Garbage Disposal Care Tips to Help with Your Plumbing
Proper cleaning of your garbage disposal can prevent the kitchen from smelling bad. You may typically find yourself cleaning it once a month when you run a sink full of cold water with a squirt of dish soap. If you want proper maintenance, a plumber is be able to provide that service for your garbage disposal.
In addition, you can take matters into your own hands and help your plumber out with these garbage disposal care tips we’ve prepared:
1. Refrain From Throwing In Hard Food
One of the biggest common mistakes that people make is throwing in hard foods that should not be disposed of at the garbage disposal. This includes uncooked eggshells, bones, coffee grounds, or popcorn kernels.
You should refrain from running any hard foods through your garbage disposal as it can clog it and make it difficult to clean. If it clogs, you have to fish out the hard food and clean the unit. It will be better for the disposal to just get some running water down the drain, or it could wear down and stop working.
2. It’s Better to Break Food Down Before Grinding
If you don’t want your garbage disposal malfunctioning often, it is best to break the food down before grinding it up. You shouldn’t attempt to grind the food up all at once.
If you have some large chunks of food, you should break them down into smaller pieces and then repeat the process a few times until the food is adequately ground up. This will help stop your garbage disposal from breaking down and wearing out too quickly.
3. Cold Water Is Good for Grinding
You should always use cold water to grind up your food. It helps keep the motor and the blades of your garbage disposal at a lower temperature. It also helps keep grease and fat at a less liquid state so they’ll not mess with your blades’ quality.
Try running cold water as you start grinding, and keep it running until after you finish. This is good for keeping your plumbing clear.
4. Keep the Disposal Clean
Another thing that you can do for yourself is to keep your garbage disposal clean. You can easily do it with a squirt of dish soap and some running water and ice. Some people like to add baking soda and vinegar to the mix, allowing the mixture to sit for a while before running water through it.
5. Use Fragrant Fruit Peels to Mask Bad Odors
Cooking can often leave your house with an unpleasant smell, and this can be even worse when you dispose of your food waste in your garbage disposal. Try running some apple peels and orange peels through the disposal each time you run them. It can help mask the putrid smells coming from your kitchen drains. It also adds a bit of a refreshing scent to your kitchen.
Conclusion
Although you can do some things to help you with your plumbing yourself, hiring a plumber to perform regular maintenance services is always a good idea. This will help you prevent issues and make it much easier to avoid fixing a major plumbing problem. A plumber will also be able to spot and prevent any problems that you might have with your garbage disposal.
Hire our plumbing services in Athens, Georgia, and keep your garbage disposal and plumbing system in great condition. We’re happy to serve businesses and homeowners alike. Contact us today and set an appointment!
