Your garbage disposal plays an important role in your kitchen’s health. This unique system is able to take care of your food waste easily and reliably, but we all know what a pain it is to have a broken or malfunctioning disposal. With so much riding on your disposal working efficiently, it’s a great idea to keep an eye on your system’s health.
Gotelli Plumbing wants you to know the preventative measures you can take to keep your kitchen sink healthy. With these garbage disposal maintenance tasks completed, you can feel more confident that your system will work every time you need it.
Best Garbage Disposal Practices
First and foremost, some of the best preventative maintenance is simply deciding how to treat your disposal on a daily basis. From choosing what to put down the drain to helping your disposal grind efficiently, the following tips will help your system stay healthy:
- Harmful Food – A really important way to keep your disposal clean is to avoid putting the wrong food waste down the drain. These items include grease, fat, oil, pasta, rice and any non-food waste items. These materials clog and coat the pieces of the disposal and deteriorate the system.
- Large Waste – Big pieces of food waste should be broken up before they are sent down the drain. This helps your disposal grind it easily and not get stuck or clogged.
- Run Cold Water – Any time you are sending food waste down the drain or using the garbage disposal, run a good amount of cold water. The water flow helps send the ground material down the pipes instead of letting it settle and form clogs.
Garbage Disposal Cleaning Tips
Employing safe and efficient cleaning techniques on your disposal at regular intervals can also prevent bigger repairs like clogs and broken down disposals. Remember to use some of the following tactics to keep your disposal clear of debris:
- Dish Soap – Squirting dish soap down your drain every day is a safe way to work on cleaning out your drain area. Plus, dish soap is usually readily available in your home.
- Grind & Clean – Grinding things like ice cubes and citrusy fruits can help reduce smells and clear waste stuck in the disposal. It can also sharpen the blades in a natural and healthy way.
- Drain Cleaners – Don’t use drain cleaners to clear your disposal. Drain cleaners are harsh chemicals that can harm your disposal and break down the components prematurely.
Mechanical Garbage Disposal Maintenance
You can also test or use several mechanical functions of your disposal to make sure it is working correctly. This is a great way to make sure your disposal never surprises you when you need it most. Check out these other maintenance tips:
- Reset Button – Sometimes the reset button on your disposal can be tripped. If your system is acting up, take a moment to check that it is pressed in, or test its function every now and then.
- Hand Crank – If you can’t free up a jammed disposal, there is an opening at the bottom of your unit that you can use to manually turn the blades to free them. This could come in handy for particularly stubborn clogs.
Gotelli Garbage Disposal Services
Our expert plumbing team wants your disposal to last as long as possible and serve you with efficiency. Even with all the maintenance in the world, sometimes your garbage disposal needs to be replaced. With our experience on your side, your garbage disposal installation will be a piece of cake. Contact us today for more information!
