If you want your kitchen to remain efficient, one of the ways of doing this is to properly maintain your garbage disposal. Regular care will not only extend your disposal’s life but also prevent any unpleasant odors and clogs. To ensure it’s always running smoothly, here is a guide on what you can do during its routine maintenance.

Regularly run the garbage disposal/Garburator

One of the best things you can do to keep the garbage disposal in good working order is to run it at least once a day. Even if you don’t have anything to grind up, run the garbage disposal with cold water to ensure that the blades don’t become rusted from lack of use. Take this time to put ice cubes into the garbage disposal. The hard cubes will get chopped up by the blades and help clean out any waste that is still stuck to the sides of the appliance or to the inside of the drainpipe.

Avoid products that damage disposals

Another easy maintenance step is to simply avoid putting items into the disposal if you know that they can potentially harm the disposal or the pipes. Common food items that should not be put into a garbage disposal include banana skins, broccoli, celery, corn husks, potato peels, bones, eggshells, coffee grounds, and fat.
Eggshells and coffee grounds won’t damage the garbage disposal and can even help neutralize odors and sharpen the disposal blades. However, both eggshells and coffee grounds significantly contribute to drain clogs, so it’s best to avoid these products.
Harsh cleaning chemicals should also be avoided. While the chemicals may help unclog the drains, there is also the possibility that the chemicals can cling to the garbage disposal blades, and fly out of the disposal during the next use. Additionally, these types of cleaning chemicals can do lasting damage to the drains if they are regularly relied on to clear clogs. Consider having the garbage disposal drain snaked about once every two years to help clear partial clogs before they can become a problem. Source: The Spruce

Use plenty of cold water

Your garbage disposal maintenance should include running cold water through it during operation. Turn on the water before starting your disposal and keep the water running several seconds after you turn off the disposal. This helps the particles flow easily through the pipes. Avoid using hot water while operating the disposal as that can cause grease to separate and coat the drain.

Don’t Overfill the Disposal

Your garbage disposal is only so powerful, so be careful not to overexert it. Putting too much in the garbage disposal at one time can potentially jam up the disposal and cause a lot of stress on the blades and motor. If you have a large amount of stuff you want to run through the disposal, take your time and put the items in little by little. Source: HWA Home Warranty

Use borax

Routinely, clean stubborn odors from your garbage disposal by pouring 3 to 4 tablespoons of borax down the drain (like Twenty-Mule-Team Borax that you’ll find in the supermarket laundry aisle). Let it sit for an hour. Without running the disposal, turn on the hot water to flush the borax away. Borax is a natural sink cleaner and sanitizer that effectively works on odor-causing mold and mildew that accumulate in a garbage disposal. Source: Everyday Cheapskate
With the help of these tips, we hope that you won’t neglect the proper maintenance that your garbage disposal deserves. If ever a problem has already occurred, you can always seek out professionals like us to handle the job for you – just get in touch with us!