A garbage disposal works for you efficiently if you maintain it regularly and put the right things into the machine. However, if you don’t operate or maintain it properly, your unit can easily break down, clog the drains and cause a major repair that can drain your pocket. Treat it well, and it will serve you well in return.

What you can do and can’t do on garbage disposal

Can do:

• Keep your garbage unit clean – Pour a small amount of dish soap and cold water inside the disposal, and let it run for some time after washing the dishes.
• Run it regularly – This way, you can prevent rust and corrosion to build up. This would also ensure that all parts of the machine would be in good condition.
• Use cold water to grind food waste – Cold water will solidify any grease or oils that have accumulated in the unit, and chop them up before they reach the trap.
• Grind some hard materials like small chicken and fish bones, small fruit pits, egg shells, etc. A strong action produced by these particles when grinded cleans the walls of your garbage disposal.
• Cut large wastes into smaller pieces – Instead of putting all the large pieces of wastes into the disposal at one time, put them one by one after cutting them.

Can’t do:

• Don’t grind plastic, metal, glass, paper., combustible objects and cigarette butts.
• Don’t pour oil, grease or fat into the garbage disposer. When grease accumulates, it can clog the drains of your disposal, and obstruct its grinding ability.
• In grinding food waste, don’t pour hot water because it will only cause the grease to accumulate and clog the drains.
• Don’t put too many potato peels and other vegetable skins down the garbage unit. They may turn into a thick paste causing blades to stick.
• Don’t put a lot of food wastes into the garbage disposal. Put only small amounts at a time along with cold water running.
• Don’t put foods like pasta and rice because they tend to expand when mixed with water inside your disposer or pipes that cause jams and clogs.
• Never attempt to grind big animal bones like beef and pork because they might destroy the blades of the disposer.

These are simple tips in maintaining your garbage disposal machine. If you have serious problems, don’t hesitate to call a professional that offers flat rates on materials and labor to do the job efficiently.