A garbage disposal is a helpful addition to any kitchen, but are you using yours correctly? While garbage disposals are convenient for removing extra waste from your kitchen, they can back up quickly if they aren’t well-maintained. Here are five helpful tips for using your garbage disposal to help you keep yours in good shape.

Use cold water and avoid putting fats and oils down the disposal

When running your garbage disposal, make sure you’re using cold water instead of hot water. This is because hot water can cause any oils, liquid fats, and grease in the disposal to harden into a deposit. This makes your disposal much more likely to clog. When you can, you should completely avoid putting any fats and oils in the disposal at all.

Cut large items into smaller pieces

If you have very large food items that you want to remove with your garbage disposal, it’s always best to cut them up into smaller pieces. Although it takes a few extra minutes, these smaller pieces will be much easier for your garbage disposal to process, reducing your chances of it clogging. When you can, you should avoid putting large amounts of rice and pasta into the disposal. This is because these items can expand in the garbage disposal when they are exposed to water. Hard objects like plastic should also never make their way into the garbage disposal, as they are virtually impossible for the machine to process and will inevitably result in a malfunction.

Normal drain cleaning products don’t work on garbage disposals

If you’re having an issue with your garbage disposal, it may be tempting to use a drain cleaner on it. While these products work wonders on a normal sink or shower, they won’t work on your garbage disposal, so steer clear of them. Instead of clearing up the problem, they’ll often make things worse. It’s more efficient to call your local plumber and have them look at the disposal system.

Clean your disposal regularly

Many people don’t think to clean their garbage disposal, but it can actually make a huge difference in its longevity. The easiest way to clean it is with some simple dish soap. After use, just pour a few drops of dish soap into the disposal and follow it up with some cold water. Not only will this help prevent clogs, but it will prevent any unwelcome odors from your garbage disposal.

Use ice cubes to sharpen the blades

Your garbage disposal will work best when its blades are sharp. To maintain them, take a few ice cubes and grind them using the disposal once or twice a month. Ice cubes are most effective for this because the water helps to clear out the disposal, and their hard surface keeps the blades nice and sharp.

A clogged garbage disposal is a very common kitchen problem. If you need help fixing your garbage disposal make sure to contact the pros at D&N Plumbing and Gas!