You can find a garbage disposal unit in most kitchens these days. A garbage disposal unit can really help you with the clean-up involved with food preparation. A garbage disposal unit is usually connected to the underside of a sink drain in the kitchen.
It has a chopping mechanism, similar to what you would find in a blender, which grinds up food scraps that you feed down the drain. To wash down the food particles faster and easier, you should run water from the faucet. A mechanism that looks like an arm pushes food scraps and water down the drain.
The garbage disposal unit is usually connected to a dishwasher’s water supply. Sometimes, the water that the dishwater releases after draining the dishes flows through the garbage disposal unit in order to wash away food particles from the pans, plates, glasses and silverware, just as if you utilized the garbage disposal unit directly.
Proper maintenance of a garbage disposal unit can keep it in good working order for longer; possibly for over ten years. Here are some ways to use your garbage disposal unit that will help you lengthen its life.
1.Don’t forget to run water before and after you use the garbage disposal. If you don’t, food particles may be trapped in it, causing unpleasant smells in your kitchen.
2. Always use cold water when using your garbage disposal unit. This is because any fat in the food scraps you feed down the drain can melt in hot water. The melted fat will then travel through the pipes and solidify when it cools, causing clogged pipes.
3. Avoid using bleach, drain cleaner or any chemical incompatible with garbage disposal units, as chemicals like these may damage the unit. What’s more, chemicals such as those used in the kitchen can cause harm to the environment.
4. Avoid feeding rice, egg shells, bones, coffee grounds, stringy vegetables and similar foods into the garbage disposal unit as doing so affect the functionality of the unit and shorten its life.
Take a cue from horror movies and never use your hands to remove an item that’s stuck in your garbage disposal unit. What you can do instead is grab a pair of tongs and use it to remove the stuck item. If your garbage disposal unit starts giving off unpleasant smells, chop up a piece of lemon and feed it down the drain while running warm water.
Alternatively, you can feed a couple of ice cubes along with some rock salt down the drain while running warm water. Either of the two methods should remove foul odors from your garbage disposal unit. If you use your garbage disposal unit properly and employ the methods stated in this article, you should be able to use your garbage disposal unit for a long time as yet.
