste in the disposal, make sure that it’s as small as possible so that it’s easier for the unit to process. Also, avoid putting hard foods such as candy, bones, and fruit pits in the disposal, as those can significantly damage the blade and the motor.
Sharpen the blades with ice cubes
Ice cubes aren’t hard enough to damage the blade or the motor and they will help to sharpen the blades inside the unit. Sharp blades can help to reduce the workload of the motor, and it will increase the longevity of the unit overall.
DON’TS
Throw non-biodegradable items in the disposal
The sole purpose of the disposal unit is to chop everything down so that it can be processed further. If you chop up plastic, foam, and other particles that can’t be processed naturally, you will simply be creating micro plastic that will contaminate the environment.
Put paper in the disposal unit
Your garbage disposal is not a document shredder. The paper can get caught up in the blades and result in the motor overheating. If the motor is broken, the damage may be permanent. You will have to replace the entire system if that’s the case.
Lubricate the unit with oil
The disposal unit doesn’t need additional lubrication and putting oil in the system will only make it worse. The oil will form a coating which can reduce the effectiveness of the blades. Moreover, it can clog up the drain inside the disposal unit.
Put your hand in the disposal unit while it’s plugged in
This shouldn’t have to be said, but we will say it anyway — DO NOT put your hand in the grinder when it’s plugged in. Even when it’s unplugged and you want to pull something out, you need to make sure you’re wearing protective gloves. The disposal unit can process bones in seconds – what do you think will happen to your hand if the grinder was to go off while it was in it?
Additional tips
If your garbage disposal isn’t working, one of the most simple tricks to make it work again is to reset the unit. You can do this by holding the reset button which is usually located near the switch for around five seconds before starting the unit back up. If that doesn’t work, the next thing that you can do is check the electrical wiring and the circuit to make sure that there’s no damaged wires, blown fuses, or tripped circuit breaker. If none of these simple fixes work, then it’s time to call a plumbing service.
If you’re looking for a reputable plumbing company, Morey PHC is your best option. Contact us today and see what we can do for you.
