Your garbage disposal is a true modern convenience. Grinding up food scraps, it makes washing dishes easier and cleaner. However, you should invest in proper care and maintenance to keep it running consistently. Follow these tips from Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Dallas to prolong the life of your disposal and costly service calls.

Avoid the Smell

Garbage disposals can start to smell, but they don’t have to. After you are finished with dishes and the scraps have been washed down the drain, run some cold water into the system while the disposal is on. Pour in some dish soap and let it run for another minute to clean the blades. You can also keep it smelling fresh by putting lemon or orange peels down the disposal.

Scour the Blades

Your Dallas Plumber will tell you to be careful about what you put down the disposal. However, there are some foods that are good for the disposal and can help clean it. Small chicken and fish bones, eggshells, and bits of fruit pits or peels will clean the blades by creating a scouring action.

Avoid Repairs

Avoid costly garbage disposal repair by remembering that some items should never go down the disposal.

  • These include man-made items like glass, plastic, metal, and paper, as well as combustible items and cigarette butts.
  • Grease can clog the system, so avoid putting grease down the disposal for any reason.
  • Very fibrous scraps like celery stalks, corn husks, and onion skins can also jam the machine and should be thrown away.
  • Large animal bones like pork and beef can damage the blades.
  • Coffee grounds are known for creating clogs.
  • Expandable foods like pasta and rice also should be put in the trash rather than the disposal.

If you encounter a serious clog and the sink won’t drain, call on Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Dallas for non-invasive camera inspections. However, you are less likely to encounter clogs and problems if you follow these tips. Call us today to learn more about garbage disposal care and maintenance.