Care and Feeding of Garbage Disposals

If you have a garbage disposal, you know it’s a convenient kitchen feature, but did you know it is also an intricate part of your plumbing system? While they make food cleanup a lot easier, avoid nasty odors, drain clogs, and malfunctioning with these steps:

• Always use cold water to avoid liquifying any grease in the disposal.
• Never pour grease intentionally down any drain, including your disposal or you’re in for clogs!
• Don’t grind very fibrous materials, bones or egg shells as they will wear out the motor, damage the disposal, and block drains.
• Don’t put large amounts of any food down the disposal, add waste gradually.
• Always run your disposal regularly, never let food waste sit in the disposal.

Clean your disposal regularly by pouring 3-4 tablespoons of Borax down the drain and let it sit a few hours. Without running the disposal, flush the Borax away with hot water as a natural sanitizer and cleanser.

Your garbage disposal is hooked up directly to your plumbing, and components are complicated and dangerous. If your disposal is not working properly – or not working at all – call a professional plumber.