Garbage disposals are an essential part of any modern kitchen, streamlining the disposal of leftovers and past-their-prime foods while minimizing unpleasant odors and messes.
Like any other appliance, your garbage disposal needs a little preventive care and maintenance so it can continue making your life in the kitchen easier.
Items to Avoid Putting in Your Garbage Disposal
Many people mistakenly believe that a garbage disposal can handle any type of waste. Unfortunately, this is not the case. To keep your disposal functioning effectively for years to come, it is essential to avoid certain items.
Eggshells tend to attach to other food waste and accumulate at the bottom of the disposal.
Here is a list of items that should never be placed in your garbage disposal.
- Non-food Materials
Avoid placing non-food items such as plastic, paper, glass, rubber bands, packaging materials, fabric, tape, and other types of waste into your disposal. Always ensure that you remove rubber bands, stickers, and strings from fruits and vegetables before processing them. - Bones
No garbage disposal on the market is powerful enough to grind down bones. Bones are simply too strong and will win this contest every time. The only exception to this is fish bones, which are small and flexible enough to be processed by the disposal’s blades. - Eggshells
Eggshell fragments can become trapped in the disposal’s trap. They tend to accumulate at the bottom and can cling to other food waste, particularly grease and oils, leading to clogs and unpleasant odors. - Coffee Grounds
Similar to the issue with eggshells, coffee grounds often settle at the bottom of the P-trap rather than being flushed away, leading to gradual accumulation over time. - Animal Fats and Oils
Various types of fats, including animal fats, shortening, oils, and butter can create significant problems for your garbage disposal. Just as these fats adhere to food during cooking, they also stick to the walls of traps and pipes during disposal. Over time, this buildup can restrict water flow and ultimately result in a clogged drain.
To dispose of used oils and fats, place them in a sealed container or sealed plastic bag and throw them in the trash. For smaller quantities, absorb them with a paper towel. - Pits, Shells and Nuts
Avoid placing pits from avocados, cherries, peaches, and nectarines in your disposal. Additionally, steer clear of nuts, popcorn, and shellfish shells, as they are too tough for the disposal blades to manage. - Fibrous Vegetables
Fibrous vegetables such as corn husks, asparagus, banana peels, and celery contain stringy fibers that can become entangled in the blades, leading to potential blockages. - Starchy Foods
Starchy foods such as rice and pasta can continue to expand the longer they’re exposed to moisture so they can contribute to blockages in your drain. Instead scrape off excess amounts in the trash. Small amounts are less problematic. But when grinding any food in the disposal, always run cold water continuously to flush the debris completely out of the drain and pipes. - Potato Peels
Potato peels can be thin enough to slip past the blades of your garbage disposal entirely, resulting in them remaining intact and potentially causing clogs in your plumbing. - Paint
Regardless of whether it is latex or oil-based, paint should never be disposed of in your garbage disposal or kitchen sink. It is important to clean paint brushes outdoors and to follow proper disposal guidelines for paint. For specific instructions, consult your local government’s website.
For instance, residents of Little Rock can find relevant information here: https://www.littlerock.gov/city-administration/city-departments/public-works/recycling/special-items-recycling/paint/.
Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners
Commercial drain cleaners are often too harsh for use in your garbage disposal and kitchen drain. Since there are safer and more cost-effective alternatives available, you can strike this item off your shopping list.
Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal: An Ounce of Prevention
Regular maintenance is essential for keeping your garbage disposal and kitchen sink functioning smoothly. The following cleaning techniques can help minimize or eliminate the build-up that can lead to clogs.
Ice cubes with rock salt and cold water is a good cleaning method when using your garbage disposal.
Ice Cubes with Vinegar or Rock Salt
- Begin by removing the black rubber baffle, which is also a good opportunity to clean it, particularly the underside. The rubber baffle quiets the sound of the disposal, prevents items from accidentally falling in, and prevents splash.
- Next, fill the disposal with ice cubes and add 1 cup of vinegar or rock salt.
- Turn on the cold water and turn on the disposal, running it until all the ice cubes have been ground away.
Using ice cubes not only cleans the disposal of residue but also sharpens the blades. A true win-win!
Baking Soda and Vinegar
This simple method uses common household items and takes only minutes to perform.
- Start by removing the rubber baffle.
- Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the kitchen drain, followed by 1 cup of vinegar. The resulting fizzing foam will help break down any grimy build-up.
- After allowing it to sit for 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly with water.
- If you have a double sink, repeat the process in both drains.
This method is safe for both you and your plumbing and can be performed as often as needed.
Keep Your Faucet Running
Keep the faucet running before, during, and after using the garbage disposal to prevent the shredder from seizing and to flush away food particles. This helps to ensure your disposal will continue to operate smoothly and thereby minimizing potential clogs.
How to Freshen Your Garbage Disposal to Prevent Odors
Place citrus peels in the drain and run cold water while using your garbage disposal to remove odors.
Aside from cleaning you may want to deodorize your disposal from time to time.
- Add a few pieces of citrus peel and 1-2 cups of ice cubes to the drain.
- Turn the water on cold.
- Run the disposal with water running for 30 seconds or until all the peel is gone
If the citrus peels didn’t remove all of the odor, treat the garbage disposal with a diluted chlorine bleach solution.
- Mix two-thirds cup of warm water with one-third cup of liquid chlorine bleach.
- Pour the bleach solution down the drain.
- Run warm water for at least 30 seconds to flush the solution through the drain, disposal and trap.
Avoid Clogs with Cool Water
The best protection for avoiding drain clogs is to not put grease, fats, and oils down your drain. Most plumbers suggest using cold water instead of hot water when running a garbage disposal for a reason.
When using cold water, hot grease or oil cools and solidifies. In turn, your garbage disposal can chop up bits of grease before they reach the trap. On the other hand, using hot water allows hot grease and liquid oils to flow down the drain and into your pipes, where they will naturally cool down, solidify, and accumulate over time to form clogs.
Victory Plumbing Services Garbage Disposals
No matter how diligent you are about maintaining and cleaning your garbage disposal, problems can always arise from daily use as with any appliance. Since nothing lasts forever, garbage disposals have a finite life cycle and will eventually need to be repaired or replaced.
If you have any questions about the proper use, maintenance or replacement of your garbage disposal unit, contact Victory Plumbing at (501) 313-9920. Our skilled plumbers are available to help you in selecting and installing the ideal garbage disposal for your family’s needs.
