There’s a lot going on under the typical kitchen sink. Plumbing connects from the sink itself to the garbage disposal where a dishwasher connection — hopefully with a proper air gap or similar feature — joins the line. From there, everything goes through a typical P trap and down the drain. If you have the full complement of the sink, dishwasher, and garbage disposal all plumbed together under your counter, there are many ways things can go wrong if you don’t take care.

Proper Garbage Disposal Use

• Hard materials cause harm. Avoid grinding nutshells, bones, and foreign objects like glass and plastic. If the disposal jams, refer to the reset and hand crank method mentioned below.
• Slippery materials like potato, cucumber, and squash peels jam and impair the grinding mechanism. Also, avoid pouring fats down. Regular cleaning will help prevent fat accumulation.
• Overloading prevents the grinder from bouncing materials around as part of the process. Go slowly. Don’t put pasta or rice down in large amounts, because it expands on the way through the drain, causing clogs.

Cleaning Your Disposal for Better Function and Fresher Smell

• Grind ice cubes a few times a month to increase effectiveness, with an optional rock salt chaser.
• Send a couple of citrus halves through periodically for freshness.

Maintenance and Basic Garbage Disposal Care

• Remember the hand crank option, usually at the base using a supplied hex wrench, and the reset button to get things going again.
• Don’t use chemical drain cleaners through your disposal.
• Use the baking soda followed by vinegar fizzing cleaner solution periodically.
• Flush with cold water, not hot. This keeps grease from flowing throughout the grinding mechanism, reducing efficiency and increasing odors.

If you experience leaks, malfunctions, or loud noises from your disposal or need something extracted from the impeller and grinder, reach out to a professional.

Keeping Your Garbage Disposal In “Sync” Just Takes Good Habits

The garbage disposal is just a hard-working piece of machinery that needs a bit of care and as little abuse as possible. With the right habits, you can trust your disposal to keep serving you for up to a decade, depending on the motor strength and mealtime disposal workload. For more information about our residential plumbing services and drain cleaning services, reach out to Dan’s Drain Services today!