As the holidays approach, your kitchen sees more activity than usual, from family dinners to festive gatherings. Your garbage disposal is one of the most hardworking appliances in your kitchen, and the holidays can add a lot of wear and tear. Here are some expert tips to keep it running smoothly all season.
Avoid Overloading Your Garbage Disposal
During holiday meal prep, it’s easy to forget the limitations of your garbage disposal. Remember, it’s not designed to handle large quantities at once. Feed waste gradually to prevent overloading, which can cause clogs and even damage the disposal’s motor. Also, avoid disposing of tough items like bones or fibrous vegetable peels that can jam the blades or cause clogs.
Watch What You Put Down the Drain
Certain holiday leftovers don’t belong in your garbage disposal. Grease, oil, and fatty foods like butter and bacon drippings can solidify in the pipes, leading to serious clogs. Instead, pour grease into a disposable container and throw it in the trash once it cools. Other items to avoid include pasta, rice, and coffee grounds, which can expand in water and create nasty blockages that require professional drain cleaning or sewer line service to get rid of.
Use Cold Water to Flush
Using cold water when running your garbage disposal helps soften food waste so it can be chopped up more easily and flushed down the drain. Run cold water before, during, and after using your garbage disposal so that all waste flows smoothly through your pipes.
Clean Your Disposal Regularly
To keep your disposal smelling fresh and free from buildup, a routine cleaning is essential. Drop a few ice cubes and a small amount of dish soap into the disposal, then turn it on with cold water running. The ice helps knock off any debris stuck to the blades, while the dish soap freshens up the unit. You can also freshen it by grinding a few lemon or orange peels.
Let Us Handle the Hard Work
If you run into any issues, our team at The Barton Boys in Spokane Valley, WA, is here to help. We offer expert plumbing services to keep your kitchen running smoothly all season. Contact us today to schedule a maintenance check and get your garbage disposal holiday-ready.
