A garbage disposal is a great kitchen tool when you want to clean up quickly and avoid smelly trash. The disposal attaches to the drain under your kitchen sink and has sharp blades or teeth that pulverize food. In order to keep your garbage disposal healthy and avoid blockages and breakdowns, you need to know what can and can’t go in it.
Safe: Most Soft Foods
Most soft foods go through the garbage disposal without problems. This includes cooked vegetables and meat, pureed or mashed foods, and almost all liquids.
Safe: Ice Cubes
Ice cubes can help keep the blades of your disposal clean, so they are good for the appliance once in a while. Avoid putting ice cubes down the drain frequently, though, as too many of them can damage the blades over time.
Safe: Dish Soap
Dish soap and hot water are the perfect mixture to clean the inside of your garbage disposal. Rinse your appliance with a drop of dish soap followed by hot running water for a couple of minutes about once a week.
Sometimes Safe: Fruit Rinds
Fruit peels and rinds can freshen your garbage disposal and remove odors. However, it’s important to cut them into small pieces to avoid overworking your disposal.
Unsafe: Bones
Bones are too hard for the blades of your disposal. They are also often sharp and pointy, creating a puncture hazard for your drains. Bones may be irregularly shaped as well, making them a good bet to get stuck somewhere inside your drainage system.
Unsafe: Grease and Oil
Grease and oil are never safe for your drains or garbage disposal in any form. Hot liquid grease hardens when it cools and may stick to the sides of your drain pipes or garbage disposal. Always dispose of grease and oil somewhere other than your plumbing system.
Unsafe: Flour and Dough
Flour gets gooey when it’s wet, forming a doughy substance. Dough is unsafe for the garbage disposal due to its stickiness. If allowed time to dry out, the dough will harden and could cause an obstruction in the drainage system.
Unsafe: Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds clump together when they get wet. This makes passage through the drains and garbage disposal tricky, as they may get stuck and create a clog.
Installing a garbage disposal in your kitchen can save you time when cleaning up after a meal and help you avoid lingering food odors from the trash. However, you need to learn how to use the garbage disposal properly to avoid damaging the blades and motor of the appliance or causing clogs and blockages in the drainage system.
If you’re ready for simplified meal-time cleanup, call Nichols Electric & Plumbing in Rochester, NY to learn more about our garbage disposal services.
