When it comes to household appliances, most people think of the refrigerator or the microwave. However, one device that you probably have in your kitchen that you likely don’t pay enough attention to is your garbage disposal. Typically, unless there’s a problem, you don’t have any reason to check or maintain your disposal unit. Today we hope to change that by providing you with some handy tips for cleaning and maintaining your garbage disposal. Using these tips will help extend the life of your machine so you can keep not worrying about it for years to come.
Only Grind Soft Food
To help prevent any problems with your disposal, make sure that you only toss soft food into your disposal. Anything hard, like bones, metal, or anything else that can’t be broken down easily will damage the machine and could force you to get a replacement. If you have fibrous or tough foods, try to cut them into smaller pieces first.
Use Lots of Cold Water
When using the disposal, make sure to run cold water the entire time. Why cold water? To help get rid of any oil or grease that is trapped in the machine. Cold water will make it solidify so it can be broken down and go into the drain. Also, water will help keep the blades lubricated. For best use, run the water for about ten to fifteen seconds after turning the machine off so you can flush any leftover gunk down the drain.
Ice Cube Maintenance
Every once in a while, it helps to toss some ice cubes into the unit. The ice will knock loose any stuck-on debris or food, allowing the blades to work more efficiently. Just don’t dump too much ice in at once or it could damage the machine.
Citrus Cleaning
To help keep your disposal smelling nice, toss some citrus rinds every so often. Just make sure to cut the rinds down to smaller pieces, so they don’t get clogged in the blades.
Use Often
If you don’t use your disposal on a regular basis, then it’s good to turn it on every once in a while. Regular use will help keep everything running smoothly, as well as help prevent rust or corrosion. Also, when you do use it with food, make sure to let it run completely, meaning don’t turn it off until you’re sure that all the food has been chopped up.
