Your garbage disposal is a major convenience in your kitchen. The disposal helps you discard food scraps without overflowing your trash can and dealing with lingering food odors. However, you’ll need to keep your device clean to continue enjoying this convenience.
A garbage disposal attaches to the drain underneath your sink. Food and water that flush down the drain go through the disposal, where sharp teeth or blades grind it into mush and send it on through the plumbing system to the sewer.
How to Clean the Machine
When using your garbage disposal, you should always flush before, during, and after with cold water. You can clean your machine using dish soap, citrus fruit, and ice cubes. Clean the garbage disposal at least once a week to keep foods from sticking and creating foul smells in your drain.
Safe Foods for Your Disposal
Most soft foods are safe to go down the drain when you have a garbage disposal. Cooked foods, fruits, vegetables, and most liquids can go down the drain without issue in most cases. When putting food down the drain, always make sure you run cold water along with the food and that the food is in small pieces so that it doesn’t overwork your disposal.
Off-Limit Items for the Garbage Disposal
Although your garbage disposal has a motor and sharp teeth, there are some foods that simply shouldn’t be put down the kitchen sink drain.
Grease, oil, and fat are dangerous to your plumbing system and can create clogs in your pipes. Hot grease and oil should be poured into a glass jar to cool, then tossed in the trash. Greasy and fatty foods can cause problems as well and should be thrown in the trash.
Eggshells themselves are not necessarily harmful to your garbage disposal. However, the shells have a sticky membrane lining the insides of them. This membrane can become stuck in the drain and may wrap around the blades of your disposal. This can cause other food to build up and may create a blockage in your disposal or pipes. Eggshells are great for the compost pile.
Coffee grounds clump together when they become wet. Do not pour coffee grounds down the drain as they may form a glob that sits inside your plumbing and stops the flow of water and waste.
Fibrous fruits and vegetables have strands that can wrap around the blades or teeth of your garbage disposal and can cause damage to the motor as they slow the system down.
Starchy foods clump and can create obstructions in the garbage disposal and drains. This includes potatoes, bread, and pasta. These food items should be thrown away and not put down the drain.
Animal bones are hard enough that your garbage disposal cannot pulverize them and make them safe for the plumbing system. Bones are often irregularly shaped and can become lodged in the drain, garbage disposal, or pipes. Finally, some bones have pointed edges that can puncture your pipes and lead to leaks and other disastrous plumbing problems.
Non-food items are never allowed in the garbage disposal. Paper products such as paper towels, napkins, wipes, or toilet paper should be discarded in the trash. These items can clump up in the disposal and become stuck, creating a messy clog. Other common items people put down the kitchen drain include fruit stickers and food labels, which can adhere to surfaces within the plumbing system. Food wrappers also tend to find their way into the garbage disposal and spell certain trouble. All non-food items should be tossed in the garbage.
Reliable Plumbing Experts
Our plumbers at Legacy Plumbing Experts are experts in garbage disposals. We can help with installing your new appliance or repairing your existing appliance. We provide skilled household plumbing services such as toilet repair, clog removal, and plumbing fixture installations. Our plumbers install, repair, and maintain water heaters, water filtration equipment, and boilers.
We have the necessary skills to help with sewer problems and provide in-depth drain cleaning and hydro-jetting services to keep your plumbing system clear and healthy. No matter your plumbing problem, our plumbers are standing by and ready to help with advanced skills, extensive knowledge, and plentiful tools and supplies.
Keep your garbage disposal clean, healthy, and in optimal working order by following these simple tips. For any issues, schedule service with the top experts in Port St. Lucie by calling Legacy Plumbing Experts today.
