How to Properly Care for Your Garbage Disposal
A garbage disposal is one of the great modern conveniences of today’s kitchens. Yet, without proper care and keeping, your garbage disposal can quickly become more of a hindrance than a help. Maintain your garbage disposal and avoid a call to your plumbing service provider with these helpful hints.
Protection
One of the keys to successful garbage disposal maintenance is to prevent damage whenever possible. For example, while garbage disposals are perfect for disposing of food waste, some items are simply not appropriate for use with your disposal. Bones or meat fat are both considered too tough for your garbage disposal blades to handle. Seeds are also dangerous as they can wedge themselves between disposal blades and cause jams. With this in mind, avoid putting seeded fruit or popcorn kernels into the garbage disposal.
Maintenance
Keep your garbage disposal clean by rinsing it after each use. To do so, run both cold water and a small amount of dish soap through your disposal. Ice can also be used as an effective cleaning agent. Occasionally toss a few ice cubes into your running disposal to remove grease buildup and clean hard-to-reach places. Garbage disposal odor can be specifically addressed as well. Dropping a piece of lemon or orange into your disposal can help to create a fresh scent. A few tablespoons of baking soda in the drain can also be used to overcome bad smells.
Treatment
If your garbage disposal is not grinding, begin by resetting it. On most garbage disposal models, the reset button—a red or black switch—can be found underneath the sink. Also check to make sure that you do not have a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. If a reset fails and if you are unsure of the next step to take, contact a plumbing professional.
If you are in need of plumbing help for your garbage disposal, contact Rapid Rooter Plumbing at (916) 248-8783. Our experienced and professional staff offers a full range of plumbing solutions. Call us today for assistance with your residential or commercial plumbing needs.
