Garbage disposals are handy for getting rid of food waste. But do you know what types of food you should avoid putting into your disposal? How about getting rid of any lingering odors? Or how to keep the blades sharp? Properly using and caring for your garbage disposal will help to keep it running smoothly.
First off, you need to be careful about what types of things you throw into the garbage disposal. Things such as fat from meats and their bones (no matter how tiny) should never make their way into your disposal. The fat is likely too tough for your garbage disposal to break down. The bones, of course, can ruin the blades of your disposal.
Vegetable ends are OK options for throwing into the disposal. However, that would be a waste. Save those odds and ends for making homemade broth. You can boil the vegetable ends themselves or add to chicken or beef bones for a meaty broth. After making the broth, stain the vegetables, and throw them into the disposal. Because the vegetables have been boiled, they will be soften, making it easier on your disposal to break them down. Egg shells are fragile and are easily broken and can be placed in the disposal as well. Never dump the remnants from a bowl of popcorn into the sink. Unpopped kernels can reek havoc on your disposal. It can wedge itself between the blade and the surrounding walls and floor of your disposal, causing the blades to become stuck. Apple seeds, and other hard fruit seeds also should be banned from the disposal. Also, take off your wedding ring and/or any other rings before using the disposal for safety precautions. Also, never place non-food items into your disposal.
When you use your disposal make sure that you do a thorough job. Turn on your disposal and listen. When the grinding sound changes to more of a whirling noise then your disposal has most likely finished breaking down the food. After turning off the disposal, let the water run into the drain for a few moments. This way any food particles left behind can be flushed down the drain.
To keep the blades sharp place ice cubes into the disposal and let it run. The ice acts like a sharpener as the blades grind against its frozen surface. You can also choose to deodorize and sharpen at the same time by using cubes made from lemon juice. Other ways to deodorize your disposal would be to grind up orange or lemon peels, pour vinegar or lemon juice directly into the disposal, or sprinkling of baking soda between uses.
You should also clean your disposal at least once a day. You can do this every night after the dinner dishes have been cleaned. To do a simple cleaning, simply run hot soapy water through the disposal. A bottle cleaner, made for scrubbing baby bottles, can come in handy to scrape off any stuck on food from the blades and walls of your disposal.
By putting these tips to use you can prolong the life of your garbage disposal. Remember to always run water into the disposal before, during, and after the grinding process. Before using your garbage disposal you should also read the owner’s manual for proper use and care.
