Affordable Service have come up with some simple and easy to remember do’s & dont’s when taking care of your garbage disposal. One of the more convenient appliances located in the kitchen is the garbage disposal. It can make dealing with food waste a simpler and more efficient way to deal with daily food preparations. It’s important to know to how to take care of these smaller appliances so that they don’t become an unexpected cost for you later on.
Garbage disposal maintenance is one of the easier household chores on your list and take just a few minutes to do. No one has time for clogged drains and replacing a broken garbage disposal, that’s why the certified technicians here at Affordable Service have made a list of easy steps you can take daily to prevent a costly mistake.
-Do: When using your garbage disposal, it should always be used in conjunction with cold water. Cold water will help solidify any oil and grease so that it can be broken down and can pass easily through the drains.
-Do: Cleaning your disposal is as easy as pouring a cup of ice and a bit of grease-fighting dish soap and turning on the water. With the disposer on, the ice chunks help knock built-up grime down, the soap helps to break down the oil and grease and the water transports it down the drain.
-Do: Frequent use helps prevent rust and corrosion from building up and keeps all of the parts moving efficiently.
-Do: Cutting larger pieces of fruit and vegetable waste into small pieces prevents the blades from becoming stuck.
-Do: Small scraps from your plate are fine as long as it isn’t bone. Keeping food waste to small sizes reduces the risk of it becoming clogged or the blades becoming jammed.
Here is a tip- putting some pieces of citrus peels in the disposal will get rid of any unpleasant smells and will leave your sink smelling fresh.
-Don’t: You should never put anything in your garbage disposal that is not food related.
-Don’t: Pouring any type of grease, oil, or fat down the drain will lead to a costly clog.
-Don’t: Hot water liquifies any solidified oil and grease and can cause a clog farther into your draining pipes.
-Don’t: Drain cleaners and other harsh chemicals can damage both the drains and the blades. These chemicals can also cause significant damage to the ecology of your septic system.
If your household is on a septic system, natural cleaning products are best. Septic systems are not designed to filter out solvent-based products, fuels, or even lubricants. If you feel like you need to clean your sink’s drainage, try some baking soda and vinegar or you can sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of borax, let sit for a few minutes and then run the disposal with cold water.
It’s easy to forget that even a garbage disposal has its limits. You should closely follow ALL owner’s manual recommendations and follow all safety guidelines. Not following safety guidelines could result in damage to your garbage disposal, serious injury, or death. If you’re uncomfortable with any procedure, contact Affordable Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning and Electric and schedule an appointment for one of our skilled technicians to help.
